We have just closed the fiscal year and we are halfway through the calendar year. Our Mass attendance participation as well as our collection totals continue to increase. A marked increase has been noted in our On-line Giving program. Thank you for your generosity and prayerful support of our parish. Your love, loyalty, and dedication to our beloved community is inspirational. The following statistics offer a comparison of our attendance for the first six months of the past three years.
2022 2023 2024
Total / Average 11,556 / 462 14,034 / 561 15,204 / 608
Sundays greater than 600 3 /25 9 /25 19 /25
Lowest attendance 364 461 527
Highest attendance* 539 702 677
*Other than Palm Sunday or Easter
Of note is that the lowest attendance of 2024 is nearly identical to the highest attendance of 2022. That is a testimony to your faith and your constancy. Thank you.
Our Parish Center / Gym at Our Lady of Peace has a cornerstone of 1928. This 96-year-old building has received some makeovers through the years including the addition of new doors in the back and school side of the building. New doors have been ordered for the Church side entrance of the building. These doors will be installed this summer. The purchase of the doors was made possible through the proceeds of our Parish Drama Program. Thank you to our Drama Program for your dedication and guidance provided to our young parishioners. Thank you to all who support the Drama Program through your attending of the performances and / or support with advertising in the Drama Playbill Publication. We look forward to Milmont Movie Nights which will be offered in the Parish Center as well as The Wizard of Oz performances in the Spring of 2025.
Periodically we will provide updates on the priorities and goals of our Next Generation Parish initiatives. Today’s focus is on the enhancements to our Music Ministry.
We are truly blessed with the richness and the professionalism of our music ministry at Our Lady of Peace Parish. Our instrumentalists and cantors provide a meaningful worship space that strengthens our liturgical experiences.
Under the professional leadership of our music ministry Director, Kathryn McDermott, our parish continually strives to enhance our various liturgies with beautiful sacred music. During the latter half of 2023, our parish reinstituted our Adult Choir which is directed by Gladys Luciano, an accomplished and talented musician. Our Adult Choir sings at three Masses per month rotating between our two worship sites.
Our Lady of Peace Parish, within the past year, has added a Children’s Choir. The Children’s Choir, also under the direction of Gladys Luciano, likewise rotates between our worship sites offering their talents at our various liturgies. It is our hope to expand the Children’s Choir to include representation from our school, PREP, and Drama programs.
We have also been blessed this past year with a variety of instrumentation for the enrichment of our worship experience. Trumpet, harp, and tympani have been used at various High Masses during this year. A recent 11:30 Mass featured guitar accompaniment. These additions, along with the possibility of cantors dueting have made, and will continue to make for truly inspirational worship at Our Lady of Peace.