Leadership at Holy Spirit
Meet the people who Make it Happen!
Our Clergy
Fr Michael J. Field
Pastor
Fr. Michael Field was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1954. As a young boy, the youngest of five children, he moved to Ocean City, New Jersey. He, along with his older brother and sister converted to Catholicism at the age of twelve through the waters of Baptism. He attended the Ocean City public schools and later went to Mount Saint Mary’s College in Maryland. Graduating in 1976, the influence of a number of priests called him to discern the call to priesthood. He entered Immaculate Conception Seminary in 1978 in Mahwah, New Jersey. Michael witnessed the death and transition of three Popes in his first weeks of seminary. Pope Paul VI to Pope John Paul to Pope John Paul II.
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Fr. Michael was ordained a priest on May 29, 1982, one day after his twenty-eighth birthday As a parochial vicar, he’s served in a number of parishes from Vineland to Blackwood to Cherry Hill. As a parochial vicar, he received a doctor of ministry degree (D.Min) from Drew University focusing on the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. He was appointed Diocesan Director of the RCIA office and served in that capacity for five years.
In 2002, Fr. Michael was appointed pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish in Swedesboro. From there he served as Pastor of Queen of Heaven, Cherry Hill.
In his term there, the bishop began the merging process. The bishop assigned Fr. Michael to merge the Wildwood parishes. Near the end of his first term in Wildwood, Fr. Michael requested a sabbatical. Using the year to renew and be enriched, he updated himself at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Upon completing the sabbatical, the bishop appointed him pastor of St. Bridget University Parish in Glassboro. Fr. Michael served there until he was appointed pastor of our parish in 2019!
What is his vision for our parish? He says, “The church of the future, the church of now must reflect the Good News. It must reflect welcome, free of judgment or exclusion. If we create safe, welcoming environments with liturgies full of life, joy and hope — we’ll see a faith community full of disciples!”
Robert Fanelli
Deacon
856-478-2294 x1004
rfanelli@holyspiritweb.org
Deacon Bob was born in Woodbury, NJ, the youngest of 4 children. He lived in Bellmawr, NJ until he was 13, when his family moved to California, Md. in St. Mary’s County.
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He moved back to NJ in 1980, and joined the Washington Twp. Jaycees, where he chaired many projects to raise money for children in need, those who were physically or mentally challenged, as well as other charitable causes. In 1983 he met his “Earth Angel”, Robin, and they were married in 1984. They have resided in Penns Grove, NJ since 1989. He was ordained as a Permanent Deacon on March 15, 1997, and has been assigned to St. James Parish (Penns Grove), St Ann’s (Elmer), St. Gabriel’s (merged parish), and now the Catholic Community of the Holy Spirit. Over the years he has coached Little League, church softball teams, received a B.S in Business Management from Wilmington College, and a 4 year certificate in Bible studies from the Camden Diocese’s Institute for Religious Studies. He and Robin have been involved with Small Christian Communities and prayer groups. Deacon Bob also taught Religious Education classes to 8th graders preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation for 17 years. Although he no longer plays sports, he is still an avid fan, especially baseball.
Joseph W. Loungo
Deacon – Retired
Faith Formation
Irene Clark
Sacramental Coordinator Faith Formation
856-478-2294 X2002
iclark@holyspiritweb.org
Sr. Denise Ware
Pastoral Associate of Faith Formation
856-478-2294 x2004
sr.denise@holyspiritweb.org
Our Staff
Jim Rementer
Director of Music
856-478-2294 x1003
jimr@holyspiritweb.org
Jim has over 45 years of music ministry experience. He has lead contemporary music ministry since 1979. Jim & Grace married in 1972 and they have three children.
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Jim plays the guitar, mandolin, and other string instruments, flute, woodwinds, and hand percussion instruments. He has served in the roles of leader of song, cantor and director of adult and children’s choirs. Jim has been a team member for Gregory Norbert, and Grayson Warren Brown concerts. He has played guitar for several National Pastoral Musicians Conferences as well as being a musician for several concerts featuring John Michael Talbot and Bob Hurd. Beginning in January of 2007, Jim was a Co-Director of music ministry at Holy Name of Jesus Parish. He continues working as the current Director of Music since 2010.
Dana Cooper
Parish Business Manager
856-478-2294×1004
dcooper@holyspiritweb.org
Rob Reilly
Associate to the Pastor
856-478-2294
office@holyspiritweb.org
Felicia Mitchell
Bookkeeper
856-478-2294 x1006
fmitchell@holyspiritweb.org
Felicia moved with her husband, John to Mullica Hill in 1994 and joined the Holy Name of Jesus Parish. In 1996, their daughter, Janet was born.
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Felicia is originally from Nanuet, NY. She attended Fordham University for Undergraduate and Iona College for Graduate work. She was a member of the Finance Council for Holy Name of Jesus and later joined the Finance Council for Catholic Community of the Holy Spirit. She also was a counter for several years. Prior to becoming the Bookkeeper, she worked for IBM in Accounting, Marketing and Finance before retiring after 35 years.
Joan Baker
RCIA Coordinator & Bulletin Editor
856-478-2294
Joan has been a parishioner since 1992 when she moved from Alexandria, Virginia where she was Vice President of Operations for the largest family-owned and oldest bank in Virginia.
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She and her husband Bruce have been involved in many ministries throughout the years. Joan has been involved with RCIA since 1997 when Bruce joined the Catholic Faith. Prior to retirement, she was Office Administrator for a local real estate & land development company.
Ann DiGiacomo
Office Administrative Assistant
856-478-2294 X1002
office@holyspiritweb.org
Born in Cramer Hill, Ann was raised in the church and learned at a young age the power of volunteering and helping others. She has been volunteering her whole life.
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She’s been involved at all her parishes: St. Anthony of Padua, Queen of Peace & now here. She currently volunteers in our parish heading up the counters’ ministry. She joined our parish team in June of 2023, following a long career in office management & bookkeeping. She is married to her long-time husband, John with one beautiful daughter, Giavanna. They have made their home in Woolwich for 22 years. If you haven’t had a chance to meet Ann, feel free to stop into our parish office. She will gladly help you with whatever you may need. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call her at 856-478-2294, x1002.
Gladys Stillwagon
Church Maintenance
856-478-2294
office@holyspiritweb.org
Pastoral Council
The Parish Pastoral Council consists of lay members of our parish with Fr. Michael, our pastor and Fr. Joseph, our parochial vicar. The council is to be the visionary group of the parish, meeting monthly to work on the goals of establishing a parish vision and mission. In addition, they give counsel and assistance to our pastor.
Unlike a “Parish Council”, the Pastoral Council does not have officers and is not about the “business” of the parish. Instead, the work of the Pastoral Council is prayer and discernment for the identity and future of the parish. The members are tasked with being the “eyes and ears” of the parish and bringing that to the table with a goal of forming the direction of the parish. The business of the parish is the work of the Finance Council, and the newly formed Ministry Council.
The Pastoral Council meets regularly with the Parish Ministry Council (a group of leaders from each parish ministry). In those meetings, the Ministry Council reports what they are doing, hearing and seeing and the Pastoral Council offers suggestions and overall parish direction and vision. For instance, the Pastoral Council may feel it’s important for our parish to focus on finding ways to involve the youth of the parish in more parish activities and will suggest that to the Ministry Council. Or the Pastoral Council might think there is a greater need to serve the senior citizens of our parish, especially the sick and homebound, and will ask the Ministry Council to consider that need within any or all of their ministries.
Joan Baker
John McGonigle
Bill Singer
Jack McElwee
Tony Vitullo
Phyllis White
Marianne Reilly
Christine Williams
Membership on the Council is the result of someone offering their time and talent as a council member, and then a process of Discernment. This is much the same way as is found in scripture when a new apostle was needed.
Finance Council
The Parish Finance Council is a consultative body which assists the pastor to act justly and prudently in the administration of the parish’s temporal goods.
Tony Vitullo
Stephanie Weidman
Leo Hughes
Trustees
The parish trustees are recommended by the pastor and elected for a period of 1 year. A lay trustees of a parish corporation is not merely an “honorary appointee” but is to be a parishioner who is knowledgeable, outstanding in concern for the Church and the parish and who actively shares with a pastor his or her views on parish life and needs. -(Diocesan Statutes nos. 203, 207, 209, 210, 246 and 247)