Meet the Staff

Father Jerome Johnson was appointed pastor of St. Cecelia’s July 21, 1999. He received a BA from St. Meinrad College in Indiana and an MDiv and MA from Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD. Fr. Jay was ordained to the priesthood on May 31, 1986 by then Bishop Theodore McCarrick.. Before coming to St. Cecelia’s, Fr. Jay was associate pastor at Immaculate Conception in Sommerville and St. Thomas the Apostle in Old Bridge. He was pastor of Sacred Heart in New Brunswick from 1995 to 1999.

Father Francis Vaz, semi-retired, has been at St. Cecelia Church since September 2003, coming to us from St. Rose of Lima in Oxford, where he served as Pastor. Ordained to the priesthood in 1961 by Valerian Cardinal Gracias, Fr Vaz was born in Bombay, India and educated in Bombay at St. Isabel's High School, St. Pius X College and The Tata Institute of Social Science. He also attended the Pontifical Athenaeum in Poona, India

Deacon Belardino Lupini was ordained on May 17, 1980 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Trenton, N.J. by bishop John Reiss. He received maturita classica in Ancona, Italy in 1948. M.D. degree in march 1995 from the University of Rome, Italy. Married Mary Kurdyla in 1960. Has tree sons, 2 daughters and 14 grand children. Serves in St. Cecelia’s Iselin since his ordination.

Joan Abitabile has been the parish secretary at St. Cecelia Parish since September, 1997. Her primary responsibility is the maintenance of all tuition accounts for St. Cecelia School parents, kindergarten through 8th grade. In addition to general parish duties, Joan handles the payment of any property management expenses for the facility, Diocesan Assessments and Special Collections, and licensing for fundraisers or special events.

Stephanie Setar has been the parish secretary at St. Cecelia Parish since October, 1998, warmly greeting all those who enter the Parish Office. Stephanie manages the payroll and benefits/compensation accounts for the church and school, arranges baptisms, orders papal blessings, maintains the parish calendar and assists in general office duties

Joan Abitabile has been the parish secretary at St. Cecelia Parish since September, 1997. Her primary responsibility is the maintenance of all tuition accounts for St. Cecelia School parents, kindergarten through 8th grade. In addition to general parish duties, Joan handles the payment of any property management expenses for the facility, Diocesan Assessments and Special Collections, and licensing for fundraisers or special events.

Mary Jane Kress has been our parish Cantor since September 1999. A graduate of Kean University, she has studied voice with Dr. Gordon Myers, Mr. Donival Brown, and most recently with Dr. Judith Nicosia, head of Graduate Music at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. In addition to her music ministry, she lends her talents to many other parish endeavors, particularly those that foster the ideas and ideals of Stewardship as our Parish – and individual – way of life.