I decided to go with my friend to her church, Our Lady of The Mount in Warren, NJ. It has been many…read moreyears since I was in a Catholic Church. When I was married I switched to the Greek Orthodox Church which is similar. Now I've been attending this church. From the minute I entered everyone here was very friendly. Fr. Bill and Msgr. Capek are so very warm and welcoming . They both made me feel very comfortable. I enjoy their homily. I talked to Fr. Bill before Mass and he gave me a blessing. The Mass has a lot great singing in it. All of the parishioners are friendly and they too are very welcoming. There is service from Sat at 5p, Sun 8a, 10 a, and 11:30a .The Mass has changed somewhat of the years for the better. I would recommend attending this church.

During the pandemic, I would routinely walk here from Summit: 9 hours one way - a good part up…read morehill. 9 miles back. Typically 8 hours round trip. I walked 800 miles and lost 75 miles over lockdown. This was a holy place higher than religion. It represented the blessing that was Joe Biden's arrival after the horror of the last reign. Walking. Most great religions and philosophies were invented that way.

I've passed this place countless times in the years I've resided in the area without having any…read moreinclination to enter its grounds and explore. It was a shrine (although I know technically what a "shrine" is...as a teen, I had 1 set up in my bedroom to actress Nastassja Kinski...I never quite knew the difference between a "church" and a "shrine" and had no real desire to find out), and it sat up on a hill, surrounded by trees. My relationship to "religion" and "spirituality" has been complicated. Compelled to attend Protestant church as a kid, I had developed enormous hostility to religion. At 17, motivated by an inherent sense of fairness, I recognized that I didn't necessarily know what I was hostile about, and sat down to read the Bible. It wasn't an easy process, but I found the New Testament dealing with Jesus enlightening. At the risk of sounding blasphemous, I found Him to be a sort of proto-Marxist (even though my 17-year-old conceptions of Marxism were pretty inchoate and uninformed), not the button-down conservative with blond hair I had been raised to believe He was. He healed the sick, He championed the poor and destitute, He excoriated the moneychangers and drove them from the temple. What was not to like? Reading the Bible didn't necessarily make a believer of me, but it made me less hostile. In the years since then, I've tried to explore all aspects of spirituality. I've read books dealing with Islam, Judaism, Hinduism (I like their tradition of tolerance, their belief that all religions have the same goal, and can be equally good), Buddhism, etc. (For writings pertaining to the historical Jesus, I recommend the work of Prof. Bart Ehrman). Catholicism always intrigued me. As an adopted kid raised as a Protestant in a largely Catholic-Jewish neighborhood, it seemed a more colorful, less rigid "club" that I wasn't able to join. Later, when I was re-united with my Catholic birth mother, I attended services with her and liked a lot of what I witnessed (it should be noted that my 2 half-brothers, raised Catholic, are staunch atheists now). At some point, I learned that the Catholic Bible has more chapters, or books, in it than the Protestant version I had read so long ago (I guess Luther or King Henry VIII or Calvin decided to remove the chapters they felt weren't necessary). I decided I was going to have to re-read the Bible, but the Catholic version this time. I guess it was timely that in riding around with my old friend, who was raised Catholic, we pulled into the shrine. When I looked inquiringly at him, he said, "I used to come here when my mom was dying. It gave me some peace to come here." There was plentiful parking, the grounds were beautiful, and we entered the main building, which contains a church (or chapel) and a gift shop. A Mass was being conducted, and we didn't stay long (evidently, they also have Masses in Spanish). There's another chapel being built in another part of the grounds. There's a monument outside on the sprawling lawn to those who died in 9/11, with an impressive structure of bells that sound off periodically (I had the misfortune to be standing under 1 when it went off...loudly...and for a few minutes I feared that the bells would accomplish the total deafness that all those Ramones and Black Sabbath concerts hadn't). The gift shop had much for sale, and I ended up buying the Catholic Bible for about $45 (I couldn't help but reflect on those free Bibles the Gideons used to put in hotel rooms way back when). It's a wonderfully crafted edition, with historical explanations, graphs, colorful illustrations, etc., and I have started reading it. I must confess (Sorry, Father, that's "confess" with a small "c") that the Old Testament is a tough slog, but I intend to see it through. They sell other religious books, CDs, DVDs, jewelry (crosses, etc.), and other items pertaining to Catholicsm. They had a statuette of St. Michael with his foot on the Devil's head that I was tempted to buy, but I figured $45 for one day was enough. The proprietor of the gift shop was pleasant and friendly. Am I ready to convert? No. As I face the reality of oncoming death, I envy those with some firm spiritual faith to grasp on to. Protestantism isn't for me; it reminds me too much of Howard Johnson's 28 flavors of ice cream-- take your pick. But I don't know that I can, as a sentient adult, say, "Yes, I'm no longer Pro-Choice, I support celibacy in the priesthood and the 2nd class status of women, and I agree that some of these harmless vices that are common to humanity are grave sins that I need to repent of in order to find forgiveness and redemption." And I don't think Christianity is the only way to find God, if He or She actually exists. Still, the shrine is a lovely, tranquil place for the faithful to engage in reflection, meditation, and expressions of their faith. Or for those who, as I am, are willing enough to at least investigate the possibility of having such a faith.

Best church by far. Always feels like home. Everyone is so warm and loving. God is definitely in…read morethis house.

If you desire to know God in a more intimate way, this church is for you. Love and compassion live…read morein this place.

I attended this church for a few months. I visit different churches to discern which ones truly…read moreteach the Bible and whether their pastors have genuinely experienced salvation. Unfortunately, this is not a church I would recommend. While they do preach the gospel during Sunday services and speak about God's love and living a committed Christian life, they don't present the full truth. They rarely emphasize that God is also a righteous Judge or that there is both a beginning and an end in our spiritual journey. Instead, it often feels like they focus on messages people want to hear, rather than what they need to hear, possibly for financial gain. It doesn't seem like they prioritize spiritual growth or genuine salvation, but rather attendance and giving. Churches like this can actually discourage people from drawing closer to God and understanding the true cleansing that comes through Jesus. It's important to understand what true salvation really means. It's not just about belief or having faith in a shallow sense. In one service, they mentioned that faith can be shaky, but I don't believe that reflects the truth. God is never uncertain about us, so our faith shouldn't be either. True faith isn't based on emotions or life circumstances--it's rooted in the cross and what Jesus Christ accomplished through His sacrifice. When someone is truly born again, their faith is no longer unstable. There is a deep assurance and confidence in how God works in their life.

the total experience , and good energy that I felt from this Church just has to be experienced by…read moreone and all . everyone here is down to earth and most welcoming . young and not so young [ like me ] , can feel right at ease here, as i most certainly did . Thanks , and Bless you and the work you are doing !

Thank you! what a powerful presence of the Lord! Great testimonies of Jesus and anointed worship…read morehere! I am visiting from out of town and have been so blessed! I am reviewing the place.on Mt.Airy Road.not Mine Brook.

The worship and the Word was awesome. The Holy Spirit was in the house. I was truly blessed.read more

This is a beautiful church with a very welcoming congregation. They have a parking lot, and they…read moreoffer a bountiful array of food and coffee in the lobby before service. There is an amazing choir, and there's kids service as well. The kids head to their area before the Pastor begins speaking. Service begins with a few songs and announcements and then the Pastor speaks. I'm glad I found this church. BYOB (bring your own bible).

I visited 5-6 churches, in the area, before coming here and I wish I could've found this place…read moresooner. The pastor is extremely personable and kind. Some of the songs sung were songs you would hear on Star 99.1. The church is extremely small but it's never over crowded. I really enjoy the sermons (since you can understand the message he tries to relate). They have a special kid-care room where your children can go (so you can peacefully listen to the sermon). Overall: I highly recommend this church if your looking for a place to worship. This would've been my family's new church if I didn't have to move an 1 hour away, approximately 2-3 months later. Go. You won't be disappointed. I loved / cherished my short time with this congregation.