Word, Worship, and Outreach on West Saddle River Road
Church of the Presentation sits on West Saddle River Road in Upper Saddle River, a community of roughly eight thousand in northern Bergen County. The parish's mission statement sets the tone for everything that happens inside and outside its walls: "A welcoming Catholic community leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ through Word, Worship, and Outreach." A banner reads: "Our doors are open to EVERYONE, whatever your age or circumstance, whether you are hurting & looking for healing, or looking for a parish home, or returning to church. ALL ARE WELCOME!"
Father Anthony Randazzo serves as pastor, with Father Richard Francesco as parochial vicar and Father Bob Stagg as pastor emeritus. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Newark and operates as a 501(c)(3) organization under federal tax ID 22-1854004.
Mass Times, Reconciliation, and the Live Stream
The Mass schedule is built for both in-person worship and a wider community watching at home. Saturday Mass at 5 PM is live-streamed, and daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Saturday at 9 AM, also live-streamed. Sunday Masses are offered at 8 AM, 10 AM, 12 PM, and 6:30 PM. Reconciliation is heard after the 9 AM daily Mass and on Saturdays from 1 to 2 PM, with appointments available on request.
Visitors are asked to drop any offering in the baskets in the narthex before Mass; there is no collection during the offertory. For health reasons, no food or drink may be consumed in the church by adults or children.
Family Faith Formation: Walking the Emmaus Road from Grades 1 to 10
Children's faith formation is the heart of the parish. The Family Faith Formation program, run under the guidance of Patty Dodwell and a dedicated staff team, serves families registered in the parish with children in grades 1 through 6. In 2017 the program received the New Wineskins Award from the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership for its creative approach. A second track, Junior High Faith Formation, covers grades 7 and 8, and the high school Youth Ministry in grades 9 through 12 continues the journey through Confirmation and beyond.
The Family Faith program follows an Emmaus model: breaking open the Word through online lessons, breaking bread together at the Family Mass, building community in monthly gatherings, and acting out the faith through service. The Family Mass at 10 AM Sunday is led in significant ways by the children themselves, who serve as lectors, greeters, ushers, and choir. A children's Sunday program called Play-n-Worship is offered during the 10 AM Mass for children ages 3 through kindergarten, with sign-in starting at 9:45 AM in the Gathering Rooms. Junior High Connect! provides a parallel track for grades 6 through 8.
Music at Presentation: Three Choirs and a Contemporary Group
Music Director Natasha Bellias leads three ensembles. The Adult Choir rehearses on Tuesday evenings at 7 PM and sings at the 12 PM Mass most Sundays, welcoming new members in all voice parts. The Contemporary Group rehearses at 5:30 PM each Sunday for that evening's 6:30 PM Mass, and youth and teens are especially encouraged to take part. The Children's Choir, for students in grades 3 through 8, rehearses occasionally on Tuesdays at 4 PM and sings once or twice a month at the 10 AM Family Mass.
The Seven Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Baptisms are held once a month on Saturdays or Sundays at 1 PM, with preparation sessions for parents. Marriage preparation is coordinated through the Worship Office. Reconciliation is offered regularly. Anointing of the Sick can be requested at any moment of urgent need by calling 201-327-1313, ext. 877, or arranged through either priest for non-urgent situations. First Eucharist, Confirmation, and Holy Orders each have dedicated preparation programs. Adults who wish to become Catholic are welcomed through OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), directed by Diane Carr.
Caring for Creation: A GreenFaith Sanctuary Parish
Presentation was certified as a GreenFaith Sanctuary parish in 2013. The St. Francis Ministry frames its work around Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Sí and offers prayer, education, and concrete calls to action. The parish reduces its carbon footprint through solar panels, motion sensor lighting, eco-friendly bathrooms, a smart HVAC system, and a reduction of single-use plastics. The Parish Garden Ministry, active from late April through September, grows fresh produce that is donated to local families, food banks, and the soup kitchens the parish serves.
Justice and Peace: Catholic Social Teaching in Action
The Justice and Peace Ministry meets regularly to study and act on the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching: life and dignity of the human person, call to family, community and participation, rights and responsibilities, option for the poor and vulnerable, dignity of work and rights of workers, care for God's creation, and solidarity. The ministry organizes prayer services, speakers, Fair Trade sales, Just Faith courses, and letter-writing campaigns on current legislation. Sample letters to federal and state legislators on SNAP funding, international humanitarian assistance, and immigration are posted on the parish site for parishioners to use.
From Upper Saddle River to Cavaillon: NOVA Hope for Haiti
One of Presentation's most visible missions began in 2002 as a parish twinning relationship with a Haitian parish that had identified medical care as its greatest need. Volunteer teams traveled to Haiti to provide free care in a community center, sometimes seeing over a thousand patients in a single week. In 2005, leaders of the mission and the parish's then-pastor, Father Tom Ivory, incorporated the work as a separate 501(c)(3) called NOVA Hope for Haiti. A permanent clinic was built in 2014 and is now staffed year-round by two doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and pharmacists serving the people of Cavaillon and the surrounding area. The parish continues to send volunteer teams and raise support for the clinic.
Feeding the Hungry: Soup Kitchens, the Sharing Basket, and Family Promise
Each week, two teams from Presentation prepare meals in the parish kitchen for soup kitchens in Newark and Harlem, then deliver and serve them. The Sharing Basket Food Pantry stocks dry goods and personal-care items for individuals and families in the surrounding area who are facing a financial crisis; parishioners can drop donations in the foyer near the kitchen. In the summer, the Homeless Ministry partners with Family Promise, the only organization in Bergen County that helps working families overcome the crisis of temporary homelessness and return to self-sufficiency.
Walking Spirituality, Men's 6 AM, and Women's Thursday
Several small groups give the parish its rhythm during the week. The Walking Spirituality Ministry, modeled on Annabel Streets's book 52 Ways to Walk, plans several local walks each month, each lasting about two hours and ending with time for reflection. The Men's 6 AM Group meets every Wednesday from 6 to 7 AM in the Nazareth Room or on Zoom for an hour of Christian brotherhood, drawing around thirty-five men most weeks; the topic is set by a different facilitator each Wednesday. Women's Spirituality gathers on Thursday mornings at 7:30 AM on Zoom for prayer, fellowship, and reflection.
LGBTQ Ministry and Inclusion
Presentation's LGBTQ Ministry describes itself as "a welcoming fellowship embracing the dignity and diversity of all Catholics by fostering a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and his people, through Word, Worship and Outreach." The ministry celebrates an annual Mass of Inclusion and offers community, outreach, and spiritual nourishment. Parishioner Dr. Frank J. Sileo, a licensed psychologist who has worked with LGBTQIA+ children, adolescents, and families for more than twenty-five years, has written children's books on allyship and inclusion, including Pride and Joy and The Small and Tall Ball.
Walking with Those Who Grieve, Forget, or Search for Work
Several ministries serve people in moments of particular need. The Bereavement Ministry offers support groups for anyone who has recently lost a loved one, with sessions held throughout the year. The Alzheimer's & Dementia Support Ministry, facilitated by Debby Montone, a Certified Dementia Practitioner, hosts a Memory Café on selected Thursdays at 11:45 AM in the Jerusalem Room, plus monthly in-person meetings for caregivers and a monthly Zoom meeting. The Career Management Ministry provides a network of volunteers and resources for those who are unemployed or underemployed. Pastoral Care Ministers bring Communion and a listening presence to parishioners who are homebound, hospitalized, or in nursing homes.
Prayer in Many Forms
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish hosts Centering Prayer, Eucharistic Adoration, Stations of the Cross, and a Prayer Tree Ministry that unites parishioners in prayer for those facing sudden illness, long-term illness, or end-of-life situations. A Daily Rosary page lists the Mysteries prayed on each day of the week, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet is also offered. A walking labyrinth on the parish grounds gives visitors a place for meditative prayer.
Becoming a Parishioner
Newcomers are invited to register through the parish office. Parish Office Hours run Monday through Thursday 9:30 AM to 5 PM and Friday 9:30 AM to 2 PM, with summer hours of Monday through Thursday 9:30 AM to 4 PM. An Information Desk in the narthex is staffed on Sunday mornings from 9 AM to 12:45 PM. Electronic giving is available through MP eGiving on the OnRealm platform, with options for Sunday, Christmas, and Easter offerings, plus special archdiocesan collections. The parish is supported by more than two hundred volunteers, celebrated each year at a cocktail party hosted by the entire staff.