Church of the Assumption, Wildwood Crest

I attended daily Mass one Monday morning in the Parish Hall. For some reason Mass was being held in the hall, not in the church, which seemed odd to me because the hall was packed with mainly elderly people. There were no available seats. The priest was very reverent; he used bells at the Consecration, and the attending Deacon was dressed in liturgical gard. Unfortunately, the priest engaged in a casual "back and forth" dialogue with the people in attendance, giving part of the Mass a summer camp atmosphere. When it came time for communion, the lay ministers marched to the front of the altar table and were given glass chalices in order to distribute wine. Only the priest distributed the host, which was a good thing. But there was no need for the lay ministers to be there at all. The priest alone could have distributed communion because the assembly was not overflowing. I avoided the lay ministers because this novelty has a Protestant flavor. Everyone present received communion in the hand but I received on the tongue, and this caused an old Irish gentleman to give me a dirty look.

The Church features a magnificent mosaic dedicated to Our Lady. Stylistically, this resplendent altar piece is something right out of Kandinsky.

I attended Mass there 3 years ago and walked out. The altar boys (servers) were in sneakers, the priest was so informal the entire Mass had a Protestant feeling. Is it possible to inject a little ceremony into a seashore church? Would it be possible to have the Traditional Latin Mass presented at Assumption? Just because people are on vacatuion doesn't mean they want a fast-paced sloppy service. I was so disappointed I considered going to the Greek Orthodox church, that beautiful little white church in North Wildwood. I am sure I would have found a beautiful Liturgy there!

This church is wonderful. If you are in Wildwood on Aug. 15th, consider attending a special mass for the feast day of the Assumption. The priest blesses the ocean and they celebrate their namesake. This is a lovely church and I've enjoyed attending mass there for the last forty years while on vacation.

I usually go down to Wildwood for the Knight of Columbus Convention every year. I did this past may and I am going again in a couple of days for a relaxing weekend with my boyfriend and his family. The Knight have their special mass at the Church of the Assumption in Wildwood Crest. The church itself is immaculate and masses are always beautiful. The people are very friendly and the priest always gives a wonderful sermon. I enjoy it there and everytime I attend mass there I am always happy with my choice. Another great church to attend mass is at St. Ann's Catholic Church on Pacific Ave.

A beautiful Church but parking has always been a problem. Even when arriving early I have always had to park 5+ blocks away. The interior of the church is very large and all but one time I have been able to find a seat during mass.