By Tim Zatzariny Jr.
Daily Journal
February 21, 2008
http://www.thedailyjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080221/NEWS01/802210309/1002
VINELAND — Several church parishes in Cumberland County may eventually merge as the Diocese of Camden wrestles with a shortage of priests and changing demographics.
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By April, Bishop Joseph Galante will make the decision on which parishes will merge based in part on recommendations from deaneries with representatives from each parish throughout the diocese.
If the bishop accepts the recommendations, the landscape of Catholic churches in the county could change drastically.
"What's unique about the process is the planners were not looking at one parish and saying, 'what's best for our parish?" said diocese spokesman Andy
Walton. "They were providing recommendations that would respond to the question of what is best for this entire area of the diocese."
The diocese has 124 parishes in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties, which serve about 500,000 Catholics.
In Vineland, the deanery has recommended a phased merger for Sacred Heart and St. Isidore the Farmer parishes. Masses would continue at both churches under one pastor.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Diocese of Camden planning commission next week will review recommendations made by deaneries with representatives from each parish throughout the diocese. In March, Bishop Joseph Galante will meet with the Council of Priests to review the evaluation made by the planning commission. Galante is expected to make his decisions in April.
The Diocese of Camden planning commission next week will review recommendations made by deaneries with representatives from each parish throughout the diocese. In March, Bishop Joseph Galante will meet with the Council of Priests to review the evaluation made by the planning commission. Galante is expected to make his decisions in April.
"Over the next five years, both parishes are going to work on their debt, work on projects and activities together and see where we go from there, if the recommendation comes back from the bishop that that's what he wants to do," Keith Petrosky, chairman of the St. Isidore planning committee, said Wednesday.
Petrosky is Vineland's city clerk.
"We are the closest neighbor to each other, and we probably have a lot in common with families and activities and everything else," he said of the two churches. "It makes good sense that we should cooperate a little better."
Under another recommendation, St. Francis of Assisi and Immaculate Heart of Mary parishes in Vineland would merge at St. Francis. Immaculate Heart targets the area's Hispanic community.
The two churches are already working together: Last September, about 300 children from Immaculate Heart joined St. Francis' catechism program. In exchange, Immaculate Heart provides volunteers to help with St. Francis' Wednesday bingo nights.
In Millville, St. John Bosco and St. Mary Magdalen, along with St. Anthony Mission in Port Norris, would have a phased merger. Over time, the churches would combine at St. Mary Magdalen. A new church would eventually be built on property owned by St. John Bosco, Walton said.
That merger would turn back the calendar almost four decades.
St. John Bosco is the younger parish, opening in 1969 on Hillcrest Avenue. It now has 1,200 families.
The parish was built on land St. Mary Magdalen donated. The idea was to cope with expected growth.
Among the founders were the parents of Joe Crowley, who at 85 now is one of St. John Bosco's oldest parishioners.
Crowley, who was at the church hall for bingo night, isn't fully on board with the merger.
"I feel they ought to know what they are doing before they start," he said. "Just like here. It wasn't necessary at the time."
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Roe Willis, Crowley's daughter, said parishioners aren't happy about the idea. "But it's something that has to be because of the shortage of priests," she said.
St. Teresa Avila and Immaculate Conception churches in Bridgeton, St. Mary's in Rosenhayn and St. Michael Parish in Cedarville would merge under one pastor.
Eventually, the parishes would merge into one church built on property owned by Immaculate Conception, according to Walton.
Planning committees for St. Padre Pio parish in Vineland and Queen of Angels parish in Buena have recommended the churches remain as single parishes each under one priest, Walton said.
In 2003, Our Lady of Pompeii Church, St. Mary's Church and St. Joseph Mission joined to form St. Padre Pio parish.
Queen of Angels is a merger of St. Michael's parish in Minotola and Our Lady of Victories in Landisville.
Over the past year, the deaneries reviewed churches' demographics, financial information, facilities and factors such as the number of Catholics attending Mass, as well as the number of baptisms, marriages and funerals, Walton said.
AT A GLANCE
Under recommendations made by the deanery planners representing the parishes:
Under recommendations made by the deanery planners representing the parishes:
- Sacred Heart and St. Isidore the Farmer Parishes in Vineland would have a phased merger. Masses will continue at both churches, which will be under the care of one pastor.
- St. Francis of Assisi and Immaculate Heart of Mary parishes in Vineland would merge at St. Francis. Immaculate Conception Church will remain as a historical site.
- St. Michael Parish in Cedarville, St. Teresa of Avila and Immaculate Conception churches in Bridgeton and St. Mary's in Rosenhayn would merge under the care of one pastor. Eventually, the parishes would merge into one church built on property owned by Immaculate Conception. Immaculate Conception Church would remain as a shrine reserved for special services.
- St. John Bosco and St. Mary Magdalen parishes in Millville, along with St. Anthony's Mission in Port Norris, would have a phased merger. Over time, St. Mary Magdalen would become the worship site, with a new church to eventually be built on property owned by St. John Bosco.
- St. Padre Pio parish in Vineland and Queen of Angels parish in Buena would remain unchanged.
The 12 deaneries forwarded their recommendations to the diocese planning commission last month, he said. The planning commission will begin considering the recommendations next week before forwarding its findings to the bishop.
Proposed parish mergers in the diocese follow the closing or consolidation since last year of 14 of its Catholic elementary schools with low enrollment.
Last year, St. Francis of Assisi Regional School on Chestnut Avenue merged with Sacred Heart/St. Isidore Regional Grammar School on Landis Avenue. The consolidated school is now called Bishop Schad Regional School.
Shifting Catholic populations within the diocese have left some churches with far fewer parishioners than in the past.
And the diocese projects it will eventually have more parishes than priests — another reason to consider merging some parishes, Walton said.
The diocese has roughly 170 active diocesan priests, but that number is expected to drop in half by 2016 due to deaths and retirements.
One of the goals of the diocese is to have parishes capable of community outreach, Walton said.
"When we talk about vibrant parishes, the idea is that these parishes will be alive and that they will have the financial as well as human resources to advance these goals," he said.
Walton stressed that nothing is final until April.
"These are recommendations," he said. "They are not decisions."
Contact: tzatzariny@thedailyjournal.com
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