By Joseph Gidjunis
Courier-Post
May 3, 2008
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080503/NEWS01/805030338/1006
CAMDEN — Praying the rosary, nearly 75 protesters demanded their St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Malaga stay open during a demonstration along the 600 block of Market Street in front of the Diocese of Camden headquarters on Friday.
Members of the rural church of only 250 families oppose last month's decision by Camden Bishop Joseph A. Galante to close, merge or reconfigure nearly half of its parishes from 124 to 66. In his proposal, Galante placed St. Mary's on the list to merge with churches in Landisville, Minotola, Newfield and Collings Lakes.
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| St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church parishioners (from left) Joann Zeilman, Michael Cianchetti and Mary Ann Rambone rally with other demonstrators in front of the Diocese of Camden on Friday. Photo by Avi Steinhardt |
"There is no such thing as merging. It's closing," said Leah Vassallo, a longtime parishioner. "The real reason he is doing this is because he thinks larger parishes are more vibrant. Where is that true? People aren't likely to go to a bigger church, farther from home."
Galante has said the church is challenged as nearly half of its priests near retirement in 2015 and attendance declines. To survive, it requires the diocese to unify its membership.
"You need stronger parishes. You need parishes with the resources, not just financial, but human to pay qualified professionals to carry out the ministries," said diocese spokesman Andrew Walton. "Many of these parishes, as they are now, can't do that. And it's especially difficult for one of the size of St. Mary's."
Photo Gallery
St. Mary's Parishioners and Supporters Protest
Its parishioners commandeered Market Street to prove they are resourceful.
"We're a viable business. We pay all of our bills. We're not on the verge of bankruptcy," said Ralph Travaglione, who has been part of the church his entire life. Travaglione was carrying a sign the read "Bishop is a businessman, not a Holy man."
"He just wants to make superparishes and tear down little churches," he said.
The protesters included Catholics of other churches who disagree with the closure plan.
"The devil is working overtime," said Lucia Marini, of Mater Ecclesiae in Berlin Borough, who came to support St. Mary's. "If this continues, I'm sure there will be Catholics leaving the church."
The crowd cheered when Father Jerome Romanowski came out of the diocese office with a smile. A meeting was scheduled between the St. Mary's priest and diocese officials, at which he expected to be asked to resign. But the meeting never took place.
"There is a lot of tension in the diocese," Romanowski said, adding he thought the diocese would be asking for the resignations of priests in the merged parishes on Friday.
"But not today," Romanowski said. "We would like to present our case personally to the bishop."
Reach Joseph Gidjunis at (856) 486-2604 or jogidjunis@gannett.com.
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