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	Diocese to Merge 8 More Parishes By Jim Walsh Courier-Post May 22, 2010 http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20100522/NEWS01/5220336/1006/Diocese-to-merge-8-more-parishes The Diocese of Camden announced merger dates Friday for eight parishes across South Jersey. The June 23 mergers will form three new parishes -- based at the current Holy Name of Jesus Church in Mullica Hill, St. Joseph Church in Hammonton and St. John of God Church in North Cape May. Bishop Joseph Galante now has issued 18 decrees since June 2009 in an ongoing effort to cut the number of parishes in the diocese almost by half. Decrees have yet to be issued for 20 consolidations, the diocese said. The restructuring program, which sparked grassroots opposition after it was announced in April 2008, is expected to reduce the number of parishes in the diocese from 124 to 68. The cutbacks are a response to a priest shortage, population changes and other factors, according to Galante. The bishop's decrees covered these changes: Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Mullica Hill, Gloucester County, will join with two Salem County parishes -- St. Ann in Elmer and St. Joseph in Woodstown. They will form The Catholic Community of the Holy Spirit. St. Joseph Church will also be a worship site for the new parish of some 2,680 families. Three Hammonton parishes -- St. Joseph, St. Martin dePorres and St. Anthony of Padua -- will become St. Mary of Mount Carmel Parish. St. Martin dePorres Church and St. Anthony of Padua Church will continue to be worship sites. The Hammonton parish will serve some 3,000 families. Two Cape May County parishes -- St. John of God in North Cape May and St. Raymond in Villas -- will unite to form the Parish of St. John Neumann. It will serve about 1,900 families. The diocese's most recent merger took effect Wednesday and involved three parishes in Camden County. The parishes -- Mary, Mother of the Church in Bellmawr, St. Francis de Sales in Barrington and St. Gregory in Magnolia -- combined to form the Bellmawr-based St. Rita Parish. Reach Jim Walsh at (856) 486-2646 or jwalsh@courierpostonline.com
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