Gathering God's Gifts: A New Future for the Diocese

Note: This post is my final project for my coursework, and is therefore a bit more formal and lengthy. Consider yourself warned. ;) Click the play button to the left of each media player to hear clips from audio interviews. Comments are always welcome!

After over two years of intense debate, discussion and prayer, Bishop Joseph Galante of the Diocese of Camden made a sobering address to Catholics of South Jersey: it was time to reconfigure.

In 2006, there were around 175 priests in active ministry for the diocese. That number has been steadily dropping since, and trends suggest there will be only 85 remaining by 2015. This shortage of priests has only further constricted the tight schedules of those still active; some are already serving as pastor for two or more parishes. Similar problems can be found in areas nationwide. In the most dire situations, some parishes are no longer able to celebrate daily or even weekly Masses.

The solution has come in the form of mergers, clusters and closures of many churches in the area. It has been a difficult process that is still progressing in many places, but a few have already completed their mergers.

The initiative, called Gathering God's Gifts, began in 2004 when Bishop Galante first arrived in South Jersey. He held "speak up sessions" throughout the diocese, inviting clergy and laypeople alike to openly express their concerns and suggestions for strengthening the Church locally. From these talks, six points of focus were developed, among them worship, lifelong formation (growth in faith), and young adult ministry.

Parishes then submitted a proposal to the bishop with their suggestions for the future of their community. Galante considered these proposals and on April 3, 2008, declared his intentions for each parish in the diocese. According to an article from the Associated Press, the diocese's 124 churches will be cut down to just 66.


One of the first seven parishes to complete their merger is the parish of Saint Simon Stock, a merger of St. Edward's in Pine Hill and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Berlin. Both church buildings retain their original names, but they act as a parish community under their new name, Simon Stock.

Lois Dark, Assistant Director of Catholic Campus Ministries at Rowan University in Glassboro, has been a parishioner at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel since 1984. She explained that their merger was completed quickly because St. Edward's Church had been holding Masses in a gymnasium. "It made sense for the bishop to want to move quickly," Dark said.

Despite the move to a proper church for those attending St. Ed's, Dark said that the parishioners weren't completely at ease about merging:



But she also admitted that the changes were necessary. Dark's position at Rowan's CCM has given her insight into the spiritual needs of young people. She noted that churches that are mainly composed of older people are dying out, especially with trends in Mass attendance showing constant decline:



This closing of churches is at the center of the reconfiguration controversy, as some parishioners fervently rebel against the bishop's decision. It is an adjustment process that can be incredibly difficult, even when churches are remaining open.

A prime example of this emotional turmoil can be found in the merger of Sacred Heart Parish with my own church, St. Isidore the Farmer, both in Vineland. Sacred Heart was founded in 1874, and has served many generations of Catholics. St. Isidore's was founded in 1961, and will be the main site of the new parish when the merger is finalized. Monsignor John Burton, who has served as pastor of St. Isidore's for eight years, has been chosen by the bishop to oversee the merger. Burton explained in a telephone interview the reasoning behind the feelings of grief Catholics may experience:



Cathy Pagden, a Rowan University junior, attends the newly-merged Divine Mercy Parish in Vineland. Her home church, St. Francis of Assisi, is historically Italian and Irish. The church has merged with Immaculate Heart of Mary, a Spanish Catholic Church in Vineland. Since the merger, Divine Mercy has been named the "personal parish" of the city's Latino community. Despite the ethnic differences, Pagden said that the two churches have been working together amiably.

"I was kind of mad at first. We didn't want to combine with anyone, and then we combined with a Spanish church. Things are okay now, though. We do things differently--our books are in English, Spanish and Latin. We sing a lot more, and they celebrate holy days that [other Catholics] don't. It's pretty cool," she said.

Lois Dark also said that the merger of her local parishes has gone smoothly so far: "Our church had become stagnant. It was the same people doing the same things. It wasn't all at once, but [now] there are quality. . . changes taking place. Mass attendance has probably doubled. Young adults are active in the different ministries, and because of that, more families are getting involved."

Engaging the Church is exactly what the bishop hopes to achieve, and for Msgr. Burton, it's something that speaks to the very core of Catholic ideals:



For more information about the reconfiguration of the Diocese of Camden, visit GatheringGodsGifts.org, or the diocesan website, CamdenDiocese.org.