LATEST NEWS: Camden Diocese announces parish mergers

press of atlantic city.com ^ | Published: Thursday, April 03, 2008

[mware]

Bishop Joseph Galante has announced parish reconfiguration plans for the Camden Diocese.

Atlantic County

In Atlantic City, Our Lady Star of Sea, St. Michael and St. Monica will remain open and operate under care of team of priests. St. Nicholas of Tolentine will stand alone for hospitality workers and visitors.

On the rest of Absecon Island, Blessed Sacrament in Margate, St. James in Ventnor and Epiphany in Longport will merge and worship at Blessed Sacrament. Summer worship will continue in the Longport and Ventnor churches.

St. Bernadette in Northfield and St. Peter in Pleasantville will merge with worship at St. Bernadette.

Assumption in Galloway Township and St. Nicholas in Egg Harbor City will merge with worship at Assumption. St. Nicholas will be used for Spanish masses.

[mware]

My parish St Anthony of Padua, Hammonton will be closed.

I'm really bummed out right now. I hope that the closing will not be in the very immediate future.

[Claud]

That stinks, I’m sorry to hear that.

I have to find out what happened to my parish, Mater Ecclesiae in Berlin....this story doesn’t seem to cover Camden County.

Incidentally, the links above seem not to be working. Here’s another one:

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/185/story/123621.html

[Claud]

Father P was right on Sunday...Mater Ecclesiae was spared from the axe.

In Deanery V, it is my intention to: ... Merge Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Berlin) and St. Edward (Pine Hill), along with its mission of Mater Ecclesiae (Berlin), with the primary worship site at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Mater Ecclesiae will remain a worship site, continuing its mission.

More from the Camden diocese website here with a full list of the changes

[mware]

I think I recall my priest telling me that some of the parishes in Berlin was going to go into another deanery.

[mware]

BTW Monsignor Barth quoted in the article is retired but in residency at our parish.

A wonderful man. I feel so sad for him and the older folks, they put a lot of their soul into that parish.

[Antoninus]

St. Pete’s stands alone. How could it not? Our parish is one of the most vibrant and alive in the entire diocese (I dare say). If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

[Claud]

I think I recall my priest telling me that some of the parishes in Berlin was going to go into another deanery.

Interesting. I don't actually live in Berlin, I live in the Trenton diocese and travel 45 minutes to go to Mass at ME, so I wouldn't know what all's going on in the other Berlin parishes.

Are some of these around you that are closing old churches? Or are they fairly modern?

[Claud]

Seriously. It would have been nuts to mess with St. Peter’s.

Plus would you have wanted to deal with an angry Fr. Anthony if you were the Bishop? LOL

[Antoninus]

What's really sad is that they're merging Queen of Heaven parish with St. Peter Celestine. The Queen of Heaven church building is nice and fairly traditional. The St. Peter Celestine church, which will now be the "worship space," is modernist in the worst possible sense. I still have no idea where the tabernacle is in that church.

If I still lived in Cherry Hill, I'd be going to ME practically ever weekend.

[Antoninus]

Plus would you have wanted to deal with an angry Fr. Anthony if you were the Bishop? LOL

Fr. Anthony is an example of the kind of priest who used to be made a bishop at a young age. It's so sad that we had a 30 year hiatus where you needed to be a radical and/or an accountant to be elevated in most dioceses.

[Claud]

Really?? What are they doing with the Queen of Heaven building???? That’s nuts!

St. Peter Celestine is pretty dorky looking. I’ve been in there once or twice. Ick.

[mware]

Actually our parish was the most recent in the town of Hammonton, (1968).

Unfortunately we were also the smallest parish, but we were solvent and always met all the drives by the archdiocese (House of Charity, etc.) We also are almost finished paying off a 1 million dollar building project.

I am not sure because I have not had a chance to chat with my priest since the decision was made but our facility might still be used but not for religious services.

[mware]

I still have no idea where the tabernacle is in that church.

Yikes.

[mware]

I chatted with my priest after confession this afternoon and asked for his guidance in regard to looking for another parish. Both of you mentioned Mater Ecclesiae.

Could you give me an idea of where it is located.

It sounds like the kind of parish I would be comfortable attending.

[sandhills]

To you folks in Camden Diocese, if I were you I’d ask to see the paperwork from the Vatican. A bishop can’t sell churches, or otherwise alienate church property, without permission from the Holy See.

[Claud]

Hi mware,

Here are the directions from the church’s website:

http://www.materecclesiae.org/directions.html

Note that they only do the traditional Latin Mass there—there’s no English Mass at all. The atmosphere and the liturgy are nothing short of excellent. Great parish, especially for young families.

I can’t speak highly enough of Mater Ecclesiae. It took me some time to get used to the old Mass, but I’ve grown to absolutely love it.

And feel free to freepmail me if you have any questions!