Bishop announces establishment of two parishes

Bishop Joseph Galante formerly announced today the establishment of two new parishes:

— Most Precious Blood, formed through the consolidation of Transfiguration, West Collingswood, and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Woodlynne, effective Dec. 7; and

— Christ the Good Shepherd, formed through the consolidation of St. Isidore, Vineland and Sacred Heart, Vineland, effective Dec. 7.

The announcements establishing the new parishes were made in formal decrees, which are published in this edition of the Catholic Star Herald (pages 12-15).

These are the 37th and 38th decrees issued by Bishop Galante in a diocesan-wide reconfiguration of parishes announced two years ago to strengthen parishes and improve pastoral care to the people of the diocese. The reconfigurations are a result of more than a year of study by parish and deanery planners, who considered population and demographic trends, the number of diocesan priests available for ministry, Mass attendance and trends in religious practice.

Father Joseph An Nguyen has been named pastor of Most Precious Blood, for a six-year term.

Transfiguration will be the seat of the new parish, serving the needs of 800 Catholic households.

Most Precious Blood is not only a territorial parish, but a personal parish for the Vietnamese Catholic community, with worshippers coming not only from West Collingswood and Woodlynne, but from surrounding areas inside and outside the Diocese of Camden.

Acknowledging the initial challenges in the merger process, such as language and culture, Father Nguyen says he is “very optimistic” about the new community being formed.

“We may speak in difficult languages, but we all speak the same language of love, faith and understanding,” he said.

During the past two years, the churches have both gotten acquainted with each other in the weekend bilingual Masses and social activities.

Already core team member John Kane, from Transfiguration, sees the “vibrancy” of the new parish, and its worshippers’ “ability to accommodate” each other.

The past two years have been “a lot of hard work, and challenging, but exciting,” said Michelle Nguyen, a core team member from Immaculate Heart of Mary, adding that both communities, not just the core team, are “making an effort” to understand each other’s differences, and be strengthened together in their common Catholic faith.

Msgr. John Burton has been named pastor of Christ the Good Shepherd, for a six-year term.

St. Isidore will be the seat of the parish, serving the pastoral needs of 2,700 households in Vineland, with Sacred Heart remaining open as a worship site.

Acknowledging the difficulty on being “called out of their comfort zone,” Msgr. Burton praised the two communities and the “very helpful” core team, in creating the new parish, and sees “a great deal of potential” for Christ the Good Shepherd.

“We’re ready to take the next steps,” he said.

Rita Vastano, a core team member from Sacred Heart, expressed that the “well-informed and dedicated core team” saw that “the need for change was there,” and in the past few years, the two churches have combined resources and departments, in advance of the merger.

“We’re becoming more vibrant,” she said, “and serving the needs of the new parish, spiritually and physically.”

“We’re already functioning as one,” said core team member Carol Gribble, from St. Isidore.

“We’re collaborating, to build a faith-filled community.”