DECREE

For Publication to Each and Everyone

Greetings In The Lord

Among the most important responsibilities of the Bishop’s pastoral office is assurance that there is suitable provision of divine worship and Catholic community life for Christ’s faithful people who are committed to his care. At the same time the pastor of each parish needs to be able to satisfy without undue difficulty the parochial responsibilities assigned to him by his Bishop.

The following just causes support the establishment of a consolidated parish in the Sicklerville area of Camden County and the Williamstown area of Gloucester County, New Jersey:

1) to provide more effectively for the pastoral needs of the faithful of Saint John Neumann Parish in Camden County, New Jersey and Saint Mary Parish in Gloucester County, New Jersey;

2) to assure the vitality of parish life in this area;

3) to provide for a better stewardship of resources; and,

4) to provide for the optimum use of clergy, religious, and lay personnel.

For the reasons listed above as well as an already existing unity exhibited spiritually, pastorally, administratively and socially that has been acknowledged by these parish communities; because of the communality of the parish communities of Saint John Neumann, 234 Sicklerville Road, Sicklerville and Saint Mary, 32 Carroll Avenue, Williamstown, and in response to the request of the pastors of these communities, Reverend Michael J. Coffey and Reverend Cadmus D. Mazzarella, to unite these parishes; the favorable advice of the local Vicar Forane; and having listened to the opinions of the Presbyteral Council about the needs of the Catholic Faithful in this area of Camden and Gloucester Counties, I have determined that the pastoral care of these communities will be fostered best by consolidating these individual communities and uniting them as one new parish.

Accordingly, in virtue of the prescripts of canon 121 and canon 515, §1 of the Code of Canon Law, in order to provide more effectively for the spiritual welfare and the salvation of souls, having judged that sufficiently just causes are present, and having consulted the Presbyteral Council in accord with canon 515, §2, I hereby DECREE, ANNOUNCE and PUBLISH:

The merger of Saint John Neumann Parish, 234 Sicklerville Road, Sicklerville and Saint Mary Parish, 32 Carroll Avenue, Williamstown and the establishment of Our Lady of Peace Parish.

Reverend Cadmus D. Mazzarella will serve as the Pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish for a term of six years commencing on the effective date of this decree.

The parochial church of Our Lady of Peace Parish, which retains its proper title and the name Saint Mary Church, is located at the corner of Main Street and Carroll Avenue, Williamstown, New Jersey.

The territorial boundaries of Our Lady of Peace Parish will be the same as the combined boundaries of the former parishes of Saint John Neumann and Saint Mary. The establishment of these parish boundaries is duly recorded at the Chancery Office of the Diocese of Camden, as below:

Start at the point where Hurffville-Cross Keys Rd (Rt. 654) and Fries Mill Rd (Rt. 656) intersect in Washington Township.

1. Southeast on Hurffville-Cross Keys Rd (Rt. 654) to the point it intersects an imaginary (straight) line drawn to extend Berlin-Cross Keys Rd (Rt. 689)

2. Northeast on the imaginary (straight) line drawn to extend Berlin-Cross Keys Rd (Rt. 689) and then Berlin-Cross Keys Rd to Erial Rd (Rt. 706)

3. Southeast on Erial Rd (Rt. 706) to Williamstown Rd (Spur 536)

4. Northeast on Williamstown Rd (Spur 536) to the point it intersects the Great Egg Harbor River about 1/2 mile north of New Brooklyn Park

5. Southeast along the Great Egg Harbor River and then the southeast side of New Brooklyn Lake then again the Great Egg Harbor River to the point the river joins the Gloucester – Camden county line

6. Southeast along the Gloucester – Camden county line to a point approximately 1 mile south of Winslow Rd (Rt. 723). This point is determined by drawing an imaginary (straight) line from the point in Gloucester County where Corkery Lane turns markedly west to the point in Camden County where Piney Hollow Rd intersects Mays Landing Rd, intersects the Gloucester – Camden county line

7. West along this drawn line to the point where Corkery Lane (Rt. 612) turns markedly west

8. South on Corkery Lane (Rt. 612), which becomes Whitehall Rd, to Coles Mill Rd (Rt. 538)

9. Southeast along an imaginary (straight) line drawn from the intersection of Whitehall Rd and Coles Mill Rd to the intersection of Jackson Rd and Piney Hollow Rd

10. South on Piney Hollow Rd to Dutch Mill Rd

11. West on Dutch Mill Rd to Tuckahoe Rd (Rt. 555)

12. North on Tuckahoe Rd (Rt. 555) to Coles Mill Rd (Rt. 538)

13. West on Coles Mill Rd (Rt. 538) to Lincoln Rd

14. North on Lincoln Rd to Grant Ave

15. West on Grant Ave to Fries Mill Rd (Rt. 656)

16. North on Fries Mill Rd (Rt. 656) to Hurffville-Cross Keys Rd (Rt. 654) (point of origin)

The goods and property of the parishes of Saint John Neumann and Saint Mary, including their real estate and buildings, as well as their debts and obligations, shall be assigned to Our Lady of Peace Parish. Further, the voluntary offerings of the faithful, as well as other grants, pledges and gifts which have been or will be made to either of these predecessor parishes will constitute revenue to Our Lady of Peace Parish for the benefit of the pastoral life of this community of the faithful as well as the rightful support of those who minister to them.

As of the effective date of this DECREE, the sacramental registers of Saint John Neumann Parish, Sicklerville and Saint Mary Parish, Williamstown will be closed and moved to the administrative offices of Our Lady of Peace Parish located at 32 Carroll Avenue, Williamstown. All sacraments administered from that date forward will be recorded in new sacramental registers of Our Lady of Peace Parish.

I approve the statutes of Our Lady of Peace Parish as submitted.

As of the effective date of this DECREE, the financial accounts of Saint John Neumann Parish, Sicklerville and Saint Mary Parish, Williamstown will have been closed and will be transferred to the financial account of Our Lady of Peace Parish.

As of the effective date of this DECREE, Saint John Neumann Parish, Sicklerville and Saint Mary Parish, Williamstown and will be civilly consolidated under the laws of the State of New Jersey as Our Lady of Peace Parish, Monroe Township, New Jersey.

This DECREE becomes effective on August 5, 2009.

I instruct that this DECREE be communicated immediately to the parishioners of Our Lady of Peace Parish by Reverend Cadmus D. Mazzarella whom I have herein named their Pastor. This DECREE is likewise to be published immediately in the Catholic Star Herald and on the diocesan website.

Given in Camden, on this 3rd day of July 2009, at the Diocesan Center.

Joseph A. Galante

Bishop of Camden

In cujus fidem

Msgr. Peter M. Joyce

Chancellor