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 City of Camden in Camden County, New Jersey:
1) to provide more effectively for the pastoral needs of the faithful of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Camden County, New Jersey, the Church of the Holy Name in Camden County, New Jersey and the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Fatima in Camden 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 the fact that these three communities have prayerfully, socially and spiritually come together as a parish community centered in Christ; because of the communality of the parish communities of Immaculate Conception, 642 Market Street, Camden, Holy Name, 522 State Street, Camden, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Fatima, 832 4th Street, Camden; in response to the request of the rector/pastor of these communities, Reverend Matthew J. Hillyard, O.S.F.S., 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 County, 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 the parishes of Immaculate Conception, 642 Market Street, Camden, Holy Name, 522 State Street, Camden, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Fatima, 832 4th Street, Camden and the establishment of a new parish community named The Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
Reverend Matthew J. Hillyard, O.S.F.S. will serve as the Rector of The Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception commencing on the effective date of this decree.
The parochial church of The Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is located at 642 Market Street, Camden. Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Fatima will retain its own proper title and will be maintained as a worship site to be used by the merged community.
The territorial boundaries of The Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception will be the same as the combined boundaries of the former parishes of Immaculate Conception, Holy Name and Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Fatima Church. The establishment of these parish boundaries is duly recorded at the Chancery Office of the Diocese of Camden, as:
Start at the point the Cooper River flows into the Delaware River.
1. East along the Cooper River to its point of intersection with an imaginary (straight) line drawn due north from the point of intersection of Pine St and Magnolia Ave to the middle of the Cooper River
2. South along the imaginary (straight) line drawn to the intersection of Pine St and Magnolia Ave
3. Southeast on Magnolia Ave to Park Blvd
4. Southwest on Park Blvd to Haddon Ave
5. Northwest on Haddon Ave to Mt. Vernon St
6. West on Mt. Vernon St to Mt. Ephraim Ave
7. Proceed 50 feet north along Mt. Ephraim Ave
8. From this point on Mt. Ephraim Ave follow along an imaginary (straight) line drawn to the bank of the Delaware River, keeping the line exactly parallel to Mt. Vernon St (the end point of this drawn line is just to the north side of the western end of Atlantic Ave)
9. North along the bank of the Delaware River, rounding Cooper Point, to the point the Cooper River flows into the Delaware River (point of origin)
The goods and property of the parishes of Immaculate Conception, Holy Name and Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Fatima, including their real estate and buildings, as well as their debts and obligations, shall be assigned to The Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. 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 The Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception 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 Immaculate Conception, 642 Market Street, Camden, Holy Name, 522 State Street, Camden, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Fatima, 832 4th Street, Camden will be closed and moved to the seat of The Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Camden. All sacraments administered from that date forward will be recorded in new sacramental registers of The Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
I approve the statutes of The Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception as submitted.
As of the effective date of this DECREE, the financial accounts of Immaculate Conception, 642 Market Street, Camden, Holy Name, 522 State Street, Camden, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Fatima, 832 4th Street, Camden will be closed and transferred to the financial account of The Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
As of the effective date of this DECREE, Immaculate Conception, 642 Market Street, Camden, Holy Name, 522 State Street, Camden, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Fatima, 832 4th Street, Camden will be civilly consolidated under the laws of the State of New Jersey as The Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Camden, N.J.
This DECREE becomes effective on September 22, 2010.
I instruct that this DECREE be communicated immediately to the parishioners of The Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception by Reverend Matthew J. Hillyard, O.S.F.S. whom I have herein named their Rector. This DECREE is likewise to be published immediately in the Catholic Star Herald and on the diocesan website.
Given in Camden, on this 20th day of August 2010, at the Diocesan Center.
Joseph A. Galante
Bishop of Camden
In cujus fidem…
David J. Klein
Chancellor