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 Mays Landing area of Atlantic County, New Jersey:
1) to provide more effectively for the pastoral needs of the faithful of the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in Atlantic County, New Jersey and St. Bernards Catholic Church in Atlantic 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 significant collaboration which St. Vincent de Paul and St. Bernards has experienced in recent years; because of the communality of the parish communities of the Church of St. Vincent de Paul, 114 Route 50, Mays Landing, New Jersey and St. Bernards Catholic Church, 20 Pennsylvania Avenue, Dorothy, New Jersey; in response to the request of the pastor of these communities, Reverend Edward F. Heintzelman, 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 Atlantic 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 Church of St. Vincent de Paul, 114 Route 50, Mays Landing, New Jersey and St. Bernards Catholic Church, 20 Pennsylvania Avenue, Dorothy, New Jersey and the establishment of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Mays Landing.
Reverend Edward F. Heintzelman will serve as the Pastor of Saint Vincent de Paul Parish, for a term of six years commencing on the effective date of this decree.
The parochial church of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, which retains its proper title and the name Church of St. Vincent De Paul, is located at 114 Route 50, Mays Landing, New Jersey.
The territorial boundaries of St. Vincent de Paul Parish will be the same as the combined boundaries of the former parish of the Church of St. Vincent de Paul and the former mission of St. Bernards Catholic Church. The establishment of these parish boundaries is duly recorded at the Chancery Office of the Diocese of Camden, as:
Starting at the point the Tuckahoe River empties into the Great Egg Harbor Bay at the Atlantic-Cape May county line
1. West along the Tuckahoe River to the point where Rt. 49 crosses the Tuckahoe River in the Peaslee Wildlife Management Area
2. North on Rt. 49 to the point where in intersects the Tuckahoe River again, which is also the Atlantic-Cumberland County line
3. North along the Tuckahoe River to the point it intersects the Weymouth – Buena Vista township line
4. East along the Weymouth – Buena Vista township line, then the Weymouth –Hamilton township line to the point where the township line intersects Forty Wire Rd.
5. North on Forty Wire Rd. to Rt. 559/ Weymouth Rd.
6. North on Rt. 559/ Weymouth Rd. to Mizpah Rd.
7. West on Mizpah Rd. to Jackson Rd.
8. Northwest on Jackson Rd. to the Hamilton – Buena Vista township line
9. Northeast on the Hamilton – Buena Vista township line, then the Hamilton – Folsom Borough line, then the Hamilton – Hammonton township line to the point where the Hamilton township line intersects the Mullica township line
10. Southeast on the Hamilton – Mullica township line, then the Hamilton – Galloway township line to Cologne Avenue
11. South on Cologne Avenue to US 322/ Black Horse Pike
12. East on US 322 to the Hamilton – Egg Harbor township line
13. South on the Hamilton – Egg Harbor township line to the Great Egg Harbor River
14. Southeast along the Great Egg Harbor River to the Great Egg Harbor Bay
15. Southward through the Great Egg Harbor Bay to the point where the Tuckahoe River empties into the Great Egg Harbor Bay at the Atlantic – Cape May county line (point of origin)
The goods and property of the parish of the Church of St. Vincent de Paul, 114 Route 50, Mays Landing, New Jersey and the mission of St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, 20 Pennsylvania Avenue, Dorothy, New Jersey, including their real estate and buildings, as well as their debts and obligations, shall be assigned to St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Mays Landing. 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 St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Mays Landing 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 the Church of St. Vincent de Paul, 114 Route 50, Mays Landing, New Jersey and St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, 20 Pennsylvania Avenue, Dorothy, New Jersey will be closed and moved to the seat of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 114 Route 50, Mays Landing, New Jersey. All sacraments administered from that date forward will be recorded in new sacramental registers of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Mays Landing.
I approve the statutes of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Mays Landing as submitted.
As of the effective date of this DECREE, the financial accounts of the Church of St. Vincent de Paul, 114 Route 50, Mays Landing, New Jersey and St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, 20 Pennsylvania Avenue, Dorothy, New Jersey will have been closed and will be transferred to the financial account of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Mays Landing, New Jersey.
As of the effective date of this DECREE, the Church of St. Vincent de Paul, 114 Route 50, Mays Landing, New Jersey and St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, 20 Pennsylvania Avenue, Dorothy, New Jersey will be civilly consolidated under the laws of the State of New Jersey as St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Mays Landing, N.J.
This DECREE becomes effective on November 3, 2010.
I instruct that this DECREE be communicated immediately to the parishioners of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Mays Landing by Reverend Edward F. Heintzelman 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 1st day of October 2010, at the Diocesan Center.
Joseph A. Galante
Bishop of Camden
In cujus fidem…
David J. Klein
Chancellor