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 Blackwood area of Camden County, New Jersey:

1) to provide more effectively for the pastoral needs of the faithful of the parish of Saint Jude in Camden County, New Jersey and the parish of Saint Agnes 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, and given that the united prayer and life of these communities have grown and matured; because of the communality of the parish communities of Saint Jude, 402 S. Black Horse Pike, Blackwood and Saint Agnes, 701 Little Gloucester Road, Blackwood; in response to the  request of the pastor of these communities, Reverend Mark R. Cavagnaro 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 Saint Jude, 402 S. Black Horse Pike, Blackwood and Saint Agnes, 701 Little Gloucester Road, Blackwood and the establishment of Our Lady of Hope Parish.

Reverend Mark R. Cavagnaro will serve as the Pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish for a term of six years commencing on the effective date of this decree.

The parochial church of Our Lady of Hope Parish, which retains its proper title and the name Saint Agnes Church, is located at 701 Little Gloucester Road, Blackwood, New Jersey.

The territorial boundaries of Our Lady of Hope Parish will be the same as the combined boundaries of the former parishes of Saint Jude and Saint Agnes. The establishment of these parish boundaries is duly recorded at the Chancery Office of the Diocese of Camden, as:

Start at the point where the North Branch of the Big Timber Creek heads east, away from the South Branch and the Camden – Gloucester county line.

1. Southeast along the North Branch of the Big Timber Creek to the point it intersects the Stratford – Gloucester township line

2. South along the Stratford – Gloucester township line to the point it intersects Blackwood Clementon Rd

3. West on Blackwood Clementon Rd to Little Gloucester Rd

4. South on Little Gloucester Rd, which becomes Peter Cheeseman Rd, to Hickstown Rd

5. West on Hickstown Rd to Sicklerville Rd

6. Northwest on Sicklerville Rd to the point it intersects the Camden – Gloucester County line

7. Northwest, then southwest, then westerly and then northerly in a somewhat jagged manner along the Camden – Gloucester county line (which at times runs along Salina – Court House Rd, Mt. Pleasant Rd and Woodbury-Turnersville Rd) to the point it joins the South Branch of the Big Timber Creek

8. North along the South Branch of the Big Timber Creek (which is also the Camden – Gloucester County line) to the point where it meets the North Branch of the Big Timber Creek (point of origin)

The goods and property of the parishes of Saint Jude and of Saint Agnes, including their real estate and buildings, as well as their debts and obligations, shall be assigned to Our Lady of Hope 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 Hope 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 the parishes of Saint Jude, 402 S. Black Horse Pike, Blackwood and Saint Agnes, 701 Little Gloucester Road, Blackwood  will be closed and moved to the seat of Our Lady of Hope Parish.  All sacraments administered from that date forward will be recorded in new sacramental registers of Our Lady of Hope Parish.

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

As of the effective date of this DECREE, the financial accounts of the parishes of Saint Jude, 402 S. Black Horse Pike, Blackwood and Saint Agnes, 701 Little Gloucester Road, Blackwood will have been closed and will be transferred to the financial account of Our Lady of Hope Parish.

As of the effective date of this DECREE, the parishes of Saint Jude, 402 S. Black Horse Pike, Blackwood and Saint Agnes, 701 Little Gloucester Road, Blackwood will be civilly consolidated under the laws of the State of New Jersey as Our Lady of Hope Parish, Blackwood, N.J.

This DECREE becomes effective on May 12, 2010.

I instruct that this DECREE be communicated immediately to the parishioners of Our Lady of Hope Parish by Reverend Mark R. Cavagnaro 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 9th day of April 2010, at the Diocesan Center.

Joseph A. Galante

Bishop of Camden

In cujus fidem…

David A. Klein

Chancellor