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 Galloway and Egg Harbor City areas of Atlantic County, New Jersey:
1) to provide more effectively for the pastoral needs of the faithful of the parish of The Church of the Assumption in Atlantic County, New Jersey and the parish of St. Nicholas 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 experience of the faith communities of The Church of the Assumption and St. Nicholas Church having been drawn by the Holy Spirit into one Community of Faith; because of the communality of the parish communities of The Church of the Assumption, 146 S. Pitney Road, Galloway and St. Nicholas Church, 525 St. Louis Avenue, Egg Harbor City; in response to the request of the pastor of these communities, Reverend Nicholas Dudo, 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 the Assumption, 146 S. Pitney Road, Galloway and St. Nicholas Church, 525 St. Louis Avenue, Egg Harbor City and the establishment of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish.
Reverend Nicholas Dudo will serve as the Pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish for a term of six years commencing on the effective date of this decree.
The parochial church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, which retains its proper title and the name The Church of the Assumption, is located at 146 S. Pitney Road, Galloway, New Jersey. St. Nicholas Church 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 Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish will be the same as the combined boundaries of the former parishes of The Church of the Assumption and St. Nicholas Church. The establishment of these parish boundaries is duly recorded at the Chancery Office of the Diocese of Camden, as:
Starting at the intersection of Rt. 623/ Elwood Rd. and the Mullica – Hamilton township line
1. North on Rt. 623/ Elwood Rd. to the Atlantic – Burlington county line
2. East along the Atlantic – Burlington county line, which is also the Mullica River to the Great Bay
3. Continue southeast along the Atlantic County line through the Great Bay, around the Edwin Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge to the Intercoastal Waterway
4. South along the Intercoastal Waterway and the Galloway – Brigantine municipal line to the intersection of the Brigantine, Galloway and Atlantic City municipal lines
5. Northwest along the Galloway – Atlantic City municipal line to the point where the Galloway, Atlantic City and Absecon municipal boundaries meet
6. Use an imaginary (straight) line drawn from this point to a point where an imaginary (straight) line drawn to extend Chanese Ln. meets Reeds Bay
7. West along the imaginary (straight) line drawn to extend Chanese Ln. then along Chanese Ln. to Rt. 9
8. South on Rt. 9 to Rt. 561/ Jimmie Leeds Rd.
9. West on Rt. 561/ Jimmie Leeds Rd. to Ridgewood Ave.
10. Southwest on Ridgewood Ave. to 10th Ave.
11. Southwest on 10th Ave. to the Galloway – Absecon municipal line
12. West then southwest along the Galloway – Absecon municipal line to the Atlantic City Reservoir
13. West and southwest through the Atlantic City Reservoir along the Galloway – Egg Harbor township line and the Hamilton – Egg Harbor township line to its intersection with US 322
14. West on US 322/ Black Horse Pike to Cologne Ave.
15. North on Cologne Ave. to Hamilton – Galloway township line
16. Northwest on the Hamilton – Galloway township line and the Hamilton – Mullica township line to Rt. 623/ Elwood Rd. (point of origin)
The goods and property of the parishes of The Church of the Assumption and St. Nicholas Church, including their real estate and buildings, as well as their debts and obligations, shall be assigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Help 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 Perpetual Help 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 Church of the Assumption, 146 S. Pitney Road, Galloway and St. Nicholas Church, 525 St. Louis Avenue, Egg Harbor City will be closed and moved to the seat of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, 146 S. Pitney Road, Galloway. All sacraments administered from that date forward will be recorded in new sacramental registers of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish.
I approve the statutes of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish as submitted.
As of the effective date of this DECREE, the financial accounts of The Church of the Assumption, 146 S. Pitney Road, Galloway and St. Nicholas Church, 525 St. Louis Avenue, Egg Harbor City will have been closed and will be transferred to the financial account of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish.
As of the effective date of this DECREE, The Church of the Assumption, 146 S. Pitney Road, Galloway and St. Nicholas Church, 525 St. Louis Avenue, Egg Harbor City will be civilly consolidated under the laws of the State of New Jersey as Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Galloway, N.J.
This DECREE becomes effective on September 5, 2012.
I instruct that this DECREE be communicated immediately to the parishioners of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish by Reverend Nicholas Dudo 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 August 2012, at the Diocesan Center.
Joseph a. Galante
Bishop of Camden
In cujus fidem…
Robert E. Hughes
Chancellor
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