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 Margate area of Atlantic County, New Jersey:

1) to provide more effectively for the pastoral needs of the faithful of the parish of Saint James in Atlantic County, New Jersey; the parish of the Epiphany in Atlantic County, New Jersey and the parish of Blessed Sacrament 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 that these communities have been drawn by the Holy Spirit into one Community of Faith; because of the communality of the parish communities of Saint James, 6407 Atlantic Avenue, Ventnor; Epiphany, 2801 Ventnor Avenue, Longport and Blessed Sacrament, Ventnor and Jerome Avenues, Margate; in response to the request of the pastors of these communities, Reverend Monsignor Peter M. Joyce (Saint James, Ventnor and Epiphany, Longport) and Reverend James P. Rush (Blessed Sacrament, Margate) 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 parish communities of Saint James, 6407 Atlantic Avenue, Ventnor; Epiphany, 2801 Ventnor Avenue, Longport and Blessed Sacrament, Ventnor and Jerome Avenues, Margate and the establishment of Holy Trinity Parish.

Reverend Monsignor Peter M. Joyce will serve as the Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish for a term of six years commencing on the effective date of this decree.

The parochial church of Holy Trinity Parish, which retains its proper title and the name Blessed Sacrament Church, is located at Ventnor and Jerome Avenues, Margate, New Jersey. Saint James Church will retain its own proper title and will be maintained as a worship site to be used by the merged community. Epiphany 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 Holy Trinity Parish will be the same as the combined boundaries of the former parishes of Saint James, Epiphany and Blessed Sacrament. The establishment of these parish boundaries is duly recorded at the Chancery Office of the Diocese of Camden, as:

Start at Jackson Avenue, the northernmost boundary of Ventnor City.

1. Use an imaginary (straight) line drawn to extend Jackson Avenue to the shore line of the Atlantic Ocean

2. Northwest along the imaginary (straight) line drawn to extend Jackson Avenue, then continue on Jackson Avenue, then continue along an imaginary (straight) line drawn to extend Jackson Avenue to the point it intersects the Ventnor – Atlantic City line in Turtle Gut Thorofare

3. South along the Ventnor City line, then continuing south along the Margate City line in the Intracoastal Waterway (also called Beach Thorofare)

4. South through the Intracoastal Waterway (Beach Thorofare) along the Longport City line, to the point it meets the Atlantic – Cape May County line in Great Egg Harbor Inlet

5. Southeast through the Great Egg Harbor Inlet then turning north along the shorelines of Longport, Margate and Ventnor to the imaginary (straight) line drawn to extend Jackson Ave to the shoreline (point of origin)

The goods and property of the parishes of Saint James, Epiphany and Blessed Sacrament, including their real estate and buildings, as well as their debts and obligations, shall be assigned to Holy Trinity 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 Holy Trinity 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 James, 6407 Atlantic Avenue, Ventnor; Epiphany, 2801 Ventnor Avenue, Longport and Blessed Sacrament, Ventnor and Jerome Avenues, Margate will be closed and moved to the seat of Holy Trinity Parish, Ventnor and Jerome Avenues, Margate. All sacraments administered from that date forward will be recorded in new sacramental registers of Holy Trinity Parish.

I approve the statutes of Holy Trinity Parish as submitted.

As of the effective date of this DECREE, the financial accounts of Saint James, 6407 Atlantic Avenue, Ventnor; Epiphany, 2801 Ventnor Avenue, Longport and Blessed Sacrament, Ventnor and Jerome Avenues, Margate will have been closed and will be transferred to the financial account of Holy Trinity Parish.

As of the effective date of this DECREE, Saint James, 6407 Atlantic Avenue, Ventnor; Epiphany, 2801 Ventnor Avenue, Longport and Blessed Sacrament, Ventnor and Jerome Avenues, Margate will be civilly consolidated under the laws of the State of New Jersey as Holy Trinity Parish, Margate, N.J.

This DECREE becomes effective on May 26, 2010.

I instruct that this DECREE be communicated immediately to the parishioners of Holy Trinity Parish by Reverend Monsignor Peter M. Joyce 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 23rd day of April 2010, at the Diocesan Center.

Joseph A. Galante

Bishop of Camden

In cujus fidem…

David A. Klein

Chancellor