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 Berlin area of Camden County, New Jersey:

1) to provide more effectively for the pastoral needs of the faithful of the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Camden County, New Jersey and the parish of Saint Edward 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 communities have worked together to provide a common base from their diverse experiences; because they have worked openly and candidly with the help of the Holy Spirit which has guided even their smallest details; because these communities have grown and matured as they have come to see that the new combined community of faith will best serve their area of the diocese; because of the communality of the parish communities of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 178 W. White Horse Pike, Berlin and Saint Edward, 500 Erial Road, Pine Hill; in response to the request of the pastors of these communities, Reverend Joseph R. Ferrara and Reverend Joseph J. Adamson, 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 Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, 178 W. White Horse Pike, Berlin and Saint Edward Parish, 500 Erial Road, Pine Hill and the establishment of Saint Simon Stock Parish.

Reverend Joseph R. Ferrara will serve as the Pastor of Saint Simon Stock Parish for a term of six years commencing on the effective date of this decree.

The parochial church of Saint Simon Stock Parish, which retains the name Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, is located at 178 W. White Horse Pike, Berlin, New Jersey.

The territorial boundaries of Saint Simon Stock Parish will be the same as the combined boundaries of the former parishes of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Edward. The establishment of these parish boundaries is duly recorded at the Chancery Office of the Diocese of Camden, as:

Start at the intersection of Blackwood-Clementon Rd and Little Gloucester Rd in Blackwood.

1. East on Blackwood-Clementon Rd, which becomes Berlin-Clementon Rd (Co. Rt. 534), to Watsontown-New Freedom Rd

2. Northwest on Watsontown-New Freedom Rd (Co. Rt. 691) to White Horse Pike (US 30)

3. East on White Horse Pike(US 30) to United States Ave (Co. Rt. 699)

4. North on United States Ave (co. Rt. 699) to the point it intersects the Lindenwold – Gibbsboro municipal line

5. Southeast on the Lindenwold – Gibbsboro municipal line to the point where the Lindenwold, Berlin Township and Voorhees municipal lines meet

6. Northeast on the Berlin Township – Voorhees municipal line to the Camden – Burlington County line

7. South along the Camden – Burlington County line to the point it intersects Taunton Rd (Co. Rt. Spur 536)

8. Southwest on Taunton Rd (Co. Rt. Spur 536), which becomes Williamstown Rd., to Erial Rd (Co. Rt. 706)

9. Northwest on Erial Rd (Co. Rt. 706), which becomes New Brooklyn-Blackwood Rd, to Hickstown-Turnersville Rd (Co. Rt. 688)

10. West on Hickstown-Turnersville Rd (Co. Rt. 688) to Peter Cheeseman Rd (Co. Rt. 759)

11. North on Peter Cheeseman Rd (Co. Rt. 759), which becomes Little Gloucester Rd, to Blackwood-Clementon Rd (Co. Rt. 534) (point of origin)

The goods and property of the parishes of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Edward, including their real estate and buildings, as well as their debts and obligations, shall be assigned to Saint Simon Stock 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 Saint Simon Stock 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 Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 178 W. White Horse Pike, Berlin and Saint Edward, 500 Erial Road, Pine Hill will be closed and moved to the seat of Saint Simon Stock Parish located at 178 W. White Horse Pike, Berlin. All sacraments administered from that date forward will be recorded in new sacramental registers of Saint Simon Stock Parish.

I approve the statutes of Saint Simon Stock Parish as submitted.

As of the effective date of this DECREE, the financial accounts of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, 178 W. White Horse Pike, Berlin and Saint Edward Parish, 500 Erial Road, Pine Hill will have been closed and will be transferred to the financial account of Saint Simon Stock Parish.

As of the effective date of this DECREE, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 178 W. White Horse Pike, Berlin and Saint Edward, 500 Erial Road, Pine Hill will be civilly consolidated under the laws of the State of New Jersey as Saint Simon Stock Parish, Berlin, New Jersey.

This DECREE becomes effective on November 4, 2009.

I instruct that this DECREE be communicated immediately to the parishioners of Saint Simon Stock Parish by Reverend Joseph Ferrara 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 2nd day of October 2009, at the Diocesan Center.

Joseph A. Galante

Bishop of Camden

In cujus fidem…

David J. Klein

Chancellor