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 west area of Camden County, New Jersey:
1) to provide more effectively for the pastoral needs of the faithful of the parish of The Church of the Annunciation B.V.M. in Camden County, New Jersey, the parish of St. Anne’s Church in Camden County, New Jersey and the parish of St. Maurice’s Church 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 understanding that building a Church can only happen when a group of people come together consciously aware that Jesus is at the center; because of the communality of the parish communities of The Church of the Annunciation, B.V.M., 601 W. Browning Road, Bellmawr; St. Anne’s Church, 213 Woodbine Avenue, Westville and St. Maurice’s Church, 401 Community Road, Brooklawn; in response to the request of the pastors of these communities, Reverend Piotr Szamocki (The Church of the Annunciation B.V.M.) and Reverend Frederick G. Link (St. Anne’s Church and St. Maurice’s Church) 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 Church of the Annunciation, B.V.M., 601 W. Browning Road, Bellmawr; St. Anne’s Church, 213 Woodbine Avenue, Westville and St. Maurice’s Church, 401 Community Road, Brooklawn and the establishment of St. Joachim Parish.
Reverend Piotr Szamocki will serve as the Pastor of St. Joachim Parish for a term of six years commencing on the effective date of this decree.
The parochial church of St. Joachim Parish, which retains its proper title and the name The Church of the Annunciation B.V.M., is located at 601 W. Browning Road, Bellmawr, New Jersey.
The territorial boundaries of St. Joachim Parish will be the same as the combined boundaries of the former parishes of The Church of the Annunciation, B.V.M., St. Anne’s Church and St. Maurice’s Church. The establishment of these parish boundaries is duly recorded at the Chancery Office of the Diocese of Camden, as:
Start at the point the Little Timber Creek flows into the Delaware River.
- East along the Little Timber Creek to its point of intersection with Bell Rd.
- South on Bell Rd. to Browning Rd.
- East on Browning Rd. to Thomas Ave.
- South on Thomas Ave. to Meyner Rd.
- South on Meyner Rd. to Creek Rd.
- East on Creek Rd. to Rose Ave.
- South on Rose Ave. and an imaginary (straight) line drawn to extend Rose Ave. through the industrial park to the New Jersey Turnpike
- South on the New Jersey Turnpike to its point of intersection with the Big Timber Creek
- Northwest along the Big Timber Creek to its point of intersection with the Woodbury City limit
- Southwest and then northwest along the Woodbury City limit to its point of intersection with an imaginary (straight) line drawn to extend Marion Ave. north
- South on the imaginary (straight) line drawn to extend Marion Ave.
- South on Marion Ave. to the point it intersects the Woodbury City line near Park Ave.
- West from this intersection along the Woodbury City limit to its point of intersection with Lincoln Ave. and Hessian Ave.
- West on Hessian Ave. to Academy Ave.
- West on Academy Ave. to Rt. 295
- North on Rt. 295 to the point it intersects an imaginary (straight) line drawn to extend Colonial Ave.
- North from this point of intersection following the imaginary (straight) line drawn to extend Colonial Ave. through the tank farm to the Bank of the Delaware River
- North along the bank of the Delaware River to the point the Little Timber Creek flows into the Delaware River (point of origin)
The goods and property of the parishes of The Church of the Annunciation, B.V.M., St. Anne’s Church and St. Maurice’s Church, including their real estate and buildings, as well as their debts and obligations, shall be assigned to St. Joachim 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 St. Joachim 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 Annunciation, B.V.M., 601 W. Browning Road, Bellmawr; St. Anne’s Church, 213 Woodbine Avenue, Westville and St. Maurice’s Church, 401 Community Road, Brooklawn will be closed and moved to the seat of St. Joachim Parish, 601 W. Browning Road, Bellmawr, New Jersey. All sacraments administered from that date forward will be recorded in new sacramental registers of St. Joachim Parish.
I approve the statutes of St. Joachim Parish as submitted.
As of the effective date of this DECREE, the financial accounts of The Church of the Annunciation, B.V.M., 601 W. Browning Road, Bellmawr; St. Anne’s Church, 213 Woodbine Avenue, Westville and St. Maurice’s Church, 401 Community Road, Brooklawn will have been closed and transferred to the financial account of St. Joachim Parish.
As of the effective date of this DECREE, The Church of the Annunciation, B.V.M., 601 W. Browning Road, Bellmawr; St. Anne’s Church, 213 Woodbine Avenue, Westville and St. Maurice’s Church, 401 Community Road, Brooklawn will be civilly consolidated under the laws of the State of New Jersey as St. Joachim Parish, Bellmawr, N.J.
This DECREE becomes effective on April 6, 2011.
I instruct that this DECREE be communicated immediately to the parishioners of St. Joachim Parish by Reverend Piotr Szamocki 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 4th day of March 2011, at the Diocesan Center.
Most Rev. Joseph A. Galante
Bishop of Camden
In cujus fidem…
Rev. David J. Klein
Chancellor
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