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 Glassboro and Pitman areas of Gloucester County, New Jersey:
1) to provide more effectively for the pastoral needs of the faithful of the parish of The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Gloucester County, New Jersey and the parish of Our Lady Queen of Peace R.C. Church in Gloucester 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 Core Team’s acknowledgement that both joys and sorrows have shaped this new community of love; because of the communality of the parish communities of The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, 500 Green Tree Road, Glassboro and Our Lady Queen of Peace R.C. Church, 161 Pitman Avenue, Pitman; in response to the request of the pastor of these communities, Reverend James A. Casadia, 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 Gloucester 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 Our Lady of Lourdes, 500 Green Tree Road, Glassboro and Our Lady Queen of Peace R.C. Church, 161 Pitman Avenue, Pitman and the establishment of Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish.
Reverend James A. Casadia will serve as the Pastor of Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish for a term of six years commencing on the effective date of this decree.
The parochial church of Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish, which retains its proper title and the name The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, is located at 500 Green Tree Road, Glassboro, New Jersey. Our Lady Queen of Peace R.C. 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 Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish will be the same as the combined boundaries of the former parishes of The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady Queen of Peace R.C. Church. 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 Mantua – Harrison township line meets the intersection of Break Neck Rd and Jefferson Rd.
1. East on Break Neck Rd, which becomes Center St, which then becomes Blackwood Barnsboro Rd, to the point where Blackwood Barnsboro Rd crosses the Mantua Creek
2. Southeast along the Mantua Creek to the point it intersects Lambs Rd
3. East on Lambs Rd, which becomes Hurffville Grenloch Rd, to Hurffville Cross Keys Rd
4. East on Hurffville Cross Keys Rd to Fries Mill Rd
5. South on Fries Mill Rd to Glassboro Cross Keys Rd
6. West on Glassboro Cross Keys Rd to Rt 47
7. North on Rt 47 to US 322
8. West on US 322 to the point where US 322 crosses the intersection of the Elk – Harrison – Mantua township lines
9. Northwest from this point along the Mantua – Harrison township line to the point where the Mantua – Harrison township line crosses the intersection of Break Neck Rd and Jefferson Rd (point of origin)
The goods and property of the parishes of The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes and of Our Lady Queen of Peace R.C. Church, including their real estate and buildings, as well as their debts and obligations, shall be assigned to Mary, Mother of Mercy 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 Mary, Mother of Mercy 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 Our Lady of Lourdes, 500 Green Tree Road, Glassboro and Our Lady Queen of Peace R.C. Church, 161 Pitman Avenue, Pitman will be closed and moved to the seat of Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish, 500 Green Tree Road, Glassboro. All sacraments administered from that date forward will be recorded in new sacramental registers of Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish.
I approve the statutes of Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish as submitted.
As of the effective date of this DECREE, the financial accounts of The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, 500 Green Tree Road, Glassboro and Our Lady Queen of Peace R.C. Church, 161 Pitman Avenue, Pitman will have been closed and transferred to the financial account of Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish.
As of the effective date of this DECREE, The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, 500 Green Tree Road, Glassboro and Our Lady Queen of Peace R.C. Church, 161 Pitman Avenue, Pitman will be civilly consolidated under the laws of the State of New Jersey as Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish, Glassboro, N.J.
This DECREE becomes effective on June 22, 2011.
I instruct that this DECREE be communicated immediately to the parishioners of Mary, Mother of Mercy Parish by Reverend James A. Casadia 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 20th day of May 2011, at the Diocesan Center.
Joseph A. Galante
Bishop of Camden
In cujus fidem…
David J. Klein
Chancellor
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