Nestled in the Atco section of Waterford Township in the lower part of Camden County is the merged parish of Christ the Redeemer. It has nearly 2,800 parishioners.
Moving to Atco opened my eyes to the displacement many Catholics experienced through the long merger process. The Atco community and Assumption Church were not new to me. I worked in town for more than 10 years and I was married in Assumption Church. I know a lot of townspeople and parishioners and they shared their feelings and personal stories regarding the merger process.
In 2008 Bishop Joseph Galante, faced with the dilemmas of a shortage of parish priests and parishioners underutilizing many churches, ordered a reduction in the number of parishes within the diocese through consolidation. Following the bishop’s plan, the small parish of Blessed John XXIII (which comprised St. Lucy’s Church and Sacred Heart Church in Winslow), St. Anthony’s Church in Waterford and Assumption Church in Atco merged into a new parish, Christ the Redeemer.
The merger process lasted two years. Each of the churches fought hard to maintain their identity. The merger plan designated that a convener (a priest named by the bishop) and a convener council be formed with representatives from each of the four churches. Meetings were held frequently to discuss the impact of the merger and to develop a plan.
When the conveners’ committee completed their task, and consensus on most of the committee’s concerns was reached, they prepared their report and submitted it to the bishop’s office for review. Following many revisions, the new parish of Christ the Redeemer was born.
Father Thomas Barcellona came to Assumption Church in early 2010 and took over the role of convener. His task was sometimes daunting. Bringing the four individual churches together resulting in the establishment of the new, and much larger, parish was a massive undertaking.
He and his committee of conveners began the process of officially closing St. Lucy’s Church. Originally, St Anthony’s Church was also due to close, but it was re-evaluated and kept opened as an active worship site. Father Barcellona sought parishioners with expertise in liturgy and organizational skills to help with the transition of three parishes (four churches) into one and he considered the emotional impact closing St. Lucy had on its parishioners.
On Nov. 7, 2010 St. Lucy closed after a final Mass. Assumption, Sacred Heart and St. Anthony all closed in simultaneous prayer services five days later. The inaugural Mass for the opening of Christ the Redeemer Parish was held Nov. 13, 2010.
The service welcomed everyone from the communities of St. Lucy, Sacred Heart, St. Anthony and Assumption Churches to the new parish.
As with all good things, a little rain must fall. At Christ the Redeemer the rain became a thunderstorm when the Assumption grade school closed in 2012. Enrollment had dipped and it was financially infeasible to keep the school open. Father Barcellona took the blunt end of the anger that resulted from the parents and parishioners gracefully, and within a short period of time the parish council and Father devised a plan and program addressing the needs of the community’s children by re-opening the school as a Faith Formation Center.
As a business administrator for a public school district for more than 38 years I was impressed with how the closure of the school was handled. I found the quick repurpose of the school helped to heal the wounds of the parents who fought valiantly to keep it open.
Prior to the merger of the churches the Religious Education Program had already been merged in the three parishes. A core team was established in the three parishes. Theresa Budniak, Director of Religious Education, met with parents, children and catechists to assure them that the three were becoming one. Catechists were encouraged to continue in their ministry.
Three models of Faith Formation are being used. Traditional programs for all students’ grades one through eight are held on Monday and Tuesday evenings. A family program is held on Thursday evenings once a month. Parents attend with their children and then teach the children at home the other three weeks. There is also a summer program held for one week.
Father Barcellona has led the parish thoughtfully. He, and the ministries, have developed projects that include the construction of a beautiful small chapel in Assumption Church named for St. Lucy. Many of the items from the old church have been incorporated into the chapel. The stained glass windows from the old church have been relocated to the Faith Formation building and the old church bell has been relocated in the unity garden across from the church. Also in the unity garden are the statues from the former churches, St. Lucy, Sacred Heart, St. Anthony and Our Lady of Assumption. The banners from St. Anthony’s, Sacred Heart, St. Lucy’s and Assumption have all been rehung at the Faith Formation building. They are a constant reminder that those churches existed at an earlier time and have not been forgotten.
As the parish continues to grow, future activities will include the completion of the Stations of the Cross Park adjacent to the church, originally housed at St. Lucy’s Church. Also planned is a Rosary Garden, a project of the Eagle Scouts of Waterford Township.
Christ the Redeemer Parish is truly blessed with a community of people who truly love their church. The ministries continue to grow. Participation in daily and Sunday Masses have grown and financially the parish is holding its own. It remains a shining example of a successful merger.