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Bishop Joseph Galante has formally announced that the parishes of St. Pius X and Holy Rosary, both in Cherry Hill, will merge and the new parish resulting from the merger, Holy Eucharist Parish, will be established December 23, 2009.

The announcement establishing the new parish was made in a formal decree, which is published in the November 20, 2009 edition of the Catholic Star Herald, the diocesan newspaper.

The decree states that consolidating the individual communities and uniting them as one new parish is necessary to provide more effectively for the pastoral needs of the faithful, to assure the vitality of parish life, to provide for a better stewardship of resources, and to provide for the optimum use of clergy, religious and lay personnel.

Reverend George C. Seiter, the current pastor of St. Pius X and Holy Rosary and Priest Convener for the merger, has been named pastor of the new parish, which will serve about 2,000 families. The seat of the parish will be Saint Pius X Church, while the parish boundaries will be those of the existing parishes.

Reconfiguration addresses challenges

It is the seventh decree issued by the Bishop in a diocesan-wide reconfiguration of parishes announced for the six counties of the diocese in April 2008. At the time, Bishop Galante said the intended reconfiguration was necessary to strengthen parishes, to revitalize parish life by advancing major pastoral priorities identified at Speak Up sessions, to improve spiritual care to parishioners by providing needed ministries, and to reverse downward trends in Mass attendance and sacramental practice.

The reconfiguration also seeks to address longstanding challenges that have affected dioceses throughout the Northeast United States. The number of diocesan priests available to serve in ministry has declined in this diocese and in dioceses nationwide. Scheduled priest retirements in the coming years will leave the Diocese of Camden with 85 or fewer diocesan priests in ministry by 2015, far fewer than the124 parishes in the diocese when the planning process began in fall, 2006.

Many parishes in South Jersey also are located in very close geographic proximity to each other in areas where population has diminished or shifted. Cherry Hill Township, for example, has experienced changes in population over the last four decades that have impacted parishes there. From 1950 to 1960, population tripled, from ten thousand to more than 30,000, according to United States Census reports. Again, from 1960-1970, the township population nearly doubled, to 64,000. It was during these two decades that St. Pius X and Holy Rosary parishes-and four others-were established to serve the Cherry Hill population. However, since then, population has slowed dramatically. In the last three decades, population grew at just one percent per decade.

The overall population change in Cherry Hill has been compounded by the dramatic decline in the number of Catholics in that population that actually attends Mass each week, from almost 75 percent in 1960 to less than 25 percent now. The net result is that at the time Bishop Galante announced his intentions for parish reconfiguration, there were fewer Catholics in the pews of the six parishes in Cherry Hill than there were in 1960, when just two parishes served the Cherry Hill area.

With fewer Catholics in the pews than decades past, growing financial challenges for the parishes have resulted, making it increasingly difficult for the parishes individually to fully serve the needs of the people.

Once Holy Eucharist parish is formed, Cherry Hill will be served by four parishes: Holy Eucharist, the Catholic Community of Christ our Light (which was formed through the merger of St. Peter Celestine and Queen of Heaven parishes), St. Mary and St. Thomas More.

An eagerness among the people to unite the parishes

"There's been an eagerness among the people of the two parishes to come together to form a new parish," said Father Seiter. "They each have accomplished tremendous things, including outreach to the community. Yet we could see that we couldn't continue to do all we want to do with limited resources. We knew we could do even more good by uniting."

He acknowledged that it hasn't necessarily been easy for everyone. "It's been a struggle for some parishioners. There's great loyalty to each of the parishes. But, it's become more and more difficult to do what we need to do with fewer people in the parishes."

Father Seiter said the Core Team members worked together very well and stayed focused on the goal of creating a stronger parish. "They understood Bishop Galante's vision for a revitalized Church. They understood that this merger is necessary if we are to have a vibrant, viable parish for this area of Cherry Hill."

He said the need for greater outreach and ministry to serve the people was a major focus for the Core Team. "We never lost sight of the pastoral priorities. They were always in front of us as we began to lay the foundation for the new parish. It doesn't happen overnight, but we really stressed the importance of beginning to meet these priorities in the new parish."

"Now that we have this unity of a new parish, we can do a lot better," Father Seiter added. He noted that they've spent special attention on the parish's liturgical life. "We've got excellent liturgical ministry. This is something that we had to bring about immediately. If parishioners come to Mass and experience good liturgy, they're more likely to come back," he said.

In addition to liturgy, the new parish will continue to focus on community outreach. Father Seiter said outreach to seniors will be an important consideration. He said they will work to augment the existing bereavement ministry to reach out to those who have lost a spouse and do not have immediate family in the area. The parish also is working to strengthen youth and young adult ministry. "Individually the parishes struggled with this, but combined, we can diligently focus on this. Our religious education programs were strong, but we need to expand beyond this age group. We don't have a history of providing ministry for young married couples, for example, but we would like to initiate that."

Reconfiguration followed study and consultation

Bishop Galante's April 2008 intention to merge the two parishes that will make up Holy Eucharist followed a period of study and consultation with deanery planners, the priest dean, the Diocesan Planning Commission and the Presbyteral Council of the diocese. All concurred that the individual parishes could be made stronger if they were united.

Parishioners from both parishes were represented on the Core Team that formed last fall to prepare the parishes to come together. Fifteen times over ten months, the Priest Convener and eight Core Team members worked to complete the necessary administrative, pastoral, canonical and civil preparations for merger. On August 17 Father Seiter, wrote to Bishop Galante indicating that his Core Team had completed its work and requesting an onsite evaluation by the Diocesan Merger Review Committee to assess the parishes' readiness to merge.

The onsite visit was conducted on September 29. The Committee, affirming the readiness of the parishes to merge, noted that "This was a well-organized effort by the Core Team and Priest Convener. It was evident that there was genuine teamwork between the Priest Convener and the members of the Core Team. They are all to be commended.

Parishes share common roots

The uniting of these two parishes was natural because of their location and common roots. The present parishes are geographically proximate and share common roots. They are just 2.8 miles apart.

Holy Rosary, which was established as a parish on June 14, 1958, was originally a mission of Christ the King, Haddonfield. St. Pius X was established on June 10, 1961. From 1935-1961, it was part of Christ the King, and before that, St. Rose of Lima, Haddon Heights.

Parishioners chose the name "Holy Eucharist" for the new parish. "The focus on Eucharist acknowledges the communion of the two parishes and highlights that we are the Body of Christ on earth," noted the voting form provided to parishioners.

We're one family now

Ted Warren, who has been a parishioner of Holy Rosary for 15 years, and served on the Core Team, acknowledged the difficulty of change. "It's been difficult in some ways because Holy Rosary has always been a family. My sons attended Holy Rosary Elementary school. Even though we've struggled, everyone pulled together to make the parish work. Yet, our parishioners are ready to move forward and to embrace the change. We've prepared for this."

Warren praised Monsignor Brennan and Monsignor Scott for the role they played in forming a Core Team that worked so well together. "They really thought through the process of forming the Core Team. In the process of working together, we've picked up new friends from Pius X, and they feel the same."

"Father Seiter has done great job of helping us to come together as one new community, combining the good from both parishes. We're one family now."

Core Team member Tony Messina, a parishioner of St. Pius X for 25 years, said, "Bishop Galante is doing the right thing, for all the reasons that have been given."

Messina has been involved in the planning process from the beginning, dating to the fall, 2006. "It's been a long process. It's taken a lot of energy. But the two parishes are very compatible and together will be much greater than we were alone. It's a nice fit."

He said the new parish would draw from the strengths of both parishes. "There are good things that Holy Rosary did that were unique and better than what we had at St. Pius X," he said. By coming together, we'll have a fuller church, more activities, greater financial strength, new energy and new ideas. We'll be able to do much more. Now that the decree has been issued, there's a call to action. It's time to get started."

 --Saint Simon Stock parish will be established through the merger of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Berlin and Saint Edward Parish, Pine Hill. The seat of the new parish will be Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Berlin. Reverend Joseph R. Ferrara, the current pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Priest Convener for the merger, has been named pastor of the new parish. The new parish, which will retain existing boundaries, will serve approximately 3,900 families.

 --Mary, Queen of All Saints parish will be established through the merger of Saint Veronica, Delair and Saint Cecilia, Pennsauken, with the seat of the new parish at St. Cecilia Church, Pennsauken. Reverend William F. Moore, the current pastor of Saint Cecilia and St. Veronica and Priest Convener for the merger, has been named pastor of the new parish. The new parish, which will retain existing boundaries, will serve almost 1,000 families.

The announcements establishing the new parishes were made in formal decrees, both of which are published in the October 2 edition of the Catholic Star Herald, the diocesan newspaper The effective date of both decrees is November 4, 2009.

The decrees state that consolidating the individual communities and uniting them as new parishes is necessary to provide more effectively for the pastoral needs of the faithful, to assure the vitality of parish life, to provide for a better stewardship of resources, and to provide for the optimum use of clergy, religious and lay personnel.

The decrees, which follow almost a year of extensive preparation by Core Team members, note that the parishes "have worked together to provide a common base from their diverse experiences," and "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."

Accompanying the decree are instructions on the recourse process provided for in Church law to ensure that the rights of the faithful are upheld when the alteration of a parish is necessary.

Reconfiguration addresses challenges

Five decrees have been issued now in a diocesan-wide reconfiguration of parishes that Bishop Galante announced in April 2008 to address a decline in the number of diocesan priests available for ministry, shifts and changes in population, a decline in religious practice and the need to revitalize parish life.

Many parishes also are struggling financially due to the changes in population and decline in Mass attendance and, as presently configured, lack the resources to provide needed ministries. About a third of the parishes in the diocese are struggling with deficits and debt and are unable to meet basic financial obligations, according to the diocese. By uniting parishes through merger, the diocese hopes to create stronger parishes that will have greater resources with which to serve parishioners.

Fresh enthusiasm for the faith

The planning initiatives of the diocese respond to the call of Pope John Paul II at the close of the Jubilee Year when he called on each diocese to assess its fervour and find fresh enthusiasm for its spiritual and pastoral responsibilities. He called on dioceses to draw up a detailed pastoral plan for the "formation and enrichment of the people involved [and to] search for the necessary resources which will enable the proclamation of Christ to reach people, mould communities, and have a deep and incisive influence in bringing Gospel values to bear in society and culture." Earlier this year, Pope Benedict XVI, meeting with the Bishops of Nigeria also stressed the importance of training and diocesan planning in order to create strong, vibrant parishes.

Reconfiguration one element of planning initiative

The reconfiguration of parishes in the diocese is but one element of the larger initiative undertaken in response to these calls to revitalize parish life. Larry Farmer of the diocese's Office of Pastoral Planning, said, "By necessity have been focused on parish reconfiguration at this stage of the process. However, we must not forget the larger context in which this important work is taking place. This diocese, like many others, has experienced great challenges brought on by decades-long demographic change, fewer priests and declines in participation in may areas of parish life. The Speak Ups conducted by Bishop Galante soon after his installation here revealed unmet pastoral needs in the diocese. With many parishes lacking the means to serve these needs, it was soon clear that the pastoral priorities could not adequately be addressed without first strengthening our parishes and preparing lay people to assume their baptismal responsibility for the life and mission of the Church. Our parishes, once strengthened through reconfiguration, will be ready to carry out the kinds of ministries and services that will help form Catholics more deeply in the faith, thereby reversing downward trends and leading the Church to future growth and new life."

Forming laity to help serve parishes

In conjunction with the parish reconfiguration now underway, the diocese last year inaugurated its Lay Ministry Formation Program to help laity engaged in parish work to obtain the educational credentials specific to their area of focus. Almost 300 Catholics in South Jersey are now enrolled in the degree and certificate programs of area Catholic colleges and institutions offered at satellite locations throughout the diocese.

"This initiative will create a wonderful pool of talented laypeople that our parishes will be able to draw from as they seek to augment their volunteer staffs with full-time paid positions in order to devote full attention to the pastoral priorities that will serve Catholics of every age in every part of the diocese," said Sr. Roseann Quinn, SSJ, Bishop's delegate for Lifelong Faith Formation.

 Pouring new wine into new wine skins

"It's been a phenomenal experience," said Father Ferrara of the work of preparing the parishes in Berlin and Pine Hill to come together. "Our theme and approach has been that we're pouring new wine into new wineskins. We are celebrating something new. While we have the customs and traditions of both parishes to draw from, we've worked together to take parish life to a new level and to grow spiritually."

The naming of the new parish drew from the traditions of both parishes. The Berlin parish was established at the turn of the last century under the name Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patroness of the Carmelite order. The Pine Hill parish was established in 1953, named for its patron St. Edward the Confessor. The new parish created through the merger, Saint Simon Stock, is named for the 13th century English monk who received the brown scapular from Our Lady of Mount Carmel and advanced the Carmelite charism in England, where Edward the Confessor was born.

The new parish-one of the first in the diocese to establish a lifelong faith formation program-is already taking steps to serve the needs of parishioners. The parish already has in place full-time paid positions including youth, music and adult faith formation.

"By uniting the parishes together, we now have a chance to put into practice the ideals of our faith, and addressing key pastoral priorities, including forming our people more deeply in the faith," said Father Ferrara.

Core Team member Anthony Ziccardi, who joined Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish in 1971, said, "As we grew through the process, we melded multiple agendas into one to create the best community of faith that we could. We absolutely relied on the history and heritages of both places, carrying forth ministries from both parishes. We also developed almost a dozen new ministries, with attention to faith formation and outreach. This is one of the great results of our work."

 Blessings and gains

St. Cecilia was established in 1939, one of the first parishes created by Bishop Eustace after the diocese was established in 1937. A year later, St. Veronica was established as a mission of St. Cecilia, until it was named a parish in 1961,

With two female saints as patronesses, parishioners saw the opportunity to include them both by placing the new parish under the name of Mary, Queen of All Saints.

Julia Wakelee, a parishioner of St. Cecilia since 1980 and Core Team member, said, "It was a lot of work for the Core Team, but we worked well together and we're proud of the job we did."

She said she's excited about the new parish. "It's been nice to get together to meet other Catholics. Now we're one big family, The process really helped me see that it's not the church buildings that are most important, but the people, who are your family and who are the Church. Most of all, we have the Word of God and the Eucharist. By bringing parishes together, we bring together the best of both, while our faith unites us and helps us in this challenging time."

Father Moore said the work of uniting the parishes took patience and time. "Understandably it's been a time of mixed feelings during the process of the last eleven months. We used the time of transition to be sensitive to one another, to be in touch with feelings of loss that comes with such change, but also to anticipate the blessings and gains that we can achieve as we look to the future.

There's an excitement and a freshness that challenges us to be more creative about what a parish can accomplish, especially in light of being good stewards of the gifts and blessings we can best use for Mary, Queen of All Saints parish and the wider community in Pennsauken. It gives us a broader feel for mission in the Church and has great potential to keep us moving forward in the direction of where a parish can best reflect the mind and heart of Christ in everyday life."

Other decrees:

In June, Bishop issued the decree establishing The Catholic Community of Christ our Light through the merger of St. Peter Celestine and Queen of Heaven parishes in Cherry Hill, effective July 29.

In July, Bishop issued the decree establishing the parish of Our Lady of Peace through the merger of Saint Mary, Williamstown and St. John Neumann, Sicklerville, effective August 5, 2009.

In September, Bishop Joseph Galante issued the decree establishing Divine Mercy parish through the merger of Saint Francis of Assisi and Immaculate Heart of Mary, both in Vineland, effective October 21, 2009.

Bishop Joseph Galante formally announced today that the parishes of Saint Francis of Assisi and Immaculate Heart of Mary, both in Vineland, will merge and the new parish resulting from the merger, Divine Mercy Parish, will be established October 21, 2009.

The announcement establishing the new parish was made in a formal decree, which is published in the September 18 edition of the Catholic Star Herald, the diocesan newspaper.

The decree states that consolidating the individual communities and uniting them as one new parish is necessary to provide more effectively for the pastoral needs of the faithful, to assure the vitality of parish life, to provide for a better stewardship of resources, and to provide for the optimum use of clergy, religious and lay personnel.

Reverend Monsignor Victor S. Muro, the current pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary parish and Priest Convener for the merger, has been named pastor of the new parish., which will serve about 1,700 families. The seat of the parish will be St. Francis of Assisi Church and the parish boundaries will be those of the existing parishes. Immaculate Heart of Mary also will be used as worship site for the new parish at the discretion of the pastor and based on the pastoral needs of parishioners.

The decree also designates Divine Mercy Parish as a personal parish for the Hispanic community in the City of Vineland. Originally established as the Spanish Catholic Center in 1958, Immaculate Heart of Mary (Immaculada Corazon de Maria) was established as a personal parish to serve Hispanic Catholics in the city of Vineland on January 1, 2001. St. Francis of Assisi was founded in 1961, formed from a portion of Sacred Heart parish in Vineland.

It is the third decree issued by Bishop Galante in a diocesan-wide reconfiguration of parishes. In June, Bishop issued the decree establishing The Catholic Community of Christ our Light through the merger of St. Peter Celestine and Queen of Heaven parishes in Cherry Hill, effective July 29. In July, Bishop issued the decree establishing the parish of Our Lady of Peace through the merger of Saint Mary, Williamstown and St. John Neumann, Sicklerville, effective August 5, 2009.

Following extensive study and continuing consultation, Bishop Galante in April 2008 announced his intention to restructure parishes through merger and clustering in order to address a decline in the number of diocesan priests available for ministry, shifts and changes in population, a decline in religious practice, the need to revitalize parish life and to advance pastoral priorities identified as most important by the people of the diocese. Many parishes also are struggling financially due to the changes in population and decline in Mass attendance and lack the resources to provide needed ministries.

Merger preparations for Divine Mercy parish began on November 5, 2008 when the Core Team met for the first time with their Priest Convener, Monsignor Muro. Core Team members were Josephine DeLaCruz, Celia Gutierrez, Wilma Lopez, Harry Paraison, Nick Possumato, Carlos Roman, Jean Smith and Joseph Trapani.

Over the next ten months, the team met regularly to establish the administrative and pastoral structures for the new parish, as well as ministries and services that will address key pastoral priorities identified through parish Speak Up sessions, including youth and young adults and lifelong faith formation.

The Core Team also focused on the range of canonical, civil, administrative and pastoral considerations involved in merger, including setting new Mass and sacrament schedules, addressing staffing needs, tending to transition issues related to accounting and finance, establishing new pastoral and finance councils and developing a parish mission statement.

On April 16, 2009, Monsignor Muro wrote to Bishop Galante to inform him that the Core Team had completed its merger preparations. "We are confident that our communities are ready to merge and, therefore, respectfully request a visit and review of our merger plan by the Diocesan Merger Review Committee in preparation of the decree for merger," wrote Monsignor Muro. "I must commend our Core Team for their 110% commitment to the merger and the merger process," he added.

Eight diocesan reviewers from canonical affairs, liturgy, lifelong formation, temporalities, clergy and pastoral planning conducted an onsite visit on June 11, 2009 and affirmed the work of the Core Team. During the summer months, the work of establishing the parish canonically and civilly was accomplished.

Monsignor Muro said that both parishes will bring strengths to the newly merged parish. "Each parish has many gifts and will bring these to the new parish, thereby enriching the entire parish."

Core Team member Joseph Trapani has been a parishioner of St. Francis since its founding five decades ago. "Years ago, we needed police in front of the Church to direct traffic on Sunday mornings. You couldn't get a seat. Our meeting rooms were booked five days a week. We are confident that by merging we can experience this kind of growth again. We look forward to coming together, united, sharing what we have here."

He acknowledged that some might feel a sense of loss with the merger, but this is not the predominant emotion. "It hurts me to see decline. Moves had to be made not only to keep going, but to move in a positive direction and to be active and alive. This is long-awaited. We feel that this merger is a glove fit."

Harry Paraison, a Core Team member who has been a parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary for more than ten years said, "The process of working with Core Team members from both parishes was very enlightening. We put aside differences and worked together, always patiently and with great respect and acceptance for each other and our opinions. There was also great sensitivity to our traditions, worship and the different ways we give expression to our faith."

Paraison said that feelings of loss were present, but subsided as the Core Team made progress in its preparations. "Sometimes we have to lose something to gain something greater," he said. "By forgetting about ourselves, we were able to work for the larger community, with a focus on bringing about a more vibrant parish. We've been anxious for the decree and we're very excited and ready to grow."

The announcement establishing the new parish was made in a formal decree, which was published in the July 3 edition of the Catholic Star Herald, the diocesan newspaper.

The decree states that consolidating the individual communities and uniting them as one new parish is necessary to provide more effectively for the pastoral needs of the faithful, to assure the vitality of parish life, to provide for a better stewardship of resources, and to provide for the optimum use of clergy, religious and lay personnel.

Accompanying the decree are instructions on the recourse process provided for in Church law to ensure that the rights of the faithful are upheld in the alteration of a parish.

Father Cadmus Mazzarella, the current pastor of St. Mary parish and Priest Convener for the merger, has been named pastor of the new parish, which will serve about 5,800 families (St. Mary's currently has 5,000 families and St. John Neumann has about 800 families). The seat of the parish will be St. Mary Church and the parish boundaries will be those of the existing parishes.

"At this time of great promise for the Church, I thank our Priest Convener, Father Mazzarella, the Core Team members and all parishioners who assisted in preparing these parishes to unite. I also extend my prayerful best wishes to the faithful in this area of the diocese as they continue to collaborate together to build a vibrant faith community and to grow more deeply in the faith," said Bishop Galante in a statement.

It is the second decree issued by Bishop Galante in a diocesan-wide restructuring he announced last year to address a decline in the number of diocesan priests available for ministry, shifts and changes in population, a decline in religious practice, the need to revitalize parish life and to advance pastoral priorities identified as most important by the people of the diocese. Many parishes also are struggling financially due to the changes in population and decline in Mass attendance and lack the resources to provide needed ministries.

Last week, Bishop issued a decree establishing The Catholic Community of Christ our Light through the merger of St. Peter Celestine and Queen of Heaven parishes in Cherry Hill. Two other parishes have completed their merger preparations and have had onsite visits by the Diocesan Merger Review Committee. Decrees establishing these new parishes are expected later this summer.

Saint Mary Church and St. John Neumann Church are in two different counties (Gloucester and Camden, respectively), but are just 3.8 miles apart. St. Mary's was first a mission of St. Joseph, Hammonton, before it was established as a parish in 1909 (the present church was built in 1956). Meanwhile, the St. John Neumann community was created in the early 1970s from a portion of St. Mary's parish to serve the new Winslow Crossing community. Mass for the new community was first celebrated in a Winslow Township school, then Sicklerville. Following the canonization of St. John Neumann in 1977, the community became a parish on June 19, 1977.

With challenges facing parishes throughout the Northeast, the natural affinities that already existed between the two parishes and their shared history led the communities to recommend that they come together once again. In fall 2006, representatives from both parishes began to review spiritual reports, parish data, and demographic reports as part of the Gathering God's Gifts parish planning initiative. Seeing the advantages of uniting the parishes, deanery planners in January 2008 recommended to Bishop Galante that the parishes merge in order to enhance parish life for parishioners in this area of the diocese.

Following consultation with the Diocesan Planning Commission in February 2008 and a formal consultation with the Presbyteral Council of the diocese in March 2008, Bishop Galante on April 3, 2008 announced his intention to merge the parishes. He heard again from the Presbyteral Council in May before issuing the decree this week.

The decree follows an extensive period of preparation that tended to the range of pastoral, civil and canonical steps necessary for merger. From October 2008 through late spring, Father Mazzarella and his Core Team worked to prepare the parishes for merger. Following an onsite visit by the Diocesan Merger Committee on June 1 confirming the parishes' readiness to merge, Father Mazzarella wrote to Bishop Galante on June 5 requesting that he issue the decree establishing Our Lady of Peace parish.

"[S]ince October 2008, the Core Team representing the two parishes of St. Mary in Williamstown and St. John Neumann in Sicklerville have been working assiduously in the important task of merging these two communities into one. The work has been challenging and the hours long, but the fruit coming forth through this process, we believe is great and hopeful. Our Core Team believes that the two constituent communities of St. Mary and St. John Neumann have been joined and knitted together on every possible level-spiritually, pastorally, administratively and socially," said Father Mazarella in his letter to Bishop Galante.

"As our preparations conclude, it is an exciting time, as parishioners from both parishes are looking forward to becoming part of the new community," said Father Mazzarella. "The great advantages of uniting these parishes already are being felt, with more opportunities to grow spiritually, to be involved in ministry and in service to the community."

The new parish is placing a strong emphasis on ministry to younger Catholics and to evangelization. The parish has just hired a full-time, paid youth coordinator to oversee the parish's junior youth group (6th through 8th grades), high school ministry (grades 9-12) and young adult ministry (ages 18-25). A part time youth minister will assist with the high school program. In addition to the increased focus on youth and young adults, the parish this week added a full-time, paid director of evangelization.

"The Eucharist strengthens us to reach out to fulfill the Gospel mandate to evangelize and to serve others. Many people are waiting to be asked to come back to the Church or to return to a more regular practice of their faith. We have found that people are receptive and open but are never asked. Many times, they just need someone to reach out to them," said Father Mazzarella. "By uniting the parishes in this way, we have the ability now to support these new positions and to give these priorities the emphasis they deserve."

Cecil Raymond, a parishioner of St. John Neumann for nearly two decades, served on the Core Team that helped ready the parishes for merger. "We wanted to create a more vibrant parish. We knew that the time would come when we would not be able to sustain ourselves. We knew that we were not able to offer the programs that are needed. Now, with the merger, we have created great opportunities for our people with facilities and programs we never had," he said.

Raymond said that it became clear that there needed to be more focus on young Catholics and that joining the parishes would make this possible. "When youngsters get to eighth grade, they tend to move on. They really haven't anything to come back to. But, when they're in a parish like Our Lady of Peace, we'll be able to hold on to the youth, the future of the parish."

Raymond said, "Parishioners have really come to understand and realize that the merger of the parishes is the best thing for the future. We might want to think only of ourselves, but we have to think of those coming after us. This has to be done if the Church is to survive."

Core Team member Charlene Carlson has a unique perspective, having been a lifelong parishioner of Saint Mary's before registering at St. John Neumann about ten years ago.

"It's difficult for St. John's parishioners, even though deep down we know it's for the best. You're used to the same thing, the same community, and the familiar faces. But we know we need better facilities and more ministries and activities to draw people in, especially young people. We have to have something for everyone if we are to thrive."

On March 20, 2009, Father Mazzarella wrote to Bishop Galante to inform him that the Core Team, which had met 11 times since last year, had completed its preparation work for merger.

In addition to civil and canonical considerations, the Core Team focused on laying the foundations for worship at the new parish, including the schedules for masses and sacraments, music ministry, RCIA, baptismal preparation, and the provision for Holy Communion to the sick and homebound.

The Core Team also worked on laying the foundations for pastoral ministries, including addressing the key pastoral priorities identified at Speak Up sessions: lifelong faith formation, youth and young adults, lay ministry, vocations, liturgy and compassionate outreach.

The Core Team's preparations also included the care of temporal goods, such as facilities management, vendor contracts, budgeting and finance issues, human resources, information technology and real estate. In a merger, all assets and liabilities of the merging parishes follow parishioners to the new parish. Because each parish is separately incorporated under New Jersey law, all parish property and assets belong not to the diocese, but to the new parish.

Jane D'Ambrosio, Core Team member and a St. John Neumann parishioner for 22 years said, "It was an overwhelming challenge. Every member of the Core Team took on the challenge and worked diligently to bring both parishes together as one. Everyone used their expertise to complete each of the tasks, while taking every opportunity to reach out to parish members to make sure they were informed as we progressed on our mission. And, I think we did a good job."

D'Ambrosio acknowledged the range of emotions she herself has experienced with the merger. "The merger itself hit me very hard in the beginning. I still have feelings for the Church, our parish and the priest we have now. It's the same kind of feeling I had when I left a parish that I loved to join St. John Neumann when I moved to Sicklerville. But I grew love St. John Neumann, and the same will happen here. It's a new beginning."

Charlene Carlson echoed the sentiment. "With the decree being issued, I am excited because I can see that our hard work has paid off. It will be great to be one rather than two separate parishes."