The Campaign to Save St. Mary's
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WHY save St. Mary's? What's true for Queen of Peace Pitman is true for St. Mary's Malaga:
"The people in Pitman bought that ground and built
that church and it belongs to them. You can't just take it away." -Anthony Mecca, Queen of Peace Parish, Pitman (also on the slate for closure), May 8, 2008
A Little About St. Mary's: What Makes It Such a Great Church?
Historic St. Mary's Church in Malaga, New Jersey was completed in 1922. It was organized primarily by Italian-Americans whose history in the area went back around seventy years previous to that. Current members of St. Mary's include descendents of the original founders, and several of the eldest members of the parish even remember St. Mary's being constructed! But descendents of the founding members are certainly not the only people who love St. Mary's Malaga.
Newcomers also find welcome at the church. Such people are attracted to St. Mary's because of its vibrancy and are willing to drive quite a distance to get there. I've even met a young family who moved to the area simply to be near St. Mary's. What makes this church so unique? The closeness of its community, the depth of spirituality, the Truth that is preached, the holiness of its pastor, regular opportunity for Eucharistic adoration, and so much more. Even the casual observer notices that there's something extra special about St. Mary's.
The small church is locted near the intersection of two major thoroughfares (routes 40 and 47) and because of this it attracts a third contingent: travelers. Father Romanowski has often spoken of the highway drop-ins. I am among these as I occasionally stopped at St. Mary's on my way home from college in the Baltimore area some years ago. But Father even knows of a seminarian or two who, because of St. Mary's location, discovered their vocations to the priesthood. Indeed the seeds of the vocation were planted by Our Lord, but He used St. Mary's to help those seeds to grow.
St. Mary's in Malaga is unique because it is a shrine as well as a parish church. It affords opportunity for meditation in the tranquil Rosary Garden and outdoor Stations of the Cross, and time before Our Lord exposed in the Blessed Sacrament. There is even a picnic area in the Rosary Garden. There are also several grotto areas, a gazebo, and many benches where a parishioner or a weary travelor can go to relax and pray.
The church has a rich and wonderful history which you will soon be able to read about on this hastily prepared site. In addition, we hope to include memoirs and little remembrances of St. Mary's through the years. Hopefully--with your help--this will include some video, too.
Bishop Galante Wants to Close St. Mary's...
...but we don't! We love this little church because it is a beacon in a dark world. Not only is St. Mary's a spiritually vibrant community, small but mighty, it is completely financially viable. This is exactly the type of church that any diocese ought to want to keep. In an era where church debt is commonplace, St. Mary's Malaga has no debt. Its forebears paid for it, and every last dollar was accounted for. You can even see a list of all the contributors hanging on the wall beside the entrance. And the church has plenty of money in the bank so it's certainly not a potential drain on the Diocese of Camden.
If St. Mary's could start with a small group of immigrant families who gave of their sweat and blood to see it built, certainly there are many more of us who attend St. Mary's now! If there was a cause for St. Mary's 86 years ago, there is all the more cause now than when Malaga was even smaller (hard to imagine, huh?). Contrary to statements on the part of the diocese as rationale for massive church closures, the Vineland-Buena-Malaga area is growing, not shrinking. So those of us who love St. Mary's want to see it and its ministries live on. We believe it is a church worth keeping.
What Can You Do?
1. TELL US ABOUT IT!
If you've ever been to St. Mary's and loved it, if you are a parishioner at St. Mary's, if you're a priest or religious with something to say about this little church, we want your story, however short or long it may be. Please email us (or call Fr. Romanowski 856-694-2576) and we'll gladly put it up on this website. If you are open to it, maybe we can interview you, so please contact us. (Of course, there's also the comments area on the blog that you may want to use.)
2. WRITE THE NUNCIO!
Please write the Apostolic Pro Nuncio about St. Mary's Malaga:
The Most Rev. Pietro Sambi (In your letter, address him as Your Excellency)
Apostolic Pro Nuncio
3339 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008-3687
3. CONTACT THE ARCHBISHOP!
Please write Archbishop Myers, the Archbishop of Newark Diocese and the metropolitan of the state of NJ.
171 Clifton Avenue
PO Box 9500
Newark, NJ 07104
(phone #: 973-497-4000)
4. PRAY!
Say a quick Hail Mary, a whole rosary or a decade, offer a mass, visit St. Mary's, offer time before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, whatever you can do.
5. Join St. Mary's
If you don't have a parish or are not content with your current parish, consider joining St. Mary's. Boosting St. Mary's numbers couldn't hurt.
