Coastal Broadcasting News interview with Andrew Walton. (We've heard it's not very interesting but have not had time to listen ourselves. CBN, however, has been doing lots of excellent coverage of this whole fiasco, though. Good work for what looks to be a fairly small media outlet.)

Cape May Herald piece regarding priest conveners and background information on the Follieri-Galante scandal. Focuses on Assumption Wildwood Crest. We've heard it's a good piece.

Judge for yourself, then let us know what you think. Again, both links were sent in by readers of the website, so thank you.

Today Bishop Galante announced the priest conveners for the churches he wishes to merge. Check the diocesan website for more information on your own parish's situation.

Much to our amusement, in the bishop's letter, he says, "Many of our parish communities have been eager to move forward with the intended configurations. Some wanted to do so as soon as announcements were made last April. However, I have urged patience in order to allow time for affected parish communities to deal with the reality of the change ahead..." Well at least the bishop has not lost his sense of humor! Several of us who read this today laughed out loud. Of our neighbors, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, co-parishioners, and others, we certainly have not seen a single instance of this phenomenon. "Out-of-touch" is an understatement here. Intentionally misleading would be more accurate. Perhaps the PR team at the chancery thinks that if they make the statement that there is a groundswell of support for the mass closure of parishes, then people will believe that it is true because, after all, a bishop wouldn't lie or mislead his sheep...

Of course in the letter Bishop Galante continues to spew the same misinformation and propaganda that has been issued over the past several months regarding the supposed motivations for the closures, so nothing new there. However, he also says, "it is my intention to modify certain parish configurations." Basically what we're looking at here is what appears to be a number of churches he, McGrath, and Vollmer have backpedaled on, which of course appears to be good news. It appears the campaign and feedback of all unhappy Catholics in these matters have been effective, but we have much work yet to do. In the end, it is important to remember that a "worship site" is just that, a canonically insecure entity that may be closed at any time. At present, changed status or not, no church in the diocese may consider itself "safe" until it is recognized as having the right to exist into the future, and the campaign must continue.

(Check the Diocese of Camden website for more information on specific changes, since there are a number of them.Special congratulations goes out to St. Bart's Camden who, in the course of a few months of fighting the Lord's good fight, have gone from the status of "closed" (April), to being a "worship site" (late June), to being a "primary worship site" (late August). Praise God and good work!)

Quote:

The diocese had previously planned to build a seminary at the site, said Walton, but over the decades the number of men entering the priesthood has decreased and with it the need for a new seminary.

"But there is a need for a cemetery in that area," Walton added.

Click here for the article from the Gloucester County Times.

The choice for a cemetery over a seminary is emblematic of this entire situation, isn't it? Burying our diocese should not be on the top of the "to do list" of any bishop. Building up holy religious vocations should be. Thank God, THANK GOD that we have been promised, as we heard in the Gospel this Sunday, that the gates of hell would not prevail against the Church (Matthew 16:18).

Here is a challenge. Let's assume that God, in His Divine Providence, provides us with our needs, as He has indeed promised. Let's assume that God will provide us with men to serve Him, just as he always has. Let's build that seminary, staff it with good, solid, orthodox instructors and priests. Instead of tolling the death knell of the priesthood in our diocese, let's encourage all Catholics and parishes to pray weekly and daily for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Instead of having one measly "vocations" talk in an entire childhood of Catholic education, like I had my Freshman year of high school (and never was the topic spoken of again), why not talk about the possibility of the religious vocations with our children from the time they are babies? I do with my own children who are only 2 and 4! Why not assume that God does in fact call men to the priesthood and that we only need to nurture those vocations, help embolden young people to search themselves and follow where God leads?

How many times does our Lord need to tell us in the Gospels that "all things are possible to him that believeth?" (Matthew 9:22) In this particular part of Matthew, Our Lord is casting out an unclean spirit, and the father of the boy with the unclean spirit says, "I do believe, Lord, help my unbelief." How many of us pray this prayer ourselves? Indeed, not trusting in God is a difficulty I myself have had over the years, but I witness to you all now that not trusting in God is like a disease. It is like having an unclean spirit that needs to be cast out. Not trusting that God Himself, through his Most Holy Mother, plants priestly vocations in the hearts of His Children is a despair of the deepest kind. Have no doubt of that. Let us pray for vocations and, perhaps even more than that, pray that Bishop Galante, Andrew Walton, Marilyn Vollmer, Roger McGrath, and all those heading up the experiment in our diocese come at last to Faith that what the Lord Himself has promised, he will indeed provide!

(Bishop Galante,
He is who He says He is.
He does what He says He'll do.
Do not despair.

What's Going On?
Since what we're talking about is essentially political and not religious, and in this, an election year, it seems especially relevant to use the politically loaded word "waffle" to describe diocesan positions these days. In any case, there's good news, folks. Or bad, depending on how it goes and what the current "status" of your church is. Looks like, despite every indication to the contrary thus far, that the merger plans are not set in stone after all!

Priest Conveners Calling the Shots?
If you examine the words in the paragraphs below, you'll see that Msgr. Joyce indicates that the "priest conveners" (soon to be announced) will be ultimately recommending which churches will be closed or "merged." So those of you whose church is called a "primary" or "secondary" worship site," look out! Thought your parish was "safe"? Think again. There are already rumors circulating regarding particular priest conveners who intend to switch worship sites and close churches other than the ones previously planned. We'll have to wait and see if these rumors are true.Those of you whose churches are "secondary worship sites" or slated for closure as victims of a "merger," take heart! Soon you will know who your "priest convener" is. Since the decision will be left largely to him--but only "after consultation with the merging parishes"--looks like you can speak to him, write him, email him, call him, arrange meetings with him, and do whatever it is that is necessary in order to keep your parish open. Take action!

Remember, Msgr. Joyce indicates that the "consultation with the merging parishes" is part of the "process," so do take advantage of it. (At least until next time, when Joyce, McGrath, Vollmer, Galante and company decide to switch things up yet again. It's so hard to keep up. Who knows from one day to the next!?)

From Msgr. Joyce
Excerpt from Certification of Reverend Monsignor Peter M. Joyce, J.C.L., V.E. dated August 14, 2008 (emphases ours.)
 

Bishop Galante has announced his intention to join together several parishes in the Malaga/Newfield/Landisville area.  This statement of intention is, in essence, a tentative plan of action and must await the appointment of - and recommendation from -a priest/convener who is charged to pastorally assemble the merging parishes.  The priest/convener is appointed by the bishop to recommend to him - after consultation with the merging parishes - the location of potential worship sites, including the continuation of existing worship sites, the locations to be utilized for liturgical functions, and the request that the merging parishes be designated as a new canonical juridic person.

The final decision as to whether St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church of Malaga, N.J., will be joined with another parish or parishes to form a new parish, whether the church building at St. Mary's will remain open as a worship site where Sunday Masses would be celebrated, where sacraments such as Confirmation and Holy Matrimony would be administered, and where para-liturgical ceremonies would be conducted will await the consultation of the priest/convener with the respective parishes involved in the planned merger and the final decision of the Bishop of the Diocese.  Indeed, even then, that decision is subject to appeal through the canonical courts.

Take St. Bart's, for Example
Here is an example of the waffling we're already seeing. Quoting from Bishop Galante's June 23, 2008 letter to the community at St. Bart's in Camden, a historic African-American parish:

Again, I am concerned that a misunderstanding has led you to believe that I suggested a closure of St. Bartholomew's. In fact, it is my intention that St. Bartholomew's and St. Joan of Arc would serve as worship sites for the Black Catholic community, and retain their own name and would be used as worship sites for this newly merged community.

Well if the parishioners at St. Bart's misunderstood, surely all of us have. Perhaps all of us can retain our own names and be used as "worship sites."

The question remains, though, why exactly would you "merge" two parishes who will retain their own names, their own characters and "missions" (as the bishop calls it earlier in the letter), and their own structures? What is the purpose of this particular "merger," we wonder, if no merger is truly taking place? Why not just let the churches be as they are, both assets to the diocese as a whole and each with the right to exist under canon law. We will eventually find out the true reasons why all this is taking place, but for now we must use the information at our disposal.

At the time of the announcement, St. Bart's was to be merged with St. Joan's, with St. Joan's as the worship site. Now they are both to be worship sites? One can only conclude that, somehow, money is an issue and the "sharing" of funds from one church with the next. But "by no means should one church be singled out to be sacrificed to save another," say concerned parishioners at St. Bartholomew's. We completely agree.

Unpopular to Say the Least
Given the lack of support for the anti-evangelistic church closure program, it's no small wonder that those in the chancery offices are taking a second look at the practicality of accomplishing their destructive and highly controversial goals. We at the COP suppose it's got to be pretty hard to implement the biggest diocesan take-down in the history of the U.S. Catholic Church when--witnessing corruption, apparent ulterior motives, and inconsistent rhetoric--no one agrees with it.

(Thanks again to those of you who submitted the above information to us.)

Here are a few pictures of the beautiful church, Our Lady Queen of Peace in historic Pitman, NJ. We hope to get some historic background on the parish soon, to add to these pictures, but for now, enjoy!

I think it is time to call on the archbishops and the Vatican (by mail, in person, whatever it takes) for the removal of Galante, making it clear that if they do not, it is a confirmation they are also in on this entire scheme, scandal, conspiracy, or whatever you want to call it!!!

Anthony V. Perrella, Sr.
St. Vincent Pallotti Parish

Pray for peace--for those affected by the hurricane, fire, and all disasters.

Pius X refuted Modernism. Modernism is an attempt within the Catholic Church to defy the teaching of the Church by presenting the false teachings as if they are the teachings of the Church, e.g. insisting on obedience to the bishop (any bishop) when he is propagating a false movement like "feminism." This inside movement attacks the holy Priesthood by claiming that everyone is the same and that priests do not have any special powers except to confect the Sacraments. Modern feminists say that the priests should marry. They should wear secular clothes. They don't have to pray the holy Office or pray too much. Socializing is more important than praying. If this sounds like politics, you are correct. We can call them by their first names, feminists say about priests. Feminists in the Church will also defend homosexuality, which is politically correct today in the decadent society. Feminists defy that True Objectivity is wrong and so is the truth in what feminists state or imply. They will say that homosexuality should not be practiced, but human nature is so strong that we cannot call the use a sin. Therefore, most homosexuals will interpret that to suit themselves.

Modernists also like to issue general statements that can be interpreted in ways that always favor their materialistic comfort zone. If a priest defies this ambiguity, he is labeled as too rigid and off he goes, which has happened too many times in the Diocese of Camden. Priest shortage? Only if you carry out the obvious attack on Our Lord. The Marian Movement of Priests is a traditionalist movement that destroys every tenet of the Modernists. It holds to the key principles of spiritual growth:

1. Recognition of the Sacrifice of the Mass holding the primary place in any Catholic's life,
2. Eucharistic Adoration augmenting the Sacrifice so that only God is adored, and
   
3. Marian devotion

Unless a Catholic lives these devotions, he cannot find the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Who is Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Modernists in the Church, in our Diocese of Camden, refuse to seek this position--a sacrificial, persevering life of the Spirit. They follow the safe, satanic way of pleasure, power, and politics.

Praised be Jesus Christ,
Now and Forever!
Fr. Jerome Charles Romanowski, Pastor

There's more and more evidence of the fact that what is announced by those in the chancery office (Msgr. McGrath, Mr. Walton, Bishop Galante, Ms. Vollmer, Msgr. Joyce, etc.) and what actually occurs are two separate things. Outright deception, in claiming that what is occurring is not in fact a program but instead an open process, seems to be the order of the day. Too bad for the those calling the shots in the Diocese, none of us are buying it.

Quote, from Ann at St. Luke's:

Once again the Diocese stretched the truth about the merger planning process. Parish Committee members were led to believe  that current pastors from those of newly merged parishes would not be named pastor convener of the newly formed parish. However, as will be announced next week, this is not true for St. Lawrence/St. Luke/Our Lady of Grace parish. At Mass last weekend, the celebrant announced (to applause) that the current St. Luke pastor will stay on as the new pastor convener for the merged parishes.

In addition, the Diocese had said that the parish transition teams (3 members from each parish) and pastor convener would decide if and how often the secondary worship site would be used. Again, this decision was already made. It has  announced at Mass again that the St. Luke worship site will be used for Sunday Masses, weddings, baptisms and even daily Mass. So much for the parishioner transition teams (not even in place yet) input.

On the twenty-second day of August we celebrate Our Blessed Mother's Feast entitled, "Queen of Heaven and Earth." Nothing is so consoling in this valley of tears than having a spiritual mother. Some of us have been blessed by having a holy natural mother who consoled us when we were growing up. If things didn't go right for us, we knew where to turn. There was a bond that nourished us by the fact that our mother taught us how to pray by word and example. I never knew how important the consolation of our spiritual mother is until one day in early seminary days a teacher told us very assuredly that no matter how strong our family relationship is, the relationship we have in a spiritual way with Our Lord, the Blessed Mother, and the saints is infinitely stronger than our natural, human relationship. I've meditated on that truth very often through the years and came to the conclusion what a powerful actual grace that has been in my life as a priest. The simple truth is a central point of having a strong spiritual life. With the fundamental qualities learned about prayer--persevering and always praying attentively, humbly and confidently--these key elements build the character formation that everyone needs. In the world today organizations like the Legion of Mary and the Holy Name Society are the necessary family-type groups that make continual growth a part of a Catholic's heart-to-heart relationship with the Almighty, the Blessed Mother,and the saints. Holy Name members pray the Holy Name Pledge. Legion of Mary members pray the consecration prayer, "My Queen, My Mother I am yours and all that I have is yours." Members of St. Mary's Parish join those prayers with the total surrender to the Sacred Heart by our consecration of our parish and diocese through, with, in and for the Immaculate Heart of Mary who is truly the Queen and Mother of us all.

Praised be Jesus Christ,
Now and Forever!
Fr. Jerome Charles Romanowski, Pastor

The Blessed Mother of God, our patroness, has blessed us with immense gifts of grace. We are certain despite all the naysayers that we will REMAIN OPEN BECAUSE God wills it. I am not to crazy. I can catch a baseball, read a story, tell a joke and pass on the Good News of the Gospel, which is Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Almighty appointed a woman, a virgin, to give birth to His Divine son and therefore she was granted the sublime privilege of being assumed into Heaven Body and soul. How do we know this? The Church so proclaims this Truth. So does the Baltimore Catechism which I began to memorize as a child. How wonderful were those classes at St. Laurentius. They lasted longer than the schedule read because the sisters (click here too) knew what was and is Good. That's all we had to know really. That was the reason for being born.

How silly are all the meetings the chancery has now to convince us that saving our souls and getting to Heaven is not an important reason for existence. The bishop wants us to reject the Truth because we weren't living correctly until he came to the diocese. His "Mission Statement" is all about generalities in regard to the world, built in speculation. It is similar to the political statements contained in the Republican or Democratic platforms. Jesus is given a back seat. Heaven is not mentioned because Bishop Galante and his lackeys believe in the worldly pursuit of power and control. That is why they refuse to have an objective arbiter, i.e. the Holy See, make a judgment on their destruction of the diocese which is taking place. The destruction is taking place because the bishop has abandoned the pastoral plan given to us by Our Lord who gave us the Master Plan just before he Ascended into Heaven:

And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations: Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. St. Matthew 28: 18-20

Praised be Jesus Christ,
Now and Forever!
Fr. Jerome Charles Romanowski, Pastor

Regarding this article, the following comment was left on the Courier Post website. Interestingly, the Courier Post seemed to change the address of the St. Bart's article after having originally posted it. This is something we've not seen here before at savestmarys since we obviously link to all relevant CP articles. But we were alerted by faithful readers of the site and immediately linked to the new location of the article.

In addition to this, it appears that the CP removed about 23 comments that had been left on the St. Bart's article. It's abundantly clear to many of us that there are "connections" of some kind between the CP and the Diocese of Camden's chancery office. (Thank goodness Kim Mulford wrote a balanced and thought-provoking piece regarding St. Bart's. Jim Walsh of the CP, however, seems to write nothing but pro-Diocesan puff pieces. Really makes you wonder about what goes on up there at the Courier Post, doesn't it?) All this prompted a persistent reader to say:

EAGLEMOM wrote:

Since my Sunday comments were removed, I once again give the link to the AC Press article that listed the real estate values (according to tax records) of the churches scheduled to close

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/185/story/231543.HTML

At the onset of these reconfigurations, we were told we would have a "priest shortage" in the next 5 or so years.

Methinks the Bishop's office speaks out of both sides of their collective mouths.

And "Harmony", I think you are from the Bishop's office who, for whatever reasons, was able to kill all the comments from Sunday,

What's the matter??? Can't stand the truth??? Time you all realize we no longer "pray, pay and obey"

These are the parishes we built with OUR money and give of OUR time to sustain them. YOU will never take them away from us!

(As is often the case, this information was given to savestmarys.net by regular readers through the tipline. Wow, you guys really do catch everything!)

Quote:

An analysis of tax rolls across the diocese's territory reveals churches worth a total of about $59 million. Add other parish holdings - from rectories to gardens to vacant lots, as well as affected missions that are expected to merge with parishes - and the land is worth more than $89 million.

These lots cover hundreds of acres across six counties and occupy sites next to highways and bayside towns.

They include a $27 million church site at St. Vincent Pallotti, in Haddon Township, Camden County, whose property includes a school that will not be closed - and St. Anthony's Mission in Commercial Township, Cumberland County, assessed at $129,200.

Shocking! The churches the bishop and Roger McGrath wish to close are sitting on properties worth a whole lot of money?! Who would've thought?! It's pretty hard not to notice. A thoroughly researched article by Juliet Fletcher of the AC Press, who does well to expose the obvious. Do give it a read.

Click here to read article.

Click here to read article. (Yes it's here!)

St. Bartholomew's Church in Camden, the only African-American Catholic church in the Diocese of Camden, has been slated to merge with another parish and lose its historic and culturally unique character. Church members have been united in opposition to the plan for quite a while now. We in the COP have been utterly amazed and confused by the senselessness of this plan. Clearly an irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind asset to the Diocese, St. Batholomew's was set up for Black Catholics who experienced outright rejection in other parishes. The parish draws Black Catholics from far and wide. Says Rachel Loveland Fisher, 70, of Cherry Hill:

Before the church was built...[she] recalls standing at the back of churches in Camden as a young child because black parishioners were not allowed to sit in the pews.

"They refused my granddad, who used to be a slave," Fisher said. "I remember they wouldn't let him sit down, and if it was really crowded, they would make us go outside. They put us out on the steps."

This statement reminded me of the stories of my own family, who is Italian. Apparently they were not permitted to sit in the same church as the Irish-Americans and, like those at St. Bart's, my own relatives were forced to worship elsewhere. Finally they came to Vineland where they farmed and set up their own church, which is now the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish (originally called Sacred Heart), which is scheduled for closure. After outgrowing this church, they later built the (current), cathedral-like, beautiful Sacred Heart, whose status will now be "secondary worship site." Yikes, my grandparents and great-grandparents must be rolling in their graves. But I digress.

Under [Bishop Galante's] plan, St. Bartholomew would merge with St. Joan; St. Joan would become the worship site. The new parish would then cluster or share a priest with Sacred Heart Church in Camden.

Further, in a June 23rd response to St. Bart's parishioners:

"As you write, St. Bartholomew's was established and has maintained its mission to serve the black Catholic community within a specific portion of the Diocese of Camden," Galante wrote. "I assure you that the proposed merger intends to not only acknowledge, embrace and endorse this mission, but also to strengthen this mission into the future."

Walton said it was the bishop's intention from the beginning that St. Bartholomew would remain open "because of its historical value as an African-American church."

Clearly this intention is far from clear to members of St. Bart's, who want to maintain their church as it is and without diocesan interference. No wonder there's confusion. In April they're set to be squashed as a historically Black parish to merge and worship elsewhere, and then a few months later Mr. Walton transforms into the picture of cultural sensitivity, saying St. Bart's will stay open "because of its historical value as an African-American church." Gee, why all the confusion? Could it be a pattern of inconsistency and misleading rhetoric on the part of the diocese? Could it be that Galante, McGrath, Vollmer, and Walton had assumed that lumping non-white minorities together into one parish wouldn't make any difference until they experienced such tremendous resistance that they became concerned with the appearance of cultural insensitivity, at best?

Isn't it ironic that, historically, no matter what happens with the African-American Catholics in our diocese, they are consistently being forced to worship or not to worship somewhere against their will? First they are rejected at what would have been their normal parishes, then a mission church is set up where they are to attend, and now they're being forced to worship in yet another church.

We in the COP see absolutely no reason why St. Bart's should be anything other than what it has been--a "stand-alone" church. At savestmarys, we feel it is nothing short of shameful that Bishop Galante would want to merge and consequently dilute the character of a congregation with as rich a history as St. Bartholomew's.

Archdiocese of Philadelphia sold to Follieri, too:

Besides the Camden connection to Follieri, published reports have revealed that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sold two closed churches to the Follieri group in 2005 for almost $3 million.

Is this why we're not hearing a peep out of Cardinal Rigali? Glass houses and all that?
Read very, VERY brief piece here It's from a month ago, just missed it.

A fond remembrance of a school many are upset that Bishop Galante decided to close. Quote:

But this year, after 50 years, the halls of Annunciation BVM Regional School will be silent. No bells will ring. No children will chatter about "what they did during their summer vacations." No one will "line up at the flag pole." And no one will play "Jail Break,"  "Double Dutch,"  "Keep Away," "Dodge Ball," or "Hop Scotch" at recess. Annunciation Regional in Bellmawr was one of the elementary schools recently closed by the Camden Diocese. Even so, many town residents leave a legacy of successful learning from their school years at this parochial school, first dedicated in August of 1957.

What a sad chapter in the history of the Diocese of Camden. And yet, what an opportunity Christ has given us to defend His Church! To read the entire article from Cleary's Notebook, the Gloucester City News, click here.

This letter serves as a reminder of the practically non-existent level of approval for the church "reconfiguration" plan of Bishop Galante.

Read it here.

Just received this via our "tip line." Feel free to email us with your answers/responses. Thinking Catholics clearly have many questions on their mind and deserve clear, direct answers. There's a lot to unpack here, and we'll just have to wait and see what kind of responses come in. info@savestmarys.net

Quote:

WILDWOOD - A small but persistent band of protesters follows Bishop Joseph A. Galante wherever he goes.

On Thursday, Galante, head of the Diocese of Camden, came to St. Ann's Church here to celebrate a Vigil Mass for the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and then the procession to the ocean for the Wedding of the Sea.

The protesters took their places about a half-hour before the 7 p.m. Mass was to begin.

As worshippers arrived, the group of five quietly stood outside the church holding signs expressing their opinions about Galante.

Article by Trudi Gilfillian.

Click here to read article.

We've received so many tips lately on savestmarys. Thank you to one and all, there is so much to do and we are continually heartened by the broad level of input and participation on the part of those in and out of the diocese. This most recent article was forwarded to us since it is so very valid in this and other diocese and truly epitomizes the crisis in the Church at this time. It is very interesting and disturbing.

These Forty Years of Loyalty and Dissent: Humanae Vitae on the 40th Anniversary

I regret to have been surprised with the fortieth anniversary of Humanae Vitae just two days after my return from World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney Australia. I regret it, because it is a huge piece of what is happening in the Church and the world today, and I did not have time to prepare some commentary.

I cannot praise enough, nor recommend enough, Cardinal Stafford's laudable narration of his experiences and insights (cf. Humanae Vitae: The Year of the Peirasmòs -- 1968, By Cardinal James Francis Stafford). If only the whole Church were full of such pastors: wise insight into their pastoral experiences, cultured in their literary background, faithful to the Magisterium, and charitable in their assessments.

After my mind was blown away by the frankness and depth of his article, one aspect has struck me, even though it is an accidental point his article made. And it is this impression upon which I want to compound. It has to do with the unity, charity and brotherhood of the diocesan priesthood. Or better said, the complete lack thereof in our day. I think Cardinal Stafford does well to expose the causes.

My experience with clergy at every level of government of the Church is full of very unpleasant memories, and requires on my part a continual effort for forgiveness. And I forgive, as I need God to forgive me. Where I should have expected kindness, support, brotherhood, acceptance, advice and even fraternal correction, I have experienced every form of anger, lies and gossip, attack of my good name, varying degrees of hatred, exclusion, rejection and uncharitable criticism.

Did I merit such conduct, I must ask myself with all honesty? I think the answer is no, I did not. The hostility has come from heretics and liturgical abusers, and from a group of men who have done all to cherish one another, and defend each others' conduct which includes everything from impurity to abuse of alcohol to an absolute absence of a life of prayer to abuse of money to... well, we've all seen it in public and in private. But to this one could say, "That is an attack ad hominem, and proves nothing." OK, I agree.

Yet the reasons for this hostile conduct have been because: I refused to abuse the liturgy, I stood in the way of the Precious Body and Blood being washed down the drain, I preferred gold to glass for the species at Mass, I wanted to hear confessions every day before Mass, I adhered to a religious orders' Constitutions to the point of earning the contempt of my superiors, and I refused to say mass on a dirty coffee table in a living room. I earned ridicule because I pray the breviary every day (an obligation for priests under pain of mortal sin), because I employ Latin whenever possible in the liturgy, because I get up very early and because I don't watch TV. And after four years of the priesthood, I'm in my ninth parish, when each removal was a completely unilateral decision on the part of pastors, to whom I showed charity in exchange for their abuse. I could go on and on, but I think that's enough to make the point: If I were punished for evil deeds, I would deserve it. But the abuse comes from loyalty to the Catholic Church, in teaching and in practice.

A good priest friend of mine made an excellent observation a couple months ago: the first of all religious orders is the diocesan priesthood. It is truly a community, a brotherhood, or at least should be. Yet ever since the 1700's (I think of the rise of Illuminism, Freemasonry, St. Clement Mary Hofbauer, etc.), there has been an increasing decline in the unity among the clergy, and it is not rare to find in recent and late history true persecution of faithful clergy by unfaithful clergy.

Allow me to be clear: The problem is dissent. And dissent is a fruit of sin.

Cardinal Stafford mentions how the annihilation of fraternity among today's clergy returns especially to those priests, older now, who have rejected Humanae Vitae. He says, "The Archdiocesan priesthood lost something of the fraternal whole which Baltimore priests had known for generations."

The persistence of this dissent has not fizzled away, as he says, "Contempt for the truth, whether aggressive or passive, has become common in Church life. Dissenting priests, theologians and laypeople have continued their coercive techniques." The coercion takes the form of  the mentality of "dissent with us or we'll treat you worse than the trash," accompanied by group enterprises in which dissenters would rope in faithful priests against their will, and then give them no voice. This is why the Cardinal says, "No dialogue was possible in 1968; it remained impossible in 1978. There was no common ground." And there still is none. "Diocesan presbyterates have not recovered from the July/August nights in 1968."

I regularly avoid priest meetings in my local area. I have sat in on many, and have found that they are places where bad priests gossip and slander good priests, where the spirit of dissent is cultivated by discussions about how to get rid of the all-male clergy, the celibate clergy and how to justify homosexual conduct. When schools close by the handful, I have seen the clergy wrangling over "who gets the money" while no one even attempts to discuss "how are we going to educate our community's children in the Catholic faith?". I have sat in on meetings of ministry and apostolate where the discussion was all about numbers and money, and apostles lower on the power ladder would position themselves again and again to climb that very ladder. There is not rarely excessive drinking, criticism of Rome and of the Pope, a total hatred of Catholic forms of piety and devotion, contempt for rubrics.  Childish fighting, childish conduct, childish discussion and immature faith.

If I had the Catholic faith in common with my brother priests, I'd probably be criticized by my parishioners for neglecting them and spending so much time among such exemplary men. But we do not have the Catholic faith in common. I have little in common, in fact, with heretics, dissenters and haters of Rome , or with those who are apostles of sin.

I have no experience of a true fraternity of priests in a presbyterate or religious order; at least Cardinal Stafford new the day when he was a younger priest. Somehow in the back of my head, I can imagine what that might be like. Sure, there would be the occasional challenge of getting along with someone because of personality conflicts or minor defects; that's to be expected even in families. No, I'm not crying about my situation, just explaining why I don't go to all these gatherings of priests, and expressing a hope for reform in the Church.

Fortunately in my parish, there are two other diocesan priests, Fr. Bustamante and Fr. Perrone, and an occasionally varying collection of exemplary priests from the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross. We do form a sort of community, we discuss spiritual matters and encourage one another to be faithful. We share discoveries about the ancient liturgy, the Pope's latest teachings, the good example of the saints. And all that with lots of humor besides. We even do sports together and share meals.

Many faithful priests in the world are isolated by the type of coercion which the Cardinal mentioned. I meet them everywhere, including priests from around the world at World Youth Day, and many tell the same stories: abuse in exchange for fidelity. Yes, there are good priests out there; one Australian article stresses that there are many in fact. But dissenters in powerful positions put these faithful priests in very difficult positions and places, and places far from other faithful priests. It is not good for man to be alone, and every priest needs a presbyterate of brothers with whom to encourage, commiserate, bless, advise, laugh and pursue holiness.

May it please the Lord to send a great reformer to the Church. And may Catholic priests one day discover that they do, indeed, have Catholicism in common.

Fr. Paul Ward

One night a couple weeks ago, on one of the rare nights I'm home to pray, read good night stories, and tuck my children into bed, I grabbed a book from the shelf to read to them. It turned out to a book that was mine when I was a kid. I myself am a product of the 70s and 80s, and some of you who are my age or who have children my age may recognize this "Little Golden Book." It was written by Barbara Shook Hazen, illustrated by Robert J. Lee, and published for the seventh time in 1979. Long forgotten about, I was impressed with the book's straightforward message relayed in a simple but profound way, and thought it would be good to share it with you. The italicized parts are paraphrases.

Goliath of Gath was an immense giant who wore heavy armor and carried a huge spear.


But, alas, the Israelites had no champion. And when, every morning and every evening for 40 long days, the giant came out and called, "Why don't you send someone to fight me?" there was no one to send. There was no one big enough or strong enough to fight Goliath. From Bethlehem the youngest son of Jesse, David, stayed home and tended sheep while his older brothers went to fight the Philistines. One day Jesse asked David to bring some food to his brothers and the army captain and return with news, so the next morning he left his sheep with a keeper set off. When he got there the battle was about to begin. Just as he saw his brothers, the giant came out and said, "Choose a man to fight me..." The Israelite warriors were afraid, for they had no champion to fight Goliath for them. "Just look at him!...Look at the...size of him!" David asked his brothers about this and they told him that the man who slew Goliath would be rewarded by Saul, king of the Israelites. David's oldest brother war mad at him for coming out to the battle and accused him of neglecting his sheep, but David paid no heed. King Saul asked to see David.

I liked this sign outside of St. Lucy's in Blue Anchor. It's beautiful in a sad sort of way.
 
Driving down the street past this sign, something about it really struck me. I guess it was just a reminder of God--who He is, what He's about. God sends us these little messages from day to day, even in the form of this street sign, and it's so easy to overlook them. In the midst of the smallest annoyances and greatest sufferings, God is "still here." Even if the worst were to happen and the bishop succeeded in his plan to shutter half the churches in the diocese, God is still here. The Church is still here, even though there are those who work against her, because God promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. No matter the corruption and ungodliness within the Church and around the Church, she will endure because she is the Bride of Christ and Christ will preserve the Church on earth from all onslaughts as He has always done.

(By the way, St. Lucy's is located on Route 73 in Blue Anchor, NJ [part of Winslow Twp.] and is part of Blessed John XXIII Parish along with Sacred Heart. The sign's been up at least a month now.)

This past year my family and I witnessed Bishop Joseph Galante's move to revitalize Catholic schools in the Camden Diocese. My children attended Annunciation Regional School in Bellmawr NJ until it was closed this past June. Our closure was part of the bishop's movement to create more vibrant Catholic schools within the Camden Diocese. Strangely enough, Bishop Galante seemed to never pay much attention to Annunciation school in the past. In retrospect, Bishop Galante seemed to have turned his back on Annunciation school long ago. Bishop Galante missed confirmations, our 50th anniversary (even though he managed to attend a mummer's mass the week before), and he missed the memorial service for a former teacher, IHM sister Paul Mercedes, who was tragically killed by a hit and run driver on her way to church one morning in Philadelphia. The Bishop couldn't or wouldn't clear his schedule to attend the memorial mass at Annunciation that honored the life of Sister Paul Mercedes. I ask, what could possibly be more important then paying your respects to a woman who dedicated her entire life to teaching our faith? One has to wonder if Bishop Galante had turned his back on more than just Annunciation school. I wonder how many youth decided against vocations in the Catholic Church based upon their bishop not paying his respects to Sister Paul in front of 800 Annunciation parishioners and 50 or so IHM Sisters. Are we sure this bishop is interested in strengthening the future of the Catholic faith?

Pitting school against school, church against church: something's wrong with this picture

We have all heard of the Bishop's plan to create more vibrant Catholic schools by utilizing steering committees and cluster studies. The Diocese has talked of transition teams working together. We have seen schools pitted up against each other in an effort to survive. The Bishop has talked about how fair this cluster study was. We have seen our priest break down saying how unfairly we were treated. While Bishop Galante spoke about creating stronger more vibrant schools and revitalizing Catholic education, we watched our nuns cry and question their career choices. Something is so wrong with this picture. Are these the building blocks for a stronger tomorrow in Catholic education?
 
In our cluster, it had come down to Annunciation School in Bellmawr and St Francis De Sales in Barrington merging. Both were excellent schools that were put in an unfortunate situation. The object was to find which campus was better suited for all of our children. Annunciation had a fully functional cafeteria, a church hall that doubles as a gym and most importantly, Annunciation sat on over eight acres of land. In contrast, St Francis has no gym, no cafeteria, and very limited land. Everyone, including our priest and nuns, thought that Annunciation's 8+ acres of land would be what saved our school. To our surprise, Annunciation was closed this past June in favor of the St Francis De Sales location.

The school was sitting on money...

I hear the Bishop saying that he is creating more vibrant Catholic schools, yet he wants to send our children to a school with no cafeteria and no gym. How is this better? We thought Annunciation's 8 acres of land would be an asset that would contribute to the preservation of our school. As it turns out, Annunciation's most valuable asset may have led to its demise. The Diocese may tell you that they are studying the need for a Catholic school in the Bellmawr area which would be dependent on significant future enrollment growth in nearby Catholic schools. Open a window, the smokescreen isn't working. Future enrollment growth will be pretty hard to imagine since the Diocese has appeared to create the perfect recipe for disaster! Our diocese is now an environment rife with uncertainty. That combined with drastic tuition increases over the next three to five years hardly leads to dramatic increases in enrollment.

In addition, the Diocese now allows open enrollment. With open enrollment we were told that our children didn't have to attend the merged school at St Francis, we could go anywhere. For the same tuition rate, we were free to select a school with a gym and cafeteria. Does the diocese really want to build enrollment in this area? All signs point to NO.  

...and sitting on money in a booming town is a recipe for closure

Annunciation School is located in Bellmawr NJ, which is currently going through a major revitalization plan that includes adding a Patco high speed line stop, movie theater, hotel, and retail stores. Bellmawr, which already has access to major highways like the New Jersey Turnpike, Routes 42, 295 and 55, will now be a short train ride away from its big city neighbor, Philadelphia. One wonders if the diocese is motivated to one day sell off Annunciation's land. The Camden Diocese has made many statements about the school's land being church property and that the diocese has no claim to church property. That may be true if Annunciation Church stays open. However, all bets are off if Annunciation Church closes.

Can Annunciation stay open long term? Annunciation Church is currently deep in debt and looking at the bleak possibility of losing the support of some families with the closing of their school. Annunciation Church now has the added expense of the upkeep on eight acres of land and an empty school. Will the closure of Annunciation school ultimately lead to the closure of Annunciation Church? The diocese can wait this one out, and time is on their side. In the meantime, the value of Annunciation's property will increase.

Two churches in one town, but no need for a school?

Bellmawr's revitalization plan has a three to five year timetable. If you look at the results of the Camden Diocese's church reorganization plan, it's almost as if the Diocese planned ahead for the future failure of Annunciation church. Bishop Galante has decided to keep two churches open in Bellmawr. Both Annunciation and Mary Mother of the Church will remain open. These churches are only 1.7 miles apart, a five minute drive (see map below).
 


If Annunciation church were to fail in three to five years, the town of Bellmawr still has another Catholic church for its residents in Mary Mother. Think about it, two churches open in Bellmawr that are only 1.7 miles apart, yet the Bishop's plan to close churches has left vast areas with no Catholic church at all? This makes no sense at all. Furthermore, it's odd to think that Bishop Galante saw fit to leave two Catholic churches open in Bellmawr, but doesn't see the need for a Catholic school in the very same area.

But WAIT! There's MORE! Some will be unlucky enough to lose both school AND church. 

The bishop's next blow to the Catholic community will come in the form of church mergers. For my parish Bishop Galante decided to merge St. Anne's in Westville and St. Maurice in Brooklawn into Annunciation. While I welcome all the church members with an open heart, I feel a great injustice is being done to the people of these churches. The material wealth of these parishes will transfer to Annunciation. If this transfer of wealth is against the will of the parishioners, then it is wrong. This wealth belongs to the Catholic communities of St. Anne's and St. Maurice. How can anyone take away what belongs to them against their will? Why would the Bishop close a parish not in debt and transfer their wealth to a parish in deep debt? While I would be heartbroken if Annunciation church were to close, I would suffer an even greater crisis of faith if the Camden Diocese proceeds with their plans to take the wealth of other parishes against their will. It is like stealing.

Join the growing chorus calling for Bishop Galante's resignation

Finally, I pray that the Catholic communities of South Jersey, like those at St Mary's of Malaga, can find a way to survive even if Galante's mission is somehow able to succeed. Galante's proposed mergers have cut into the heart of the Catholic faith. It is time that the Catholic community of the Camden Diocese unites in the call for Bishop Galante to step down. Maybe then the survivors can sift through the rubble, rebuilding what is left into a truly vibrant future.
 
Annunciation Parishioner
Bellmawr NJ

Editor's Note: Mrs. Lamancusa also showed savestmarys many emails and letters that she has written to the diocese, as well as the diocesan replies (when they bothered to reply) as well. She has been vigilant every step of the way in asking questions and seeking answers that make sense. We thank her for her contribution and congratulate her on her good work. Don't give up! Keep the Faith.

The sequel to Bernadette, this film tells the rest of the story of St. Bernadette's life after the Marian visions--the life that made Bernadette a saint. With another moving performance by actress Sydney Penny, this beautiful film reveals the incessant illness and suffering that St. Bernadette patiently, even cheerfully endured throughout her life in the convent, often repeating her prayer "to suffer and offer it to God."

• Sunday August 10: Assumption Feast, following 11:30 mass. We need our youth! Please help us with the game booths, outdoor games, and other activities. Sign up sheet in the church.

• Saturday August 23: Movie night, The Passion of Bernadette, the sequel to the movie shown on July 26. Time: 6-8:00pm following the 5:00 mass. Confessions are 3:30-4:30, rosary starts at 4:30. All ages welcome. Parents are welcome to stay or drop off child(ren). Children will be chaperoned until 8:00pm, Please come to enjoy the movie and refreshments!

• Friday September 5: Family Game night. 5:00pm potluck dinner. 5:30-6:30 bring a game to share. 6:30-7:30 rosary and First Friday devotions. 7:30pm Holy Mass.

Please remember our other youth organizations:

• Junior Legion of Mary, Thursdays 9-10:00am (summer), 4-5:00pm (school year)
• Junior Choir, practices are Tuesdays during the school year from 6:30-7:30pm. The choir sings at various masses throughout the year.
  

 

We're late posting this again. Sorry!


The Lord calls certain men to the Holy Priesthood. The Priesthood is part of the Sacrament of Holy Orders. There are different orders in the sacrament: lector, acolyte, exorcist, sub deacon, deacon, priest, and bishop. God designates that the priest should involve himself in the apostolate--the sacraments, which give honor and glory to God and save souls. With this the priest is always concerned that God comes first. Our natural inclination is to put ourselves first--to be concerned with our position, our relationship with family and friends, entertainment, worldly pursuits of all kinds, retirement, pensions, money. It's easy to do this because the world is that way. Therefore, the Lord through the Church gives the priest the remedy for all of this--a life of prayer and penance. This doesn't mean that a certain amount of recreation is bad for the priest, but he must be careful not to pursue this recreation as the focus of his life. The relationshp he has with God is primary and essential. If the priest does not live through, with, in, and for the Lord, he will not attain salvation. He will lose his soul to the fires of Hell. This is why the daily taking up of the cross is essential. If the priest does not life this life in Jesus his life is not only a failure, it leads to eternal damnation. The crisis in the Church and world today ha