Massive turnout last night at St. Nicholas Parish meeting:

EGG HARBOR CITY- ...about 140 parishioners of St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church attended a meeting Tuesday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall with hopes of saving their parish.

Read Press of Atlantic City article here

See NJ Churchscape brief piece on historic St. Nick's here.


Overall an excellent job by Rob Spahr, Press writer, with the exception of this misleading information (emphasis ours):

intentions...to cut the number of parishes in the Camden Diocese nearly in half after years of fact finding, analysis and public discussion sessions uncovered a pressing need for downsizing.

Let it be clear: no scientifically reliable facts were found, nor were voices of the faithful listened to in their "years of...public discussions." No one said, "Gee let's close our church because we're not 'vibrant' enough." We only wish the truth about Bishop Galante's wheelings and dealings would be more well known by reminding the public, "After the merger announcement Bishop Galante was found to be financially involved with con artist Raffaello Follieri, now serving a prison sentence, as well as other real estate schemes. Many in the diocese question the true motives for the merger scheme..."

Additionally, too much space was given to Andy Walton, diocesan spinner, umm, I mean "PR guy." Who speaks for the faithful of the diocese? It is sad when a bishop has vested interests for which he must hire a public relations man from outside the state appear less insidious. Isn't that just like a politician? And besides, what ever happened to letting your yea be yea and your no, no? Shouldn't the words of any Christian, particularly a bishop, be clear as crystal and not so vague as to warrant wide interpretation? "Enter ye at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat." (So just in case any of you were in doubt about where St. Mary's and the Council of Parishes stand on the Galante-Vollmer Merge & Close agenda, we're against it.)
 
Nevertheless the Press coverage is laudable and we were very happy to see them cover a topic so dear to so many in South Jersey. We were glad to see the Press reveal the true origin of Galante's "priest shortage," namely, himself. Quote:

The parish already has lost its catechism classes and its resident priest was not replaced after he left in June to serve as an Army chaplain in Europe. It was unclear who will take over once the merger is complete.

Sadly, St. Nick's is far from the only priest in the diocese sent off by Galante to the military chaplaincy in the last year.

And of course, St. Nick's is yet another historic NJ church built with the blood, sweat, tears, and hard-earned money of its parishioners over the years, may they rest in peace!

"It's like losing a part of the family," Terri Cantz, 57, of Egg Harbor City, said of the parish being stripped of services. "My ancestors literally laid the bricks that helped build St. Nicholas and my grandchildren were the fifth generation from my family to attend the St. Nicholas school. This parish is a piece of our upbringing, it's a piece of our character and it deserves to stay here."

Like other parishes reconfiguration schemes in the diocese (Bridgeton, Vineland, etc.), Bishop Galante wishes to promote a segregation scheme at St. Nicholas. It is a shame that in this day and age, a bishop would promote the segregation of large numbers of our Spanish speaking brothers and sisters in Christ. Meanwhile, folks at St. Nick's are not only fighting to keep their parish open, but to remain integrated. Said Jim McGeary,

And the Hispanic parishioners who attend St. Nick's will not be able to maintain the (necessary attendance levels) on their own. You need everyone.

That's the bottom line, isn't it? We are the body of Christ, and in the body, you cannot exclude one part from the other. We need each other.

The will of God is what needs to be heeded at all times. The question remains in our minds, does Bishop Galante care what God wants? We are one body, and the church segregation plans tend to unnecessarily divide us.

But all these things one and the same Spirit worketh, dividing to every one according as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members; and all the members of the body, whereas they are many, yet are one body, so also is Christ. For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free; and in one Spirit we have all been made to drink. For the body also is not one member, but many. If the foot should say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were the eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God hath set the members every one of them in the body as it hath pleased him. And if they all were one member, where would be the body? But now there are many members indeed, yet one body...God hath tempered the body together, giving to that which wanted the more abundant honour, That there might be no schism in the body; but the members might be mutually careful one for another. And if one member suffer any thing, all the members suffer with it; or if one member glory, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members of member. 1Corinthians 12:11-27

And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, and other some pastors and doctors, For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Until we all meet into the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ; That henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the wickedness of men, by cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive. But doing the truth in charity, we may in all things grow up in him who is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body, being compacted and fitly joined together, by what every joint supplieth, according to the operation in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in charity. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

May God richly bless St. Nick's for their faithfulness to God and their perseverance in the Truth. May none of us be fooled by the "cunning craftiness" of the devil.