Bishop Joseph Galante, and many of the conveners and pastors of the Diocese of Camden are making promises to unsuspecting parishioners about keeping their churches open after  a merger takes place as a "worship site."  This simply is unrealistic.  It is a tool used by the diocese to disarm any parishioner resistance to a church merger.  The day after the merger takes place, or any time thereafter, the new pastor, under a directive from the bishop has the authority to close and sell off any church or church property from the newly created parish.  When the merger takes place, the existing parish corporation is dissolved and the canonical parish is suppressed.  It permanently loses all juridic and legal rights!  It's trustees, parish council, ministries, etc. are gone.  There is no going back! 

Don't be fooled by the promises that you'll be a "worship site."  The ultimate goal of this reconfiguration is to support 5-6 full-time paid professional lay "ministers" per parish.  This will cost at least an additional $200,000 per parish per year.  Ask yourself honestly - where will this money come from if all or most of the churches in the newly merged parish remain open as "worship sites"?  The simple answer is that the new parish is doomed to financial failure before it has even been established, and this failure will result in the "need" to close your church within a few months or years after the merger.  Tell the bishop, your pastor, parish trustees and parish council that your parish is not interested in a merger.  Please contact the Council of Parishes (Kevin: 856-694-2748 or info@savestmarys.net) if you have questions or if you would like to arrange for speakers to visit your parishioners to talk about the canonical and legal implications and dangers of a parish merger.