Here's a letter to the editor from Diocese of Camden spinmaster, Andy Walton. Don't laugh right away, read it first.

Re: "Do not care" (letters, Aug. 27).

The letter writer from Magnolia, whose struggling parish is merging with two nearby parishes, suggested that Bishop Joseph Galante, his priest advisers, deanery planning teams, planning commission and Core Teams "do not care" about the pain being felt by parishioners when their parishes merge.

The feelings of loss that accompany change of this kind are not being ignored. In fact, unlike other dioceses that have moved far more quickly with parish reconfigurations, the bishop insisted there be a period of 12 to 24 months before he issued decrees formally establishing new parishes. He did this in recognition of the sense of loss he knew would be experienced and to give parishes adequate time to prepare to come together.

During this time, he has heard personally from parishioners in every part of the diocese and has acknowledged the disappointment many naturally feel. The fact is, if he didn't care, he would not be taking steps to address the needs of Catholics in South Jersey. If he didn't care, he wouldn't be working to reverse downward trends in religious practice.

The fact is, it is precisely because the bishop cares so deeply about the well-being of parishioners and because of his great love for the Church and the people of South Jersey that he has undertaken the effort now under way to strengthen parishes and improve care to the people.

ANDREW WALTON Office of Communications Diocese of Camden Camden

St. Gregory's:
Andy's talking about the beautiful St. Gregory's (above) in Magnolia. Galante, McGrath, and Walton "care" so much they seem to have sold the property to Wawa. Who do they think they're fooling? We've got pictures of the surveyors sent to us by a concerned reader back last Christmas. Money talks, and to the tune of 10 million dollars, apparently. Empathy my foot. It's prime real estate.


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"Downward trends in religious practice":
As to the misleading demographic information continually touted by Mr. Walton, we've addressed it numerous times. It's lies. Just look here and here and here. All you have to do is look on a map to see where Magnolia is to know that the Catholic population in that area can only be expanding, not decreasing. We're not talking rural Fairton, Cumberland County here or Dennis Township, Cape May County. We're talking close proximity to Philadelphia in a congested, continually expanding area of South Jersey.

The plain fact is that the Catholic population in NJ and in South Jersey in particular is dramatically increasing. In fact the Catholic population in NJ has increased by at least 2.5% since 1990, by roughly 100,000 people. In Gloucester County alone we're looking at a Catholic increase of at least 20% since 1990. The Catholic population is only decreasing in South Jersey's only true urban centers, Camden and Atlantic City, as illustrated below:

                    Deptford           Salem County                Camden                   Atlantic City

1950                 7,304                 49,508                       124,555                       61,657

1960               17,878                 58,711                       117,159                       59,544

2006-7*          30,529                 66,595                         80,010                      39,684

*most recent available estimate

"Reversing Downward Trends":
Do they really care about reversing supposed downward trends or about justifying their own agenda? If all they care about is giving people what they want, they should stop watering down the Faith and desiring to build protestant style megachurches. And if they are truly targeting young adults, as they should, this group wants one of two things, neither of which the Diocese of Camden is offering: (1) an authentic and unapologetic Christianity, or (2) at the very least, clarity and a lack of hypocrisy. This is why you see the most traditional churches and religious orders growing. Alternately those who are leaving the Church are leaving for a protestantism whose Christianity is clear and faith exacting. Others who leave leave the Faith and stay away out of disgust for the likes of people like Walton and others who pretend religion but in reality have nothing but political motives. See these comments on Andy's letter, for example:

bjd0305:

It is more effective to have fewer churches with more people in them. god is a hell of a businessman
9/2/2009 8:27:08 AM

firebird 7478 replying to bjd0305:

Which is why he's always asking for more money.
9/2/2009 10:41:42 AM

Case in point. House of "Charity" anyone?

"Feelings of Loss that Accompany Change":
We addressed this patronizing attitude just the other day. So we quote ourselves!

They have spewed psychobabble pertaining to the alleged difficulty that we, the laity have coping with change. This kind of patronizing dribble is without merit because it fails to address the purpose of the change and merely holds up "change" as having inherent value. This type of rhetoric attempts to put the Catholic faithful on the defensive, as if we have to prove our ability to healthily cope with change by accepting the destruction of our parishes. The question remains, is the change we are expected to embrace a change toward the Good, toward God's Will, toward God Himself? What are we supposed to be changing to?

"Heard Personally From Parishioners":
And, apparently, listened to few of them. Go ahead and ask St. Gregory's how "listened to" they're feeling right about now. They got "listened" right into closure.