We have ready interviewees for journalists as well as press releases and professionally-shot video footage of Bishop Galante's May visit to St Mary's church.

Feel free to contact at any time Leah Vassallo, Esq., whose family members have been parishioners of St. Mary's since the beginning. She has already been interviewed numerous times about St. Mary's and church closings generally by the NY Times, the BBC, NPR, and many local news outlets. You may contact her or any of the other co-chairs of the Council of Parishes of Southern New Jersey at:

Leah Vassallo (St. Mary's, Malaga):  856-692-0222 or lvass@phd-computers.com

Kevin Kelton (St. Mary's, Malaga):  856-694-2748

Julie DeMarchi Heiland (St. Mary's, Malaga): 609-561-4992 or info@savestmarys.net

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PRESS RELEASE:

COUNCIL OF PARISHES DEMANDS HALT TO CHURCH CLOSURE PROGRAM

For Immediate Release - July 15, 2008

From The Council of Parishes of Southern New Jersey

In response to today's New York Post article, "A Deal with the Devil" 

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07152008/news/regionalnews/a_deal_with_the_devil_119940.htm), which exposes Bishop Galante's personally beneficial financial dealings with the recently indicted Raffaello Follieri, the Council of Parishes demands an immediate halt to the Bishop's church and school closure programs in the Diocese of Camden.

The New York Post article reveals not only that Bishop Galante sold his beach house to Raffaello Follieri for $400,000, but also that Bishop Galante personally introduced Raffaello Follieri to several priests in the diocese.  This is particularly concerning given that: (1) Raffaello Follieri's group was engaged in the redevelopment of unused church properties, based on the premise that his inside connections would allow him to purchase such property at discount prices; and (2) the purchase of Bishop Galante's beach house was completely outside the scope of investments of the Follieri Group and would appear to have been done as a favor to the Bishop. 

Many Catholics in the Diocese of Camden have been skeptical of the motivations behind the Bishop's plan to merge 96 parishes into 38 and close many churches in the process.  In addition to the lack of justification for such mergers and closures, the mergers have also raised questions based on the appearance that churches situated on valuable real estate were particularly targeted for closure, even where such churches were flourishing both spiritually and financially.

The recent report by the NY Post calls into question the Bishop's true motivation for such a radical, unnecessary plan to reduce the number of churches and schools in the Diocese of Camden.  It also shows an extreme lack of sound judgment, suggesting that the Bishop has placed his own self-interest ahead of his duties to the Catholics of the Camden Diocese, and in contravention of the interests of the Church and the parishioners he has been designated to lead, both as Shepherd of the Diocese of Camden and as trustee of the individual parishes affected. 

The Council of Parishes of Southern New Jersey now demands a complete halt to the Bishop's planned church closure program, and the full disclosure to the Catholic parishioners within the Diocese of all information surrounding this church closure program.  We have lost confidence in the leadership of Bishop Galante, and stand firmly in opposition to his destructive plan for our churches, schools, and our diocese, generally.