Greetings In The Lord
Among the most important responsibilities of the Bishop’s pastoral office is assurance that there is suitable provision of divine worship and Catholic community life for Christ’s faithful people who are committed to his care. At the same time the pastor of each parish needs to be able to satisfy without undue difficulty the parochial responsibilities assigned to him by his Bishop.
The following just causes support the establishment of a consolidated parish in the eastern area of Camden County, New Jersey:
1) to provide more effectively for the pastoral needs of the faithful of the parishes of The Church of the Assumption, The Parish of Blessed John The Twenty-Third with its churches, The Church of St. Lucy and the Church of the Sacred Heart, and St. Anthony’s Church in Camden County, New Jersey.
2) to assure the vitality of parish life in this area;
3) to provide for a better stewardship of resources; and,
4) to provide for the optimum use of clergy, religious, and lay personnel.
For the reasons listed above as well as the belief that as the prayer and life of these communities of faith has grown, the faithful realize that a new combined community will best serve their pastoral needs; because of the communality of the parish communities of The Church of the Assumption, 318 Carl Hasselhan Drive, Atco, New Jersey; The Parish of Blessed John The Twenty-Third, 250 S. Route 73, Blue Anchor, New Jersey with its two churches, namely, The Church of St. Lucy, 250 S. Route 73, Blue Anchor, New Jersey and the Church of the Sacred Heart, 119 N. Route 73, Cedar Brook, New Jersey; and St. Anthony’s Church, 436 Pennington Avenue, Waterford, New Jersey; in response to the request of the pastor of these communities, Reverend Thomas J. Barcellona to unite these parishes; the favorable advice of the local Vicar Forane; and having listened to the opinions of the Presbyteral Council about the needs of the Catholic Faithful in this area of Camden County, I have determined that the pastoral care of these communities will be fostered best by consolidating these individual communities and uniting them as one new parish.
Accordingly, in virtue of the prescripts of canon 121 and canon 515, §1 of the Code of Canon Law, in order to provide more effectively for the spiritual welfare and the salvation of souls, having judged that sufficiently just causes are present, and having consulted the Presbyteral Council in accord with canon 515, §2, I hereby DECREE, ANNOUNCE and PUBLISH:
The merger of The Church of the Assumption, 318 Carl Hasselhan Drive, Atco, New Jersey; The Parish of Blessed John The Twenty-Third, 250 S. Route 73, Blue Anchor, New Jersey with its two churches, namely, The Church of St. Lucy, 250 S. Route 73, Blue Anchor, New Jersey and the Church of the Sacred Heart, 119 N. Route 73, Cedar Brook, New Jersey; and St. Anthony’s Church, 436 Pennington Avenue, Waterford, New Jersey and the establishment of Christ the Redeemer Parish.
Reverend Thomas J. Barcellona will serve as the Pastor of Christ the Redeemer Parish for a term of six years commencing on the effective date of this decree.
The parochial church of Christ the Redeemer Parish, which retains its proper title and the name, The Church of the Assumption, is located at 318 Carl Hasselhan Drive, Atco, New Jersey. The Church of the Sacred Heart will retain its own proper title and will be maintained as a worship site to be used by the merged community. St. Anthony’s Church will retain its own proper title and will be maintained as a worship site to be used by the merged community.
The territorial boundaries of Christ the Redeemer Parish will be the same as the combined boundaries of the former parishes of The Church of the Assumption, The Parish of Blessed John The Twenty-Third with its two churches, namely, The Church of St. Lucy and the Church of the Sacred Heart, and St. Anthony’s Church. The establishment of these parish boundaries is duly recorded at the Chancery Office of the Diocese of Camden, as:
Start at the point where Hopewell Rd in Berlin intersects the Camden – Burlington County line.
1. Follow the Camden – Burlington county line to the point where it intersects Fleming Pike
2. South on Fleming Pike to Hay Street
3. South on Hay Street to Hall Street
4. South on Hall Street to Albertson Road
5. South on Albertson Rd (Piney Hollow Rd) to Rt. 561/ Mays Landing Road
6. Use an imaginary (straight) line drawn to connect the intersection of Rt. 561/ Mays Landing Rd. and Albertson Rd. to the Camden – Gloucester county line by using the intersections of Rt. 561 and Albertson Rd and the place approximately 4 miles due west in Gloucester County where Corker Lane turns markedly west as the endpoints for said imaginary (straight) line
7. Northwest along the Great Egg Harbor River to New Brooklyn Lake
8. Northeast then west along the shore of New Brooklyn Lake to the Long-a-coming Branch
9. Northwest along the Long-a-coming Branch to Williamstown – New Freedom Rd
10. Northeast on Williamstown – New Freedom Rd, then continue northeast on Taunton Rd, to Hopewell Rd.
11. Northeast on Hopewell Rd. to the point where Hopewell Rd. intersects the Camden – Burlington county line (point of origin)
The goods and property of the parishes of The Church of the Assumption, 318 Carl Hasselhan Drive, Atco, New Jersey; The Parish of Blessed John The Twenty-Third, 250 S. Route 73, Blue Anchor, New Jersey with its two churches, namely, The Church of St. Lucy, 250 S. Route 73, Blue Anchor, New Jersey and the Church of the Sacred Heart, 119 N. Route 73, Cedar Brook, New Jersey; and St. Anthony’s Church, 436 Pennington Avenue, Waterford, New Jersey , including their real estate and buildings, as well as their debts and obligations, shall be assigned to Christ the Redeemer Parish. Further, the voluntary offerings of the faithful, as well as other grants, pledges and gifts which have been or will be made to either of these predecessor parishes will constitute revenue to Christ the Redeemer Parish for the benefit of the pastoral life of this community of the faithful as well as the rightful support of those who minister to them.
As of the effective date of this DECREE, the sacramental registers of The Church of the Assumption, 318 Carl Hasselhan Drive, Atco, New Jersey; The Parish of Blessed John The Twenty-Third, 250 S. Route 73, Blue Anchor, New Jersey with its two churches, namely, The Church of St. Lucy, 250 S. Route 73, Blue Anchor, New Jersey and the Church of the Sacred Heart, 119 N. Route 73, Cedar Brook, New Jersey; and St. Anthony’s Church, 436 Pennington Avenue, Waterford, New Jersey will be closed and moved to the seat of Christ the Redeemer Parish, 318 Carl Hasselhan Drive, Atco, New Jersey. All sacraments administered from that date forward will be recorded in new sacramental registers of Christ the Redeemer Parish.
I approve the statutes of Christ the Redeemer Parish as submitted.
As of the effective date of this DECREE, the financial accounts of The Church of the Assumption, 318 Carl Hasselhan Drive, Atco, New Jersey; The Parish of Blessed John The Twenty-Third, 250 S. Route 73, Blue Anchor, New Jersey with its two churches, namely, The Church of St. Lucy, 250 S. Route 73, Blue Anchor, New Jersey and the Church of the Sacred Heart, 119 N. Route 73, Cedar Brook, New Jersey; and St. Anthony’s Church, 436 Pennington Avenue, Waterford, New Jersey will have been closed and transferred to the financial account of Christ the Redeemer Parish.
As of the effective date of this DECREE, The Church of the Assumption, 318 Carl Hasselhan Drive, Atco, New Jersey; The Parish of Blessed John The Twenty-Third, 250 S. Route 73, Blue Anchor, New Jersey with its two churches, namely, The Church of St. Lucy, 250 S. Route 73, Blue Anchor, New Jersey and the Church of the Sacred Heart, 119 N. Route 73, Cedar Brook, New Jersey; and St. Anthony’s Church, 436 Pennington Avenue, Waterford, New Jersey will be civilly consolidated under the laws of the State of New Jersey as Christ the Redeemer Parish, Atco, N.J.
This DECREE becomes effective on November 10, 2010.
I instruct that this DECREE be communicated immediately to the parishioners of Christ the Redeemer Parish by Reverend Thomas J. Barcellona whom I have herein named their Pastor. This DECREE is likewise to be published immediately in the Catholic Star Herald and on the diocesan website.
Given in Camden, on this 8th day of October 2010, at the Diocesan Center.
Joseph A. Galante
Bishop of Camden
In cujus fidem…
David J. Klein
Chancellor
