Priest Conveners and their Core Teams will gather October 19 at St. Agnes Church in Blackwood for a special commissioning ceremony highlighting their role in the work of guiding merging parishes toward reconfiguration. Bishop Joseph Galante will preside at the 3:00 p.m. event.
At the ceremony, Bishop Galante will extend a blessing to the 41 Priest Conveners and almost 400 Core Team members in order to strengthen them and sustain them as they carry out their new responsibilities in service to the parishes. The blessing ceremony will also include scripture readings and a homily.
In August, Bishop Galante announced the names of the Priest Conveners who will lead merging parishes through the reconfiguration process (see names of Priest Conveners, below) Priest Conveners are not replacing pastors, but will be working with current pastors, administrators and Core Teams made up of leadership from the parishes that will merge in order to create the new parish.
The Priest Convener likely will become the pastor of the new parish once it is formally established by decree. In the meantime, existing pastors and administrators remain in place and parish life continues under their care until the new parish is established formally by decree. When the diocese announced the reconfiguration in April, it indicated that the formation of the new parishes could take 12-24 months, depending on the parish.
Core Team members have been selected from a pool of nominated parishioners. Over the last several weeks, the Priest Conveners and current parish pastors have met to review the nominees, their leadership and experience, their capacity for assuming the responsibilities, their attitude toward change, and their receptivity to the work ahead. The Priest Conveners then interviewed the nominees and, in consultation with parish pastors, chose the Core Team.
The Core Teams include an equal number of members appointed from each of the parishes that are merging. In configurations where two parishes will merge, the Core Team is composed of four members from each merging parish, in addition to the Priest Convener. In configurations where three or more parishes will merge, the Core Team iscomposed of three members from each merging parish, in addition to the Priest Convener.
Core Team members and the Priest Conveners are attending one of six information sessions that are being offered throughout the diocese this month to review Core Team leadership roles and responsibilities. They also will receive the Merger Manual that has been prepared to assist them.
Bishop Galante has announced his intention to reconfigure parishes in the diocese to strengthen and revitalize them in response to a decline in the number of priests available for ministry, shifts in population, changes in demographics, a decline in religious practice, and to advance key pastoral priorities identified by the people of the diocese.
Bishop Galante intends there to be 37 merged parishes (one of which will later cluster), three parish clusters (involving seven parishes) and 25 stand-alone parishes. The reconfiguration, when fully implemented, will bring about an overall reduction in the number of parishes from the current 124 parishes to 68 parishes. More than 100 churches will be used for worship.
Facing similar challenges, parish restructuring plans have been announced for many U.S. dioceses, including New Orleans, Louisville, Syracuse, Buffalo, Johnstown, Lansing, Allentown, Greensburg, Green Bay and others.
PRIEST CONVENER APPOINTMENTS BY DEANERY
Deanery I
- Father Matthew Hillyard, OSFS has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Camden), Holy Name (Camden) and Our Lady of Mount Carmel/Fatima (Camden).
- Father William Moorehas been named the Priest Convener for the merger ofSt. Cecilia parish (Pennsauken) and St. Veronica parish (Delair).
- Father Gerard Marable has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Joan of Arc (Camden) and St. Bartholomew (Camden).
Deanery II
- Father Edward Friel has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of Holy Saviour (Westmont), St. John (Collingwood) and Transfiguration (West Collingswood).
- Monsignor Leonard Scott has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Aloysius (Oaklyn) and St. Vincent Pallotti (Haddon Township).
- Father James Dabrowski has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of Annunciation (Bellmawr), St. Anne (Westville) and St. Maurice (Brooklawn).
- Father Hugh Bradley has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of Sacred Heart (Mount Ephraim) and Holy Maternity (Audubon).
Deanery III
- Father Thomas Newton has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Peter Celestine (Cherry Hill) and Queen of Heaven (Cherry Hill).
- Father George Seiter has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Pius X (Cherry Hill) and Holy Rosary (Cherry Hill).
Deanery IV
- Father Joseph Capella has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Lawrence (Lindenwold), St. Luke (Stratford) and Our Lady of Grace (Somerdale).
- Father Joseph Byerley has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of Mary Mother of the Church (Bellmawr), St. Francis De Sales (Barrington) and St. Gregory (Magnolia).
- Father Raymond Gormley has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Teresa (Runnemede) and St. Maria Goretti (Runnemede).
Deanery V
- Father Mark Cavagnaro has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Agnes (Blackwood) and St. Jude (Blackwood).
- Father Cadmus Mazzarella has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Mary (Williamstown) and St. John Neumann (Sicklerville).
- Father Joseph Ferrara has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Berlin) and St. Edward (Pine Hill), along with its mission of Mater Ecclesiae (Berlin).
Deanery VI
- Father Paul Harte has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of Corpus Christi (Carneys Point), Queen of the Apostles (Pennsville), St. Mary (Salem) and St. James (Penns Grove).
- Father Anthony DiBardino has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of Holy Name (Mullica Hill), St. Joseph (Woodstown) and St. Ann (Elmer).
- Father David Grover has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Michael (Gibbstown), St. Joseph (Swedesboro) and St. John the Evangelist (Paulsboro).
Deanery VII
- Father Joseph Adamson has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of Our Lady of Lourdes (Glassboro) and Queen of Peace (Pitman).
- Monsignor Joseph DiMauro has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Patrick (Woodbury), St. Matthew (National Park) and Most Holy Redeemer (Westville Grove).
- Father Jaromir Michalakhas been named the Priest Convener for the merger of Nativity (Franklinville), St. Bridget (Glassboro) and St. Catherine (Clayton).
- Father Joseph Szolack has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Margaret (Woodbury Heights) and St. John Vianney (Deptford).
Deanery VIII
- Father Ariel Hernandez and Father Michael
Spagnolo have been named Priest Co-Conveners for the merger of St. Teresa of Avila (Bridgeton), Immaculate Conception (Bridgeton), St. Michael (Cedarville) and St. Mary (Rosenhayn). - Monsignor Victor Muro has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Francis Assisi (Vineland) and Immaculate Heart of Mary (Vineland).
- Father Paul Olszewski has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Mary Magdalen (Millville), St. Anthony Mission (Port Norris), and St. John Bosco (Millville).
- Monsignor John Burton has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Isidore (Vineland) and Sacred Heart (Vineland).
Deanery IX
- Father Thomas Barcellona and Father Edward Kolla have been named Priest Co-Conveners for the merger of St. Augustine (Ocean City), St. Frances Cabrini (Ocean City) and Our Lady of Good Counsel (Ocean City).
- Father Vincent Carpinelli has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of Maris Stella (Avalon) and St. Paul (Stone Harbor).
- Father Michael Field has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Ann (Wildwood) and Assumption (Wildwood Crest).
- Father Christopher Bakey has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of Resurrection (Marmora) and St. Casimir (Woodbine), which includes St. Elizabeth Mission (Goshen).
- Father Ernest Soprano has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. John of God (North Cape May) and St. Raymond (Villas).
Deanery X
- Father Joseph Ganiel has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of Blessed Sacrament (Margate), St. James (Ventnor) and Epiphany (Longport).
Deanery XI
- Father Patrick Brady has been named the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Bernadette (Northfield) and St. Peter (Pleasantville).
- Father Michael Matveenko will be the Priest Convener for the merger of Assumption (Pomona) and St. Nicholas (Egg Harbor City).
Deanery XII
- Father Thomas Donio will be the Priest Convener for the merger of St. Joseph (Hammonton), St. Martin de Porres (Hammonton) and St. Anthony (Hammonton).
- Father James Casadia and Father Piotr Szamocki have been named Priest Co-Conveners for the merger of Assumption (Atco), Blessed John the Twenty-Third (Blue Anchor) and St. Anthony (Waterford).
- Father John Cavagnaro and Father Edward Namiotka have been named Priest Co-Conveners for the merger of Queen of Angels (Landisville), St. Rose of Lima (Newfield), Our Lady of the Lakes (Collings Lakes) and St. Mary (Malaga).