Dozens of South Jersey Catholic Churches Expected to Close

by KYW's David Madden

Sweeping changes are afoot for Roman Catholics in South Jersey, as the bishop of the Diocese of Camden announces a plan to consolidate parishes and probably close dozens of churches.

Half a million Catholics from Camden, NJ to Cape May, NJ were hoping to discern the fate of their individual houses of worship as Bishop Joseph Galante announced his plans for parish consolidations.

But the plan was being presented as a "work in progress" for change within the Catholic Church in South Jersey.

Bishop Joseph Galante (above) made the announcement on Thursday afternoon that the 124 parishes across the southern part of New Jersey were being consolidated into 66, probably resulting in the eventual closure or "clustering" of dozens of churches over a period of about two years.

Galante said that clustering involves placing the operation of more than one church under the control of a single priest.

Although the number of church buildings being closed was estimated at a couple of dozen, the exact number was not known since the buildings are owned by the individual parishes, not the diocese. Church officials said the newly consolidated parishes will decide the fate of individual church buildings under their purview.

Galante acknowledged that the process, including the reassignment of priests across the region, will be painful for many in the church community, but he says it will make the church stronger:

"What is not acceptable is complacency or indifference. What is not possible is to continue to do what we’ve always done. What is possible is the revitalization of our church."

Church officials indicated that the consolidation of parishes has been driven by several factors: declining attendance, a shortage of priests, and rising operating costs. Galante says just 24 percent of the area's Catholics attend mass on a regular basis.


The Diocese of Camden provided a 10MB document showing which parishes were being consolidated.  Click here to view (Acrobat required).

(Click here to read the full text of the bishop's announcement)