Camden, N.J., Apr 9, 2008 / 01:24 am
Citing population shifts, a decline in the number of priests and an “appalling” Mass attendance rate of 24 percent, Bishop Joseph A. Galante of the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, has announced a “reconfiguration” that would reduce the diocese’s number of parishes from 124 to 66.
“What is not an option is inaction,” he said.
Under the planned reorganization, the diocese will have 38 merged parishes, three parish clusters involving six parishes, and 22 stand-alone parishes. A press release from the diocese says that some places will serve as year-round “worship sites,” while others will serve as secondary sites, mission sites, or overflow sites used to accommodate populations in shore areas during the peak tourist season.
Thirty parishes will close entirely.