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Northern Burlington Deanery Update

June, 2007

Parishioner input to be discussed as team members prepare for final study session

At the invitation of Bishop John M. Smith, many Catholics throughout the Northern Burlington Deanery have attended town meetings in their parishes to learn more about the deanery study and to offer their feedback on the options proposed for restructuring.

The invitation came by way of letter in early May, in which the Bishop advised parishioners, "Your thoughts and opinions are important to us." The town meetings, which began in mid-May and will continue through mid-June, have typically been well-attended, with an average of 100 or more parishioners coming out to learn more about the study and the options under consideration.

Final details of the restructuring options were addressed by the study group in its May 10 meeting following months of discussion and collaboration. As they reviewed the available options, group members were told that all pastors in parishes that are twinned or merged would be reassigned and that a new pastor would be appointed. In addition, parishes that merge will be renamed to reflect the new entity that the community has become.

Churches, as worship sites within the parishes, would not be renamed. To facilitate restructuring, transition teams would be formed representing all involved parishes to prepare the communities for the changes that will take effect July 1, 2008.

To date, the town meetings have drawn healthy discussion between attendees and study group members. Parishioner responses recorded at the town meetings will be a main focus when team members gather for what is expected to be their last study session June 21. The team will consider all of the feedback before finalizing their recommendations scheduled to be presented to the Bishop at a July 19 Closing Mass and Dinner.

"Parishioners' preferences will definitely be included in the presentation given to the Bishop at the conclusion of the study," explained Father Joseph Tedesco, director of the diocesan Office of Research and Planning.

The study was formally commissioned by the Bishop in October, following an in-pew survey taken in June. Citing the realities facing the diocese now and in the future, Bishop Smith pointed to shifts in Catholic population from the city to the suburbs and rural areas; the growing shortage of priests and religious to serve the Catholic population and an influx of new immigrants into many areas of the diocese.

The study embraced the overall goals of ensuring the support and development of vibrant parishes; addressing the needs of all members of the Catholic community in northern Burlington County, and restructuring parishes and developing alternative ministry models in response to the changing realities that now define the Catholic experience in the deanery. Specifically, the study team was directed to find ways that would reduce the number of administrations serving the area, thereby requiring fewer priests; reduce the number of buildings utilized in parish communities that are merged; find ways to collaborate and consolidate ministries within parishes, and explore ways for parishes to be financially viable while providing necessary services to the people.

There are currently 19 priests serving in the parishes of the Northern Burlington Deanery. Two of the 19 are members of the Franciscan community, which has staffed St. Casimir Parish, Riverside for decades. The number of diocesan priests, which was 157 in 2006, is projected to decline to 90 by the year 2030. Likewise, the number of religious brothers and sisters serving in the diocese is expected to fall from 469 in 2006 to 22 in 2030. The number of parishes in the four-county Diocese of Trenton is currently at 118.

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Update is issued monthly to all parishes involved in the Northern Burlington study.

Director: Rev. Joseph A. Tedesco
609 406-7400 ext. 5635
Fax: 609-406-7444
E-mail: jtedes@dioceseoftrenton.org

Associate Director: Michael Fabian
609 406-7400 ext. 5636
Fax: 609-406-7444
E-mail: mfabia@dioceseoftrenton.org