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PARISH CLUSTERS:
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North
Assumption, New Egypt
Holy Assumption. Roebling
St. Andrew, Jobstown
St. Clare, Florence
St. Mary, Bordentown
Central
All Saints, Burlington
Corpus Christi, Willingboro
St. Paul, Burlington
South
Holy Name, Delran
Sacred Heart, Riverton
St. Casimir, Riverside
St. Charles Borromeo, Cinnaminson
St. Joseph, Beverly
St. Peter, Riverside
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• "Our Call" -
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Related Links: |
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• Study of 13 Burlington County parishes ready to begin
• Vatican II is percolating down to us
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Northern Burlington Deanery Update
May, 2007
Diocese's chief canonist offers study team members options for parish restructuring
The Northern Burlington Deanery Study moved forward March 15 with a presentation by the Diocese’s leading jurist on the canonical options available in parish restructuring.
Msgr. John K. Dermond, judicial vicar of the diocese and rector of St. Mary of Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, began his talk by saying that every parish has both a civil and canonical status and framework, both of which must be addressed in any restructuring plan. In addition to knowing that each parish is a separate corporation, subject to all the civil regulations connected to that status, the study team members also needed to know what canon laws dictate the restructuring of parishes.
There are two canonical considerations in the planning process, Msgr. Dermond explained. They are:
How do we minister to people? The structure needs to facilitate and accommodate ministry to the people. The canonical priority is that people are able to be gathered as one community and identify with their priest-pastor.
Where do we gather people as Church? Also an important criterion, but second in priority, is that people need to feel connected to their place of worship. Msgr. Dermond presented five options "available to address the needs, face the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that have surfaced in the parish study to date." Primary among the realities that the options will address, he specified, are "fewer priests available to serve as pastors...a need to choose which buildings to continue to use...and the need to eliminate or reduce duplication of services. The options, as delineated in the 1983 Code of Canon Law, are:Clustering parishes (Canon 517) - Three or more parishes are entrusted to a team of priests who operate under the direction of priest moderator, not a pastor. Each parish retains its separate identity; leadership and ministries are shared; funding of common projects is developed though assets of each parish remain autonomous. ContinuedTwinning parishes (Canon 526) - Two or more parishes are entrusted to the care of one priest who functions as pastor of both communities. Each parish retains its separate identity as a parish.Merging parishes (Canon 121) - Two or more parishes combine as equals to form one new parish; a new pastor is appointed; facilities, property and funds become those of the new parish. A new or combined parish name is chosen; the names of the church buildings that serve the new parish are retained.Principal parish with missions (Cc. 515 and 516.2) - One parish with its church is designated the principal parish; neighboring parishes become missions of the principal parish. Pastor of the principal parish becomes the priest responsible for the pastoral care of the missions, which is directed from the principal parish. Mission churches retain their own names.Suppression of parishes (Cc. 122-123; Canon 515) - When a parish is no longer needed to fulfill the mission for which it was established, the bishop can suppress, or close, the parish with the proper canonical formalities.Provisions are made for the pastoral care of the persons affected by the closing; resources and debts of the suppressed parish follow the people, transferring to those parishes who now assume pastoral care for members of the former parish.
In addition to Msgr. Dermond's presentation, study team members devoted a portion of the meeting broken into small groups within the three clusters. Each of the groups developed a list of objectives to support the five cluster goals established at the February meeting.
Each of the 14 parish leadership groups connected with the NBDS was to meet in their home parishes the week of March 19 to review the cluster goals and objectives developed by the study team. Feedback from the leadership groups will be shared during the next NBDS session, set for April 19.
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Update is issued monthly to all parishes involved in the Northern Burlington study.
Office of Expansion and Restructuring
Diocesan Pastoral Center
PO Box 5147
701 Lawrenceville Road
Trenton, NJ 08638-0147
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
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