Northern Burlington Deanery Update
November, 2006
Deanery study team charged with building God's Church at opening meeting Oct. 19
In the first official meeting of the Northern Burlington Deanery Study, 39 delegates representing 13 parishes came together in prayer with Bishop John M. Smith and other diocesan officials Oct. 19 in Corpus Christi Parish Center, Willingboro. Members were presented with the tools and information they will need to serve on the study team over the next nine months.
In Bishop Smith's homily, and in a presentation by Father Joseph Tedesco, director of the Office of Research and Planning, two main points were emphasized: - Despite rumors that may have circulated in local parishes, there are no predetermined decisions about what the study will show and what changes need to be made; and
- The only thing that is certain as the study moves forward is that change is necessary if the Church is to remain vital in generations to come.
Bishop Smith referred to the team members as "builders of God's Church," and charged them with the exciting and essential responsibility of "designing and recommending how the Church in this area will grow, thrive and be really alive in 25 to 50 years from now." Because of their efforts, he added, "We will be able to leave a truly great Church to our children and grandchildren." Father Tedesco, in his formational talk to the group, stated, "No one has the answers. Nothing is set. That's why you're here. We need to work together. We need to be a community." The initiative to build more vibrant parishes in light of the challenges and changes of the day began in 2004 in the city of Trenton where the need was most acute, Father Tedesco explained. He stated, "The ward study in Trenton brought forth good solutions, not perfect solutions. We've had to make some adjustments, but we're moving forward. That's what's important." It is expected that the parish study process will eventually be conducted in all deaneries of the diocese. Father Tedesco reinforced the importance of the effort, saying, "We are taking this very seriously. We are building community and we hope, trust and believe that Jesus will bless our efforts." According to Father Tedesco, there are three pastoral initiatives which will drive the Northern Burlington Deanery Study:
- Holiness - calling each person to deep renewal; to truly knowing God through their Baptism; to engage in "prayer as thinking".
- Spirituality of Communion - loving one another as we love God; to make room for our sisters and brothers, to reach out to one another, to learn from one another, to support one another in the endeavor to be Christ, visible in our local communities . . .
- Compassionate Action - Responding to the needs of others is an integral part of the Gospel. The study affords the opportunity to confront the issues of our place in this time and do something that will help to move us toward the light of Christ.
Father Tedesco concluded, "With these three foundations, we move forward to reshape our parish life in the deanery, with new horizons and a renewed sense of vision and purpose." The study will respond to the following issues of the Diocese:
- lifts in population
- shortage of priests and religious
- increase in the number of the senior citizen population
- new immigrants
- number of small parish communities
- financial considerations
Areas that will be examined in the process include:
- ministry outreach to all ages
- location of churches in relation to the population
- possibilities of collaboration in ministry between parishes
- vibrancy of each parish in light of the 11 pastoral elements promulgated by Bishop Smith
Members of the study team had an opportunity to reflect on questions about the initiatives and to communicate their responses to the group. Several of them shared that it was a new and welcome experience to identify with Catholics beyond their parishes. Others expressed a sense of honor and enthusiasm to have a role in such an important process.
All team members were sent home with a binder of information that will be needed in the study. Complete with demographic charts, maps, financial reports, parish profiles and analysis of the surveys that were conducted in the deanery parishes in June, the binders will be used to assist team members in discussing the challenges facing the Church in northern Burlington County and in developing recommendations to present to the Bishop at the conclusion of the study.
The study team will meet monthly through July. The next meeting will be held Nov. 16 and will delve into the Discover stage of the study in which members are asked to gather and explore the information connected to their parish clusters. At the end of December, there will be another meeting of the Parish Leadership Group, consisting of 10-20 representatives from each of the 13 communities, to allow for a broader discussion of some of the observations that emerge during the Discover stage.
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Update is issued monthly to all parishes involved in the Northern Burlington study. To learn more about the upcoming parish study, be sure to read the Oct. 12 issue of The Monitor
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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