Two more Roman Catholic churches in the Camden Diocese will soon be consolidated into a new parish that will about serve 1,500 members.The latest merger, which takes effect Oct. 12, involves churches in Camden county.
Bishop Joseph Galante says St. Vincent Pallotti in Haddon Township and St. Aloysius in Oaklyn will combine to form St. Joseph the Worker parish.
St. Vincent Pallotti will serve as the parish seat, but both churches will serve as worship sites.
A parishioners group from St. Vincent Pallotti had initially fought the merger proposal and later sued the diocese in a bid to have more than $1 million in donations returned.
But group leaders tell the Courier-Post of Cherry Hill that their concerns have mostly been addressed, and they will likely back the merger.
The consolidation is the latest in a series of mergers in a diocesan-wide reconfiguration meant to strengthen parishes and improve pastoral care to members.
Galante has now issued 36 merger decrees since June 2009, and several have been met with resistance from some churchgoers.
In making their decisions, church officials have considered several issues, including population and demographic trends, the number of diocesan priests available for ministry, Mass attendance and trends in religious practice.
Once the process is completed, church officials say the consolidations will reduce the number of parishes in the diocese from 124 to 68.
The Camden Diocese includes Cape May, Atlantic, Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester and Camden counties.