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	Diocese Gets Counselors for Consolidation By John Barna Gloucester County Times April 5, 2008 http://www.nj.com/news/gloucester/local/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1207383022112980.xml&coll=8 CAMDEN Following his announcement that the Diocese of Camden will be restructured, Bishop Joseph Galante plans to enlist trained counselors to aid parishioners with what he expects to be "feelings of loss." The diocese announced Thursday that it will reduce its present number of 124 parishes to 66 within two years. Twenty-four churches will close six in Gloucester County. Andrew Walton, diocesan spokesman, acknowledged Friday that Galante's office had received "some phone calls" from parishioners. "Relatively few were challenging the configurations," Walton said. "Most had questions having to do with implementation." "There was an acknowledgment that it had to happen," he added. Walton noted that most of the diocese's 500,000 members were aware of Galante's review of parishes over the past 15 months. "The planning process was carried out in the open," the spokesman said. While indicating that he wanted to complete the mergers within two years, Galante did not offer a specific timetable. Walton said this weekend's Masses would not be times to begin those decisions. With 100 counselors trained to assist parishioners and to begin the merger or consolidation process, individual pastors would determine the need for assistance. "Every situation will be different," Walton noted. Pastors met with Galante before Thursday's announcement. Each received a resource book "Coping with Change Together" to begin implementing the bishop's decisions. Galante said the combination of the availability of priests the diocese projects just 85 available by 2015 and a drop in regular mass attendance below 24 percent warranted the moves. "The action could not be deferred," Walton said. He suggested that a piecemeal approach would be "insufficient" and would "fall short of what is necessary to address the realities to move the church forward." While some church closings are pending, there are several new ones set to open including Holy Name of Jesus, which is expected to move from Harrison Township to a new facility to be built in Elk Township. At least three parishes Immaculate Conception in Bridgeton, St. Bridget in Glassboro and St. Nicholas in Egg Harbor will become worship sites for the Hispanic community. "It's an acknowledgment of the size of the Hispanic presence in the diocese," Walton said. "In these cases, it is to ensure that the Hispanic community has full access to parish life and that they are fully served." Walton said that a 1 p.m. Sunday Mass in Spanish after all the services in English are finished "is not serving a community well." In Atlantic City, the Church of St. Nicholas of Tolentine will become a parish designated for casino workers and visitors to the city.
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