Convener and Core Team submits report to the Diocesan Merging review Committee
Core Team Receives Letter
from Bishop Galante:
We Have a Name for the New Parish
Naming New Parish Top 8 Names Are In!
Current NewsLooking for some history
Share your history, customs, and traditions from your parish with us.
From the Core Team
There seems to be some confusion as to the role of the Core Team. We would like to clarify this. When speaking about the parish merger, the term "parish", in the eyes of the Core Team, refers to the dedicated people that make up the church, not the buildings.
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One third of parishes in the Diocese are struggling financially
Even with challenges, Priest Conveners find unity and hope for the future
Repeat Sessions held in the deaneries dealing with Core Team responsibilities, collaboration, and the use of the MERGER MANUAL.
Bishop Galante to bless Priest Conveners and Core Teams at a special Commissioning Ceremony
Core Team members to be selected to assist Priest Conveners with mergers
Criteria for Core Team Selection
Priest Conveners Appointments
Nearly a third of diocesan priests to reach retirement age by 2015
Bishop Galante Announces...
Bishop Joseph Galante formally announced today that the parishes of Sacred Heart (Mount Ephraim) and Holy Maternity (Audubon) will unite and the new parish resulting from the consolidation, Emmaus Catholic Community, will be established June 9, 2010.
The announcement establishing the new parish has been made in a formal decree, which is published in this edition of the Catholic Star Herald.
It is the fifteenth decree issued by Bishop Joseph Galante in diocesan-wide reconfiguration of parishes announced two years ago to strengthen parishes and improve pastoral care to the people of the diocese.
Father Hugh J. Bradley, Priest Convener for the consolidation, has been named pastor of the new parish for a six year term beginning June 9th.
The Decree establishing Emmaus Catholic Community has been published in the Diocesan Star Herald and accompanying this Decree is the 'Recourse Against Administrative Decrees". Both documents are displayed in the vestibule of both churches. The Decree becomes effetctive on June 9, 2010.
Recently, the Convener, Fr. Hugh Bradley visited Holy Maternity (Feb. 27 and March 7) and Sacred Heart ( March 13 and 21) parishes for a Q&A session to share the current status concerning our merging process. frequently asked questions
Core Team has Received an Approval to Merge: What Happens Next?
We are presently at Step #4
Scheduled meeting of the merging Parish Boards of Trustees. Date for meeting is dependent on availability of all the parish trustees which include Bishop Galante and Monsignor McGrath. Diocesan Attorney Martin McKernana, Jr., Esq. is present. This meeting has been scheduled for April 28th. read more following this meeting
February 23
The DMRC gathered with the Core Team and Priest Convener collectively, to review the assessment made by the various members who have been reviewing the merger work. They made a final determination and the DMRC affirmed the readiness to merge. What is Next?
January 13
Various members of the DMRC have met with our Core Team and Priest Convener as part of the DMRC assessment of the merger planning. The plan for Facilities Management, Safekeeping of Parish Records, Finances, Information Technology, Real Estate, and Human Resources were included in this review. Their findings were all positive and the Core Team was commended for their work. read more
December 10
After one year of monthly and sometimes weekly meetings, we have finally reached the point where we have accomplished significant progress toward our merger. On Wednesday, December 9th, the Core Team and Convener met for their last meeting in the planning process of the merging of Sacred Heart and Holy Maternity. They reviewed the diocesan checklist for one final time, and then each Core Team Member as well as the Convener signed the Pastoral Planning Report and the Readiness for Review Document to be submitted to the Diocesan Merging Review Committee. read more
Naming the New Parish
Some Questions about Naming the New Parish
The Process of Naming the New Parish
Selection of Names, top 8 Names
The Rationales
Convener and Core Team Receives Letter from Bishop Galante
About our New Name
Other Mergers and their New Names
I, along with the Core Team of Sacred Heart and Holy Maternity, would like to extend a welcome to this website. The purpose for the site is to keep both communities up-to-date as we move to the “Undiscovered Country.”
The following pages take us from the beginning of the process, “remember when,” with the Speak-up sessions through the Pastoral Planning Stages and now, to the selection of a Core Team that will assist the Priest Convener.
The Core Team and Priest Convener’s responsibilities are many before a merge finalizes into the “New Parish”.
Transitioning can be a time of fear and anxiety for parishioners and pastors. We are asked to leave a “comfort zone” and enter the “unknown”. It is my responsibility as the Priest Convener, working with the Core Team, to make this a time of hope, and to allay as much anxiety as possible in bringing the 2 parishes together as one.
To be sure, many are wondering what the function of the Core Team is. Following is listed some of the areas at this time. The Priest Convener and his Core Team:
• will develop a Mission Statement
• will be introduced to each parish in the merger
• will collaborate with the pastor and hold joint meetings with Pastoral Councils, Trustees and Finance Councils, to ensure a common understanding of the roles and aspects of the merger
• will work together in developing the new parish as a vibrant community
• will invite the merging parishes to interact, especially in worship
• will ensure the inclusion, participation, concerns and voices of various cultures
• will work with joint committees from current parishes to assist with service and transition tasks
• will provide accurate communication to the parishioners in reporting progress
• will plan the celebration of appropriate rituals
• will engage the parishioners in the process of suggesting the name of the new parish
• will develop a common bulletin and appropriate Mass schedule
• will nominate Lay Trustees to assume office immediately when the new parish is established.
• will select a Finance Council to assume immediate office when the new parish is established.. .
This site will be updated as time goes on and new things develop. This will keep you informed and hopefully encourage you to look forward to embracing a new parish, not disregarding anything from the past, but bringing forward that which will create a vibrant worship space.
-Fr. Hugh
Current News and Updates
Share your history, customs, and traditions from your parish with us.