St. Gregory's Roman Catholic ChurchMagnolia, NJ
The information (below) about St.Gregory's was submitted by Barbara K., member of the Council of Parishes and St. Gregory's parishioner. St. Gregory's is located on the White Horse Pike (Route 30) in Magnolia (Camden County), NJ. On my way home from the convocation in Cherry Hill yesterday, I stopped at St. Gregory's to take some pictures. Unfortunately the church was locked up tight so I couldn't get in to take pictures of the interior. It's really a beautiful little church, but from the outside you can't get the best view of the lovely stained glass windows. When you look at the pictures of this church, I know you will agree with me that St. Gregory's is just about one of the sweetest and most beautiful little houses of God you've ever seen. It reminds me of a newer and stone version of St. Mary's Malaga. I hope that those of you with interior photos will submit them to me since I don't live especially close to St. Gregory's.
St. Gregory's began as a mission church of St. Rose of Lima on March 27,1951. Bishop Bartholomew J. Eustace signed the incorporation papers and eight months later, the founders adopted a resolution to buy at a cost of $1,000 from the Borough of Magnolia a parcel of land occupied today by three parish buildings--the school, convent and rectory. We remained a mission for the next four years under the guidance of Fr. Paul Gallagher, until the new gray stone structure was completed for the first day of worship on Sunday, June 2nd, 1955--our new church. Father Gallagher bought the land where our church is now located from St. Rose of Lima for the price of one dollar. Next, he arranged $158,000 loan from the Mother Church to erect the church. Before the ink was dry on the loan contract, St. Rose parish cancelled $78,000 of the debt as a gift, leaving a balance of only $80,000. The Rev. Charles McGarry was appointed St. Gregory's first pastor in 1955, and he took a $42,000 loan to finish work on the rectory and furnishings. Planning began in 1962 to build a school and convent. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on January 20,. 1963. Both buildings were dedicated on May 31, 1964. Classes began and progressively, for the next four years, the school expanded by one grade until reaching grade eight. The outstanding loans for the church and rectory were paid by parishioners' donations. Pledges were made by the parishioners and were kept, in the hopes of their children attending the parish school.
Our parishioners have always been the backbone of our parish--they cannot be outdone with their volunteer work--years ago in going door to door to collect the House of Charity pledges, the raffle tickets, the many years of working the bingo kitchen and floor, the socials, pancake breakfasts, the many Christmas bazaars that involved working all through the summer months to complete the many projects. Our church is special to us in many ways. It is like a second home and most find comfort there.
We also have a very special ministry with the deaf in which Mass in sign language is offered every Sunday at 11am, after which is a Sunday social. The special mass and social are very special to the St. Gregory's deaf community, many of whom drive for over an hour to attend this special Mass. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered every Sunday before Mass in sign language. The ministry visits the sick, shut-ins, hospitals and nursing homes. They provide religious education for children and adults and they help teachers with deaf students. They also have parish picnics, luncheons and pancake breakfasts, trips and youth activities. Our church is special and vibrant.
Our youth groups often have fund raisers and the parish cooperates fully. We recently had a special program honoring the veterans with a special mass and social following, and we are planning to do it again next Veteran's Day. Ours is exactly the kind of church our parishioners want, and we want to keep it this way. We all know each other and it is like an extended family. It makes one feel good as we are happy to greet each other at the sign of peace. We worry about those who are ill or who have some misfortune befall them. We care for one another in a way that we would not in a large, impersonal church. It has not been shown to us that these large parishes work.
Our church was built on solid ground. The faith of strong people who sacrificed to build and are still sacrificing to maintain. St. Gregory's is truly blessed by the closeness of its community.
Additionally, on church grounds there is an eight classroom school, once used as our elementary school, which has been unkept throughout the years. It was most recently used for Our Lady of Lourdes nursing students and at present is still used for parish meetings and CCD classes. This school has been the focus point of the directors of the St. John of God school for developmentally challenged students. Because the school is a one-floor edifice and has wide doorway openings which would accommodate wheelchairs, etc., it would be the perfect solution for an annex type school in Camden County (the original school is in Gloucester County). The use of this building for this purpose should be carefully considered.
Our parish is also home to the Camden County Deaf Ministry. At least 100 or more members come from as far away as Delaware, Philadelphia areas, and all southern New Jersey to attend the 11am Mass each Sunday which is presented in sign and voice. The bonding that is present in this group would be lost with the closure of our church. Where would this group find another parish with a priest that meets their special needs with signing?
The bishop's idea of a very large, and in his opinion, vibrant parishes would not meet the needs of most of the parishioners in any of the churches slated to merge. Our church is a very good size for our parish, with vibrant and specialized activities and capacity for future growth.
Although a few parishes within the Diocese of Camden may have financial difficulties, these have always been provided for through the House of Charity-Bishop's Annual Appeal, of which a certain percentage is earmarked for disadvantaged parishes. At St. Gregory's, in particular, we are debt-free and have, within the last month, completed the restoration of our church foundation; the renovation of our church hall, including floor, windows, new lighting, tables and chairs; and a totally new kitchen including appliances, cabinetry and plumbing. All work was performed by parishioners and all costs of the renovation were paid by donations from parishioners since a loan from the diocese was never granted, nor have we received any kind of assistance from the Diocese of Camden. Additionally, the buildings and grounds at St. Gregory's are well maintained and in excellent condition. Because the parishes we are slated to merge with are also financially secure, there is no financial justification for the closure of St. Gregory's.
At the Bazaar, you will find
