Faced with declining numbers of parishioners, declining mass attendance, and fewer people joining the clergy, Bishop Joseph Galante on Thursday, April 3 announced plans to merge or close Roman Catholic churches throughout the Camden Diocese.
In the announcement, numerous Cape May County parishes were slated to merge. However, the bishop cited the large number of summer visitors as reason to keep many of the churches open as places of worship, even while they merge with other parishes.
According to a statement released Thursday afternoon, the bishop intends to merge the three Catholic parishes in Ocean City, merge two churches in Avalon and two in the Wildwoods, merge two churches in Lower Township, and bring together parishes in the north end of the county.
The statement indicates that Our Lady, Star of the Sea in Cape May, which includes St. Agnes Mission, Our Lady of the Angels in Cape May Court House and St. Joseph in Sea Isle City will remain stand alone parishes.
The statement reads, in part: 
”In Deanery IX, where we have so many of our shore parishes, shore worship sites will remain in order to continue to serve large summer populations. However, it is my intention to:
* Merge St. Augustine (Ocean City), St. Frances Cabrini (Ocean City) and Our Lady of Good Counsel (Ocean City), with the primary worship site at St. Augustine. St. Francis will continue to be a worship site for Hispanic liturgy. All three churches will remain as worship sites through the summer and shoulder months of fall and spring.
* Merge Maris Stella (Avalon) and St. Paul (Stone Harbor), with the primary worship site at Maris Stella and a secondary worship site at St. Paul.
* Merge St. Ann (Wildwood) and Assumption (Wildwood Crest), with the worship site at St. Ann. Assumption will continue as a secondary site for summer tourists.
* Merge Resurrection (Marmora) and St. Casimir (Woodbine), which includes St. Elizabeth Mission (Goshen), retaining worship sites at Resurrection and St. Casimir. Bishop McHugh Regional School remains a summer worship site.
* Merge St. John of God (North Cape May) and St. Raymond (Villas), retaining both worship sites for now.”
In a lengthy statement, Galante cited an aging priesthood, Catholics who have left the faith of their youth, and churches that exist in close proximity to each other.
He also wrote of a diversifies community of believers, including Spanish speakers, and Filipino, Korean and Vietnamese populations.
“They, too, must be served and invited into parish life,” he stated.
Last year, the bishop announced sweeping changes to local Catholic schools, which included some school closings and some consolidations.