South Jersey Catholic Churches Seek To Help Others After Roe V. Wade Overturn

SOUTH JERSEY — A sampling of content heard in some Catholic Church services in South Jersey held since the U.S. Supreme Court's historic overturning of Roe v. Wade suggested that parishioners may want to use the court's decision as an impetus for helping others.

"While we must never waiver from working to ensure that our laws protect the dignity of every human life, we cannot do so in a manner that vilifies and attacks the dignity of those who may disagree with us, according to a statement issued by Dennis J. Sullivan, the Bishop of the Diocese of Camden, and New Jersey's five other bishops and archbishop.

These religious leaders also highlighted the "life-affirming programs" it offers to expecting or parenting mothers.

At the local level, a mass celebrant at Our Lady of Hope in Gloucester Township church asked parishioners during his Sunday homily to stay focused on assisting others in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision.

"We have to remain on course with our faith and with our works, to continue to support crisis pregnancies, to support mothers, single mothers, who are not sure what they're going to do, to support that, to support this culture of life," he said.

A celebrant of mass at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Cinnaminson echoed a similar sentiment during his Sunday sermon, and also encouraged parishioners to help everyone who may need assistance.

"We have an opportunity to meet the challenge of this present moment in a beautiful and profound way," he said. "It is the perfect time for us to redouble our efforts to care for the most vulnerable," he said.

There are approximately 60 parishes and 480,000 Catholics living in the Diocese of Camden, which consists of Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties, according to catholic-hierarchy.org and camdendiocese.org.

Directly to the north, there are about 100 additional parishes and 894,000 Catholics living in the Diocese of Trenton, which consists of Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties, according to catholic-hierachy.org and dioceseoftrenton.org.

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