DECREE

Merging Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, Saint Joseph Parish, and Saint Mary Parish in Dover, New Hampshire
and the mission of the Chapel of the Nativity in Barrington, New Hampshire

To form one new juridical person

Saint Charles Borromeo Parish has served the Catholic faithful of Dover since 1893.  Saint Joseph Parish, including the mission of the Chapel of the Nativity, has served the Catholic faithful of Dover and Barrington, since 1945. Saint Mary Parish has served the Catholic faithful of Dover since 1830. During that time, many people have heard the Word of God, have worshiped and received the sacraments of the Church in these parishes.  Now, in an effort to strengthen the preaching of the Gospel and to ensure the vitality of parish life, with concern for the best stewardship of resources and the right of the people of God to receive assistance from the Church, especially the Word of God, spiritual sustenance and the sacraments, it is necessary to make new provisions for the spiritual care of the parishioners of these parishes.

To that end, having asked parishioners to make known their needs and desires, having received the recommendations of the reconvened Cluster Task Force 21a, consisting of two liaisons and the pastor from each of the parishes, after consultation with the dean of the Seacoast Deanery, the Long Range Planning Commission and the Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Manchester and the Finance Council, and in accord with canons 121, 515 §2 §3 and 518 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, I hereby:

1. Merge Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, Saint Joseph Parish, including the mission of The Chapel of the Nativity in Barrington, and Saint Mary Parish of Dover, New Hampshire to form one territorial parish. The union shall take effect at midnight at the end of Sunday, July 5, 2009.  The merged parish shall include the membership of the former Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, the former Saint Joseph Parish and the former Saint Mary Parish. The existing church edifice of each of the former parishes will remain the sites of worship for the merged parish community, until such time that the pastor, with the advice of his parish pastoral and finance councils, and with my consent, determines otherwise.

2. The boundaries of the new parish will encompass the entire territory of the former Saint Charles Borromeo, Saint Joseph and Saint Mary Parishes, and including the mission of the Chapel of the Nativity.

3. Establish that the name of the new territorial parish be known from midnight at the end of Sunday, July 5, 2009 as Parish of the Assumption.  The name of the current Saint Charles Borromeo Church, Saint Joseph Church, the Chapel of the Nativity and Saint Mary Church edifices shall remain unchanged.

4. Establish that, in accord with canon 519, a pastor will be appointed to foster the pastoral care of Parish of the Assumption.

This decision is based upon a number of components, among them the spiritual welfare of the parish communities, the spread of the Gospel, the fostering of unity of the People of God in the Seacoast Deanery, the enhancement of collaborative ministry, and the best use of available priest personnel.

All parish registers containing the records of baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, marriage, and deaths preserved at Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, Saint Joseph Parish and Saint Mary Parish shall be transferred to the new territorial parish office where they will be faithfully preserved in accord with canon 535, §§1-5; and according to the norm of canon 121 All assets, whether movable or immovable, and all liabilities of Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, Saint Joseph Parish and Saint Mary Parish upon this merger, will become the assets and liabilities of the new territorial parish.  Furthermore, possession of all ecclesiastical goods and all objects of artistic or historical value belonging to the former Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, Saint Joseph Parish and Saint Mary Parish shall be transferred to the new territorial parish and shall be administered in accordance with canons 1189 and 1292.

The merger of Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, Saint Joseph Parish and Saint Mary Parish will suppress and terminate the juridic personality of Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, Saint Joseph Parish and Saint Mary Parish, which they now possess by law.  Therefore, Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, Saint Joseph Parish and Saint Mary Parish shall be no longer subject in canon law of obligations and rights corresponding to their nature as juridic persons.  In addition, said Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, Saint Joseph Parish and Saint Mary Parish shall be capable no longer of acquiring, retaining, administering, and alienating temporal goods according to the norm of law.

I direct that this Decree be given to the pastor of Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, Saint Joseph Parish and Saint Mary Parish, and that this information, as well as the “Manner of Initiating Hierarchical Recourse” against this Decree, be communicated at all Masses of obligation on the weekend of Saturday, July 4, 2009 and Sunday, July 5, 2009.

Given at Manchester this 24^th day of June, 2009

                                                                                                                                         + John B. McCormack

                                                                                                                                            Bishop of Manchester

                                                                                                                                           Fr Robert Gorski

                                                                                                                                           Moderator of the Curia