The changes, which involve churches in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties, take effect June 23.
It's the latest in a series of mergers ordered by Bishop Joseph A. Galante in diocesan-wide reconfiguration of parishes announced two years ago to strengthen parishes and improve pastoral care to members.
Galante said the latest consolidations would strengthen the parish communities, engage members and create a "hopeful future for our church."
In making the decisions that were announced late Friday afternoon, church officials considered population and demographic trends, the number of diocesan priests available for ministry, Mass attendance and trends in religious practice.
The St. Mary of Mount Carmel Parish will be formed by merging three Hammonton churches - St. Joseph, St. Martin de Porres and St. Anthony of Padua. It will be based at St. Joseph, with the other two churches remaining as worship sites, and will serve about 3,000 families in Atlantic and Camden counties.
In Cape May County, two Lower Township churches - St. John of God and St. Raymond - will become the St. John Nuemann parish. It will serve about 1,900 families and be based at St. John of God, but St. Raymond will continue to be used as a worship site.
Two Salem County churches - St. Ann in Elmer and St. Joseph in Woodstown - will merge with Holy Name of Jesus in the Gloucester County community of Harrison Township to form the Catholic Community of the Holy Spirit. It will be based out of Holy Name of Jesus and serve about 2,680 families in Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester counties.
