By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Father Perry Cherubini became the new pastor at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Sea Isle City on July 15, but certainly nowhere near all of the parishioners have had a chance to meet him in the last three months.
Some of them may not even know that he prefers to be called “Father Perry” instead of using his last name as part of his title.
Similar to churches nationwide, the number of worshippers attending Mass at St. Joseph’s has been depressed by the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing a priest who says he relishes getting out and talking to people the opportunity to see his entire parish.
Social distancing guidelines designed to slow the spread of the virus limit the capacity at New Jersey churches, synagogues, mosques, and other houses of worship to just 25 percent under COVID-19 restrictions imposed by Gov. Phil Murphy.
“Everything has been drastically changed because of COVID,” Father Perry said. “Like every single church in the United States, our attendance is down drastically.”
Most of the weekday Masses at St. Joseph’s are attended by about 150 people, while Sunday services have not yet hit 300 worshippers during his time as pastor, he said. This, in a church that has a capacity of 1,300 people.
Father Perry says he has one overwhelming thought when he celebrates Mass inside a church that is far short of its capacity.
“I think my feelings are the same as everyone else’s: We need to get a vaccine so people can back to a normal life,” he said in an interview Thursday.
Although it will take more time for all of the parishioners at St. Joseph’s to get to know him, Father Perry is by no means a stranger in this area.
Ordained in 1985, the 62-year-old Cherubini has spent the last 28 years serving as a priest in communities near or at the Jersey Shore, including Margate, Absecon and Northfield. Using an old saying that reflects his love for the beach, he notes that he has “a lot of sand in my shoes.”
“I’ve been down at the shore basically since 1992,” he said.
At St. Joseph’s, he is a mere two blocks from Sea Isle’s beaches.
Born in the Cumberland County town of Bridgeton, he attended Sacred Heart High School in neighboring Vineland. He earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at LaSalle University in Philadelphia and a master’s in education from Seton Hall University in South Orange.
Since 2008, he has served as president of Holy Spirit High School in Absecon. He intends to stay at Holy Spirit until 2022, the year the school will celebrate its 100th anniversary.
“That’s going to be a huge, huge, huge event for the school. I definitely want to be part of that,” he said.
He emphasized that the leadership structure at the high school will allow him to split his duties between Holy Spirit and St. Joseph’s. In addition, he also serves as chairman of the Board of Pastors at Bishop McHugh Regional School in Cape May Court House.
He describes his management style as hands-on, but will take his time before deciding whether to make any major changes at St. Joseph’s.
“A good rule of thumb for pastors is you kind of spend the first year just getting to know your people,” he said. “At this point, it’s 100 percent getting to know the people in the parish. Anything else will come in time and always in collaboration with parish leadership.”
Following his management style at Holy Spirit, he intends to work closely with St. Joseph’s leadership while overseeing the church.
“In both situations, it’s collaborative,” he said. “I work with the leadership that each institution has. So if you’re in the parish, I listen to the Parish Council and the Parish Finance Committee and then I have my staff here. So it’s always working with them. We’re encouraged to make sure our parish is under that model of leadership.”
The proverbial elephant in the room is the fate of the original St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, a 136-year-old sanctuary that stands next to the new church along Landis Avenue between 43rd and 44th streets.
Bishop Dennis Sullivan, who heads the Camden Diocese that oversees St. Joseph’s, decreed on Feb. 5 that the old church is no longer considered a sacred place of worship.
Preservationists who want to save the old church believe that the “Decree of Relegation” by Sullivan is a prelude to the building’s demolition. They have been fighting with the church leadership over the fate of the building and are asking the Vatican to reverse the decree.
Father Perry said it is premature for him to express his opinion about the old church before the Vatican rules on the preservationists’ appeal to overturn the decree.
“So until we get our response from Rome on their request to have it reversed, I wait with them to see what our options will be,” he said.
It is not clear how long it will take for the Vatican to rule. Father Perry noted that Vatican leaders will make the decision, but Pope Francis himself will not be involved.
In the meantime, the old church remains locked. Father Perry said he hasn’t been inside it since he became pastor and has no plans to enter the building before the Vatican rules.
The battle over the old church has split the congregation. St. Joseph’s former pastor and a group of church leaders believe the old church is a financial burden and should be considered for redevelopment into a new “spiritual life center,” a venue for meetings, special events and possibly new classrooms.
Preservationists want the old church maintained and put back into use for events such as weddings, funerals and baptisms. They have placed “Save Our Historic St. Joseph’s Church” banners and lawn signs throughout town as part of their campaign.
However long it takes for the Vatican to rule on the decree, Father Perry will almost certainly still be St. Joseph’s pastor when the decision is made. He has been appointed pastor for an initial term of six years and could be reappointed for another six years, he explained.
Catholic priests become eligible for retirement at 70, but may stay longer. Father Perry’s initial six-year appointment will take him up to 68 years old. He humorously described how priests may remain in active service with the church beyond 70 years old.
“They may retire at 70. But if you still have some tread on your tires, any bishop would be happy to keep you,” he said, laughing. “It’s all in the tread. How much is left. You can be long in the tooth, but as long as you have some tread left, you’re good.”
