Category: RELIGION

Camden Diocese Reaches $180 Million Settlement with Abuse Survivors, More Than Doubling Previous Agreement

Thursday, February 19, 2026

The Diocese of Camden has agreed to pay $180 million to more than 300 survivors of clerical sexual abuse, marking one of the largest such settlements in New Jersey history and representing a significant expansion of compensation for victims who have waited years for justice. The agreement, announced Tuesday in a letter from Bishop Joseph A. Williams to diocesan clergy and faithful, more than doubles the $87.5 million settlement the diocese reached in 2022. The victim support fund will be financed through contributions from the diocese, its parishes, and insurance carriers following a protracted legal dispute. The settlement represents a breakthrough after years of contentious negotiations between the diocese, claimants’ attorneys, and insurance companies that had resisted earlier payment demands. The agreement must still receive approval from the bankruptcy court, as the Camden diocese has operated under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since 2020.

Read more: Camden Diocese Reaches $180 Million Settlement with Abuse Survivors, More Than Doubling Previous Agreement

 

A Long-Awaited Milestone

In his letter dated February 17, Bishop Williams acknowledged the profound significance of the moment for those who suffered abuse at the hands of clergy members. The bishop offered a direct apology to victims, calling their suffering the result of “grave sin and a devastating betrayal of the trust you placed in the Church that you loved.”

 

Years of Legal Battles

According to a statement from Lowenstein Sandler, the law firm representing plaintiffs in the case, the new agreement supplements rather than replaces the earlier settlement, bringing total compensation to victims to more than a quarter-billion dollars.

For the more than 300 survivors involved in this case, the settlement offers financial recognition of their suffering, though many advocates note that no amount of money can truly compensate for the trauma of childhood sexual abuse and its lifelong consequences.

 

Context and Implications

The agreement also reflects the ongoing financial and moral reckoning facing the Catholic Church as it continues to confront the legacy of clergy sexual abuse scandals that have spanned decades.

For more information, visit: https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2026/02/diocese-of-camden-nj-reaches-180-million-abuse-settlement

Pope Leo’s Lenten Message to Christians

Listening and Fasting: Lent as a Time of Conversion

[Multimedia]

_________________________

Dear brothers and sisters,

Lent is a time in which the Church, guided by a sense of maternal care, invites us to place the mystery of God back in the center of our lives, in order to find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from being consumed by the anxieties and distractions of daily life.

Every path towards conversion begins by allowing the word of God to touch our hearts and welcoming it with a docile spirit. There is a relationship between the word, our acceptance of it and the transformation it brings about.  For this reason, the Lenten journey is a welcome opportunity to heed the voice of the Lord and renew our commitment to following Christ, accompanying him on the road to Jerusalem, where the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection will be fulfilled.

Read more: Pope Leo’s Lenten Message to Christians

Listening

This year, I would first like to consider the importance of making room for the word through listening. The willingness to listen is the first way we demonstrate our desire to enter into relationship with someone. 

In revealing himself to Moses in the burning bush, God himself teaches us that listening is one of his defining characteristics: “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry” (Ex 3:7). Hearing the cry of the oppressed is the beginning of a story of liberation in which the Lord calls Moses, sending him to open a path of salvation for his children who have been reduced to slavery.

Our God is one who seeks to involve us. Even today he shares with us what is in his heart.  Because of this, listening to the word in the liturgy teaches us to listen to the truth of reality. In the midst of the many voices present in our personal lives and in society, Sacred Scripture helps us to recognize and respond to the cry of those who are anguished and suffering. In order to foster this inner openness to listening, we must allow God to teach us how to listen as he does. We must recognize that “the condition of the poor is a cry that, throughout human history, constantly challenges our lives, societies, political and economic systems, and, not least, the Church.” [1]

Fasting

If Lent is a time for listening, fasting is a concrete way to prepare ourselves to receive the word of God. Abstaining from food is an ancient ascetic practice that is essential on the path of conversion. Precisely because it involves the body, fasting makes it easier to recognize what we “hunger” for and what we deem necessary for our sustenance. Moreover, it helps us to identify and order our “appetites,” keeping our hunger and thirst for justice alive and freeing us from complacency. Thus, it teaches us to pray and act responsibly towards our neighbor.

With spiritual insight, Saint Augustine helps us to understand the tension between the present moment and the future fulfilment that characterizes this custody of the heart. He observes that: “In the course of earthly life, it is incumbent upon men and women to hunger and thirst for justice, but to be satisfied belongs to the next life. Angels are satisfied with this bread, this food.  The human race, on the other hand, hungers for it; we are all drawn to it in our desire. This reaching out in desire expands the soul and increases its capacity.” [2] Understood in this way, fasting not only permits us to govern our desire, purifying it and making it freer, but also to expand it, so that it is directed towards God and doing good.

However, in order to practice fasting in accordance with its evangelical character and avoid the temptation that leads to pride, it must be lived in faith and humility. It must be grounded in communion with the Lord, because “those who are unable to nourish themselves with the word of God do not fast properly.” [3] As a visible sign of our inner commitment to turn away from sin and evil with the help of grace, fasting must also include other forms of self-denial aimed at helping us to acquire a more sober lifestyle, since “austerity alone makes the Christian life strong and authentic.” [4]

In this regard, I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.

Together

Finally, Lent emphasizes the communal aspect of listening to the word and fasting. The Bible itself underlines this dimension in multiple ways. For example, the Book of Nehemiah recounts how the people gathered to listen to the public reading of the Law, preparing to profess their faith and worship through fasting, so as to renew the covenant with God (cf. 9:1-3).

Likewise, our parishes, families, ecclesial groups and religious communities are called to undertake a shared journey during Lent, in which listening to the word of God, as well as to the cry of the poor and of the earth, becomes part of our community life, and fasting a foundation for sincere repentance.  In this context, conversion refers not only to one’s conscience, but also to the quality of our relationships and dialogue. It means allowing ourselves to be challenged by reality and recognizing what truly guides our desires — both within our ecclesial communities and as regards humanity’s thirst for justice and reconciliation.

Dear friends, let us ask for the grace of a Lent that leads us to greater attentiveness to God and to the least among us. Let us ask for the strength that comes from the type of fasting that also extends to our use of language, so that hurtful words may diminish and give way to a greater space for the voice of others. Let us strive to make our communities places where the cry of those who suffer finds welcome, and listening opens paths towards liberation, making us ready and eager to contribute to building a civilization of love.

I impart my heartfelt blessing upon all of you and your Lenten journey.

From the Vatican, 5 February 2026, Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr

LEO PP. XIV

John Brian Kearney, of Woodbury/Gloucester City

Catholic Deacon, Navy Yard Engineer, WWII Naval Veteran

Sunday, July 24, 2022

On July 20, 2022. Age 99. Of Woodbury. Formerly of Gloucester City. Born in Donegal Township, PA, he was the son of the late Patrick J. and Maude (Horr) Kearney. Loving father of Frances X. Kearney (the late Deborah), Catherine E. Palumbo (the late Joseph), Marie Hunter (William), Anne Gross (Michael), Joseph Kearney (Catherine), John E. Kearney (Carol), Clare Kearney, Paul Kearney, Stephen Kearney (Mary Kathryn), Mark Kearney (Jill); many Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren. Brian is also survived by his sister, Florence Reed; daughter-in-law, Rory Kearney; son-in-law, Tony Lentini. Brian was predeceased by his wife of 59 years, Catherine V. (Williams) Kearney, he was also predeceased by his children, Michael Kearney, Patricia Lentini, Brian P. Kearney, Margaret Mary Kearney and Gerald Kearney.

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(image Brian and Catherine Kearney)

Brian honored his country during WWII serving in the U.S. Navy as an Electronics Engineer. He went on to work as an Electrical Engineer at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Naval Air Engineering Laboratory, Frankford Arsenal. Brian was employed as a supervisor of ship building for USN, Camden, NJ, and finally the Naval Air Development Center, Warminster, PA. where he retired on October 27, 1977.

Brian was ordained as a Deacon of the Catholic Diocese of Camden on October 4, 1976, and was assigned to Mary, Mother of the Church, Bellmawr. He also served at St. Vincent Pallotti R.C. Church, Haddon Township and Sacred Heart R.C. Church, Mt. Ephraim. Additionally, he also served in Hospital Ministry from 1976 to 1983.

Relatives, friends, brother Catholic Deacons and Clergy are invited to his viewing on Monday, July 25th, 2022, from 5 to 8 PM at St. Mary’s R.C. Church, 426 Monmouth St., Gloucester City. Mass of Christian Burial 10 AM on Tuesday, July 26th in the church. The live-streaming of the Mass can be viewed at 10 AM at https://www.facebook.com/GloucesterSMCChurch   Interment with U.S. Navy Military Honors in Beverly National Cemetery, Beverly, NJ. There will be No morning viewing.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in memory of Brian be made to: Cathedral Kitchen, 1514 Federal Street, Camden, NJ 08105 or a gift of a Mass Card for his soul.

Condolences and Memories may be shared at www.mccannhealey.com under the obituary of John Brian Kearney. Funeral Arrangements and Inquires through: McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME, Gloucester City  Ph:856-456-1142

Posted by CNBNewsnet on Sunday, July 24, 2022 at 10:00 AM in Current Affairs, DELAWARE, Gloucester City NEWS, Gloucester County , Obituaries, Religion, South Jersey, St. Mary Grammar/Parish |

Guest Opinion: Another Anti-Catholic Joke

Bill Donohue | CNBNews Contributor

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on another anti-Catholic joke:

We know Seth Meyers will never trash Muslims, but he can safely insult Catholics knowing we will not resort to violence. He won\’t trash Jews because he doesn\’t have the guts to do so, and he sure won\’t attack \”people of color.\” The most protected of all classes these days are the LGBTQXYZ people: he

would actually quit his job before mocking them.

Yesterday, we mentioned that Trevor Noah, David Spade, and the Onion libeled priests with \”jokes\” about the coronavirus. To show how creative the Hollywood writers are, Seth Meyers chimed in last night with one of his own. \”Despite Italy\’s national lockdown, Pope Francis today urged priests to visit coronavirus patients, and if there\’s one thing priests respond to, it\’s urges.\”

No reasonable person seeks to justify someone who, in the heat of a confrontation, lashes out against his adversary with a bigoted remark. But at least the context helps explain the outburst.

What do we say about someone who makes a gratuitous, totally unprovoked, sweeping statement about an entire class of people, maliciously assaulting them?

This is the state of anti-Catholicism in America today. Those who claim to be the most tolerant people in the country—the Hollywood elite—have more in common with white supremacists than they know.

Contact Lauren Manasevit, NBC Entertainment Publicity:

lauren.manasevit@nbcuni.com

THE INSANE WEEK WE HAD EBOLA

Pastor Joe Marlin

Pastor of The Epiphany Church

On the anti-virtue of fear.

We came home from Rwanda for a few months in 2014 as missionaries for a time to reconnect with family and be ‘invisible’ in our home country, but that was not in the cards for us!

If you google

‘Maple Shade Ebola’

you will find 128,000 results. You will also see articles about it from

local news stations like Actions News

all the way to international

news agencies

like the BBC, CNN, and France 24. Yes, in the middle of that “ebola mania’ it was

our family

that came under the international spotlight, though our identities were never revealed. Not only did our family anonymously become the “Ebola scare of the week” on the news, our case affected international politics as an ebola free Rwanda, decided to impose a visa fee on American visitors for the first time and to check American’s temperature three times a day for 21 days, since ‘technically’ America had cases of Ebola. That was an interesting year. In America and then back in Africa, there wasn’t a day we did not hear about it, even deep in the village where there was no TV people knew about the Rwandans whose kids were not allowed to go to school in New Jersey.

The interviews shown on TV were not flattering of South Jersey, but it was the comment sections, and the overheard conversations at the WAWA and other local spots that was straight up as racist, and ignorant as you can imagine, even getting to the point where people threaten this “Rwandan family” with violence if they tried coming into the school.

We could have tapped out in a bunch of ways, but we didn’t. There were generous offers for our kids to go to a private school. There was also the idea that it could be leaked that this ‘Rwandan family’ are actually missionaries, and that my wife and I where married right in that town. Should our race and the reason we were in Rwanda matter?

You know the answer

.

Invisibility isn’t even an option for many minorities in majority spaces.

FEAR is a terrible thing, and we are seeing it raise it’s ugly head now with this coronavirus. I was reminded of this when When it comes to our kids, our fears go into hyperdrive. But we must resist fear.

This was a post recently by a friend and fellow pastor. 30 years in America, what is the excuse for this?

At Epiphany, we like to talk about the three chief virtues of a Christian, which are Faith, Hope, and Love. Sadly in the culture and in the Church, we have distorted these virtues into ‘anti-virtues.’ Instead of the three virtues, we find from the Apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 13, we feed on fear, hate, and lust like a chained up pitbull in a junkyard .

I am going to write about these anti-virtues in the weeks to come but today I just want to encourage to ask yourself what good comes out of stoking fear? Yet that is what sells, that is what gets attention, that is what seems to motivate so many religious and so many irreligious people. True Faith is not your grandma smacking you with a Bible till you ‘fall in line’, True Faith is full of

curiosity

and

courage

. The soil where real genuine faith grows that isn’t fake is a soil where you can ask questions, where you are allowed to have doubts, and where those doubts are addressed thoughtfully and lovingly. Authentic faith also blossoms into courage, it isn’t cursing at the darkness, at the big horrible word. True faith doesn’t care about, need or even want whatever ‘cultural power’ the Church had in the past because it’s not about comfort or power. True faith is at peace because it’s hope is not in being in the majority, but being in the truth.

So I encourage you to consider what news you listen to, consider how much you listen to your friends, and ask yourself, do they stoke the fires of fear, hate, and lust or do they stoke the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love.. If we are honest with ourselves, especially as we look at the Church, so much of what we see doesn’t make us more like Christ, but less.

Let’s wash our hands, get our facts right, and love our neighbor, wherever they are from, and whatever they look like.

POST SCRIPT:Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) IS WAY MORE CONTAGIOUS THAN EBOLA (AND WAY LESS FATAL), THE PRINCIPLE OF THIS BLOG ARE THE SAME, LET’S REJECT FEAR AND HATE. HOWEVER IT IS WISE TO BE PREPARED AS POSSIBLE. SO PAY ATTENTION TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES, BUT TAKE SOME OF THE THINGS YOUR FRIENDS SAY WITH A GRAIN OF SALT.

Written by Pastor Joe Marlin, pastor of The Epiphany Church, Monmouth and Sussex Streets, Gloucester City

The Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel to Mark Feast Day

Faithful throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are invited to celebrate the feast day of Saint Katharine Drexel at her Holy Shrine within the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

12:05 p.m. (Sung Mass)

7:00 p.m. (Evening of Song and Prayer)

Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul

18th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Philadelphia, PA 19103

The Evening of Song and Prayer will feature the writings of Saint Katharine Drexel mixed with traditional and contemporary Christian worship music. Vocalists from across the Archdiocese are invited to join the choir for this event. Vocalists should reference the following link for sign-up information and rehearsal times:

www.SaintKatharineDrexelShrine.com/Events

.

The Solemn Novena to Saint Katharine Drexel began on Sunday, February 23, 2020. The Novena is prayed following all Masses at the Cathedral Basilica through to March 2.  A link to the Novena is provided below for those who would like to pray the Novena at home:

https://www.saintkatharinedrexelshrine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Solemn-Novena-Prayers-Saint-Katharine-Drexel.pdf

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Background Regarding Saint Katharine Drexel

Saint Katharine Drexel was canonized on October 1, 2000. She is the second American-born person ever to be canonized. Born into tremendous wealth as part of the Drexel family, she gave up her life of privilege to found the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1891. She dedicated her life to serve the needs of African Americans and Native Americans, and inspired so many women, who joined the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, to follow her example.

Diocesan FaithFULL Food Drive set for March 22

The Camden Diocesan-wide FaithFULL Food Drive will be held on Sunday, March 22, and Catholics throughout South Jersey have already begun collecting food items in their parishes, schools and homes.

Through this annual charitable event, Catholic Charities and other local food pantries will be able to fill their shelves once again, especially after donations stagnate during the months following the holidays.

The campaign is held for multiple purposes, according to Matthew Davis, director of the Office of Life and Justice Ministries, who is leading the initiative.

“We hope to raise awareness about people locally who struggle with food insecurity, and we hope to join together as a church family to collect as much food as possible for those affected by this hardship,” he explained. “The FaithFULL food drive is also a concrete and practical way for us to be faithful to the Gospel’s call of solidarity and concern for the least of those among us. This is a joyful occasion where we do good and have fun while doing it,” he added.

“Food insecurity” refers to the USDA’s measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. It also includes having limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods.

Currently, in Camden County alone, there are 17,200 food-insecure children, 24% of whom are ineligible for federal nutrition programs. Overall in Camden County, the total food-insecure population is more than 60,000 individuals.

The statistics for food insecurity in South Jersey’s other counties are equally sobering. Gloucester County is home to 8,180 food-insecure children in a total food-insecure population of 26,860 individuals. Suffering the impact of rural hunger are more than 8,000 food insecure individuals in the less populated farmlands of Salem County — most of whom living more than 10 miles from the nearest grocery store.

“Many households still need to make trade-offs between food and other important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills,” explained Cristina Chillem, program director at Catholic Charities. “Many households are still just one paycheck away from financial crisis.”

So when people come to one of the eight offices of Catholic Charities throughout the diocese seeking food, they often leave with much more.

According to Chillem, “In addition to bags of food staples, these clients are also able to learn about and access additional services right there on the spot, like financial coaching, housing counseling, employment assistance and more.

That’s the beauty of being a multi-service agency; we are able to help pantry clients sort out the issues that lead them to food insecurity,” she said.

She added that Catholic Charities is also able to provide educational programs which teach clients how to shop healthy on a budget and assist them in applying for SNAP benefits, crediting the support from the Walmart Foundation and the Salem Health and Wellness Foundation.

To learn more about the FaithFULL Food Drive, including the items that are being collected, drop-off locations and times, and more, click

here

.

Finally After Years Struggling a Place to Call Home

PENNSAUKEN, NJ–Kimberly Van Hook moved excitedly around her new apartment, pointing out each and every detail — the view of the trees from the window, the food items neatly arranged on the shelves in her refrigerator, the smooth counter-tops in the kitchen. Every few moments, she’d pause and say, “I can’t believe I finally have a home,” while looking around wondrously.

Kimberly Van Hook is one of eight senior citizen residents who, after experiencing difficulty finding permanent housing, recently found a place to call home at

Stonegate at Saint Stephen – Phase II

through the help of staff at the Diocesan Housing Services Corporation.

Van Hook was one of eight senior citizen residents who, after experiencing difficulty finding permanent housing, recently found a place to call home at

Stonegate at Saint Stephen – Phase II in Pennsauken

, a newly-developed 68-unit senior community of the

Diocesan Housing Services Corporation of the Diocese of Camden

(DHSC). Through the help of the DHSC staff who guided her through the entire application process, Van Hook now has a comfortable one-bedroom apartment to call her own. And because of staff at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden, who collected donations and helped set up the new units, she and seven of her fellow new residents were surprised and overjoyed to walk into homes that were completely furnished.

Van Hook revealed that she had spent years without a stable place to live, resorting to a series of less-than-ideal living options as she battled a number of health conditions.

“No more living out of a truck. No more imposing on friends or family,” she said, picking up a bouquet of tulips from her countertop. “[The staff] gave me these the day I moved in. Can you believe that?” she said, laughing. “Everyone — from the directors to the maintenance staff — have been so kind and so helpful. The first day I moved in, they invited me to have pizza with them downstairs, and that was so nice because I don’t know anyone here yet. But there’s even a game room down the hall, so I’m sure I’ll meet some more people!”

Jose Sanchez, a program director at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden, has worked with DHSC staff, as well as donors, to ensure that new residents who have experienced difficulty in finding housing would have quality furniture and supplies when they moved in to their new homes.

Two floors below her apartment, Michael Alessi, another new senior resident was preparing for his daily five-mile walk, a practice which he credits for his perfect health at the age of 70. The other key, he said, is his devout Catholic faith. He remains a life-long member of Sacred Heart Parish in Camden, where he grew up and worked for most of his life. Motioning toward the housing staff members, he said, “I prayed for years for direction, and they were the answer to my prayers. I knew that this place was a Christian community before I even asked. I can feel their love and their faith; they truly do love us as their neighbors.”

This sense of love is echoed in the mission of Diocesan Housing Services Corporation, which quotes Saint Teresa of Calcutta when she said in her 1979 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, “Because I believe that love begins at home, and if we can create a home for the poor — I think that more and more love will spread.”

Those words inspire the Diocesan Housing Services Corporation’s team of property managers, maintenance and social services professionals to address the housing needs of people across the Diocese of Camden. Together, they work to provide quality affordable housing for low and moderate income households in New Jersey’s six southern counties with a special focus on senior citizens and those who are living with disabilities.

“We are so happy to be able to offer seniors the opportunity to access high-quality affordable housing with the opening of Stonegate II,” said James Reynolds, executive director of the Diocesan Housing Services Corporation. “We look forward to helping our residents enjoy their golden years in a warm, loving and supportive environment rooted in the Catholic tradition of meeting the needs of the underserved.”

Over the next several months, more than 60 additional seniors are expected to move into the new building, including others, like Van Hook and Alessi, who have experienced difficulty in finding a long-term place to call home.

AS OF PUBLICATION, APPROXIMATELY 10 UNITS ARE UNCOMMITTED AND REMAIN AVAILABLE FOR LEASING. ANYONE INTERESTED IN MAKING APPLICATION SHOULD CONTACT DAWNE PENNER AT 856-342-4055.  CLICK

HERE

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT STONEGATE AT SAINT STEPHEN PHASE II.

Girls in Scout Troop 51023 have Big Hearts

VINELAND, NJ–They may be small in size, but the four girls in Girl Scout Troop 51023 proved that their hearts are big.  At Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden’s office in Vineland, these young helpers fastidiously filled backpacks with collected donated items to be given to the homeless in Cumberland County as part of the annual Point-in-Time Count.

Each year, Catholic Charities staff joins other agencies to participate in the statewide count, which takes place during the last 10 days of January and identifies people who are residing in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, safe havens and living on the streets or other locations.  This year, as Catholic Charities’ case managers and volunteers collect critical data about homeless populations in order to better their services, they will also be able to distribute backpacks filled with donations and packed with love.

Rev. Howard E. Muhlbaier, Retired Catholic Priest; Teacher and Alumnus of Gloucester Catholic HS

Rev. Howard E. Muhlbaier

Cherry Hill – Rev. Howard Edward Muhlbaier, retired Catholic Priest of the Camden Diocese passed away on February 22, 2020 at St. Mary\’s Villa in Cherry Hill, with devoted friends and caregivers by his side, at age 81. Rev. Muhlbaier was born on June 16, 1938 to Sebastian Muhlbaier and Dorothy Kennedy Muhlbaier. He was raised in Swedesboro, NJ and was a graduate of Gloucester Catholic High School class of 1956. He continued his studies at Saint Charles College, Loyola College and Saint Mary Seminary having received his Master\’s in Theology. Father Muhlbaier was ordained May 22, 1965 in Camden, NJ by Archbishop Damiano.

First assigned as parochial vicar at Incarnation in Mantua, Rev. Muhlbaier went on to serve the parishes of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Pitman, Saint Andrew the Apostle in Gibbsboro, St. Maurice Church in Brooklawn and Saints Peter and Paul in Turnersville. From 1992 through 2000, Rev. Muhlbaier was the pastor of Assumption Parish in Atco. He then served as a chaplain at the former Kennedy Hospital in Washington Township until 2008. His final assignment was senior priest at St. Andrew the Apostle. From 1965 through the 1980\’s, Rev. Muhlbaier served on the faculty of Gloucester Catholic High School, Paul VI High School and St. Joseph\’s High School in Hammonton.

In addition to his parents, Father Muhlbaier is predeceased by his brothers, Sebastian, Charles, Vernon, Norman, Esq. and James. He is survived by his brother, John \”Jack\” Muhlbaier of MD; sister-in-laws, Patricia Muhlbaier and Anna Muhlbaier, as well as dear friends, Ritamarie and George Simmons and many loving nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews.

Viewing will take place at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, March 4th, 2020 at St. Clare of Assisi Parish, St Joseph\’s Church, 130 Broad St., Swedesboro. Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan will celebrate his Mass of Christian Burial at 10 AM. Burial will follow at St. Joseph\’s Cemetery, Swedesboro.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Gloucester Catholic High School Alumni Fund, 333 Ridgeway St., Gloucester City, NJ 08030. Please memo, Rev. Howard E. Muhlbaier.

Condolences and Memories may be shared at

www.mccannhealey.com

under the obituary of Rev. Howard E. Muhlbaier. Funeral Arrangements and Inquiries through: McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME, Gloucester City. Ph: 856-456-1142