J. Randall Cotton
Philadelphia Historic Preservation Corporation
Inspired May-June 1989

To Father Michael Doyle, Sacred Heart Church is a "Iighthouse" standIng as a beacon of hope in its tumbledown south Camden, New Jersey ; neighborhood. If the church is a lighthouse, then the "rocky shoals" around it are aptly represented by its immediate environment: boarded-up rowhouses, overgrown vacant and a commu-nity beset by high unemployment and a lack of adequate services. It, this beleaguered context, the physical presence of a parish church such as Sacred Heart takes on a deeper meaning--it is a symbol of tenacity, survival and continuity in a deteriorating neighborhood that increasingly relies on such landmarks.

Unlike many inner-city churches which have fallen prey to severe physical deterioration and near-zero attendance, Sacred Heart has not only gracefully weathered its own aging, but serves as a center for a passel of innovative programs which have actually improved the physical condition of the neighborhood. Much of the credit for this goes to Father Doyle whose infectious warmth and passion has inspired his associates and parishioners to invest their relative talents, compassion, and most of all, hard work into south Camden.

Doyle, with his lifting brogue, flowing gray hair, and fatherly demeanor, is the epitome of an Irish-American priest. Ever since coming to the Sacred Heart parish in 1974, he has felt passionately about the church's responsibility to the community. "A city forces a church get outside its walls," he is fond of saying. Thus the Sacred Heart Church building not only serves as a place of worship for the 150-odd parish families (and an additional 200 on average who come from as far as 3 miles), but also as a center for food distribution, human services, graduations, weddings of different faiths, concerts and, of course, an Irish festival In addition if the church complex is headquarters for an active church school whose 225 students are 75% non-Catholic.

But Sacred Heart is not just a functional building. To Doyle there is also the matter of beauty. And the church is a beautiful place. The Gothic exterior and particularly, the High-Victorian interior have survived virtually unchanged as a testament to the creative talents of its builders. The degree of workmanship invested into the stonework, stained glass, woodwork, elaborate ornamental stenciling and many picturesque murals bespeak of the hope and intent of the original buiIders--this is a place that was meant to last. As he stands in the sanctuary, Doyle points to the recent restoration of water damaged wainscoting. His evident pride in this work is an indication of his commitment to retaining the building's beauty. the present parishioners also see the church as a refuge of comfortable and "easy" beauty in an urban setting where, according to Doyle, "the only other source of beauty is the humanface." Bulldozing the church would be like "killing your mother," he says.

The themes of beauty and the celebration of life are also pivotal to the church and it's creative liturgy. The changing seasons and humanity's dependence on the earth--ideas that can be easily overshadowed in an urban setting like south Camden--are emphasized. Some traditions are borrowed from other faiths, such as the Russian Orthodox celebration of the Transfiguration, in which baskets of peaches are offered to parishioners who taste of the fruit's sweetness, transformed from the clay that formed it.

The affection for the historic church by the parishioners and neighbors is well illustrated by a recent mishap: a "mini" tornado ripped open a 40 x 25-foot hole in the building's roof last December. But within 15 minutes of the late-evening disaster, a roofer (who is also a parishioner) was on the site. By six a.m. the following morning, work on a temporary roof had begun.

Additional remedial repairs to the church are also planned over the next several years, based on a comprehensive architectural report on the building's physical condition, which was subsidized by a grant from the Philadelphia Historic Preservation Corporation. The report recommends some immediate corrective measures-- the reinstallation of a gutter system, for example. Other repair work, such as the restoration of the church's extensive sanctuary murals, will be deferred until funds are raised.

Sacred Heart is active in several projects targeted to improve conditions in its south Camden neighborhood. The "Heart of Camden" project, directed by Sister Peg Hynes, was established to rehabilitate neighborhood housing and to turn renters into home owners. The nonprofit corporation buys residential properties in the neighborhood, ones that often require major improvements. After a fix-up the homes are offered for sale to low-income families who would not normally qualify for a home-mortgage loan. The families make monthly, no-interest payments to the "Heart of Camden" to repay the purchase and improvement costs. So far, 33 properties have been rehabbed.

Not only are the monthly payments less than prevailing rent, but the loans are usually paid off in three to seven years. Because potential home owners are carefully pre-screened, and because pride of ownership is a powerful incentive missed payments are rare occurrences.

The success of the "Heart of Camden" project has been widely recognized: This year the program won an award of excellence- -and $25,000 in prize money--from Fannie Mae the federally sponsored mortgage lender. But to Doyle, the rescue of these rundown houses brings a spiritual reward as well as bringing them back to useful life in a symbolic expression of the individual's regeneration

Sacred Heart is also member of an interdenominational coalition of nineteen city churches that formed the "Camden Churches Organized for People." CCOP encourages and trains individuals and neighborhood groups to act on their own behalf, to Average power into action. The coalition is tackling such problems as neighborhood crime, drug addiction, poor housing conditions and unresponsive government bureaucracy. Each member, church contributes financial and human resources.

Among CCOP accomplishments have been: the removal of asbestos illegally dumped in vacant houses; the creation of neighborhood playgrounds; and the rehabilitation of abandoned housing. Ongoing projects include establishing drug-free school zones and reducing water pollution. CCOP is also lobbying for financial compensation for "host" communities--like Camden--that often end up as the site for unwanted regional facilities such as sewage treatment plants that serve the wealthier surrounding towns.

How have Sacred Heart and other churches like it thrived in such harsh surroundings? For one, their pro-active stance and commitment to their neighborhoods has, in turn, reinforced their own chances for survival. In addition, Doyle shrewdly understands the benefits that are associated with public-relations campaigns and news stories (Sacred Heart has been featured on Sixty Minutes,National Public Radio's All Things Considered, and in many regional newspapers.) Sacred Heart also welcomes parishioners and financial aid from its wealthier neighbors. On a given Sunday, residents from a wide region including Glassboro, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and even Princeton may attend services. In addition, both Catholic and Presbyterian churches from New Jersey communities such as Cherry Hill, Haddonfield and Gibbsboro have committed financial and volunteer assistance to "Heart of Camden" projects.

In the end, it seems to boil down to this: instead of adopting a "fortress mentality" in the face of the adverse economic and social conditions that plague much of Camden, Sacred Heart has made hospitality and neighborhood service a top priority. In the words of Father Doyle, the church "should be at least as friendly as an Irish pub."