FAQs

What is the New Jersey Catholic Conference?

The New Jersey Catholic Conference (NJCC) was founded in 1949 as the nonpartisan public policy voice for the Catholic Church in New Jersey. NJCC represents the Catholic bishops of New Jersey on public policy matters, serves as a liaison to governmental agencies, and coordinates communications and activities between the bishops and secular agencies, private sector, civic, nonprofit, and other religious entities on matters of concern to the general welfare of the state’s citizens.

What is the mission of the New Jersey Catholic Conference?

The mission of the NJCC is to advocate and interact with the Legislature and other government agencies at the state and federal levels for the Catholic Church's public policy agenda.

Who is the Catholic community in New Jersey? *

There are 3.5 million Catholics in New Jersey representing 39 percent of the state’s population. They belong to 665 parishes located in five Latin Rite (arch) dioceses and two eparchies (a diocese of the Eastern Church) and are served by 1,885 priests, six bishops, four auxiliary bishops, and one archbishop. New Jersey’s Catholic community also includes several Catholic hospitals and healthcare centers, which annually care for nearly two million men, women, and children; seven colleges and universities, which educate 22,000 students; and 199 Catholic high schools and elementary schools, which serve 64,000 students. An additional 162,000 children and teens are enrolled in religious education programs throughout New Jersey.

* Source: The Official Catholic Directory, P.J. Kennedy and Sons 2021

What are the Catholic dioceses in New Jersey?

The seven Catholic dioceses in New Jersey include the Archdiocese of Newark, the Diocese of Trenton, the Diocese of Camden, the Diocese of Metuchen, the Diocese of Paterson, the Eparchy of Passaic, and the Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance of Newark.

What principles guide the Catholic Church’s public policy work?

The principles of Catholic social teaching embody traditional Church wisdom as well as particular teachings such as Pope Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical, Rerum Novarum.

1. Life and Dignity of the Human Person: We believe that every human life is sacred from conception to natural death; that people are more important than things; and that the final measure of every institution is whether it enhances the life and dignity of the human person.
2. Call to Family and Community: God’s given institutions of marriage and family are central and serve as the foundations for social life. They must be supported and strengthened, not undermined.
3. Rights and Responsibilities: All people have a fundamental right to life and a right to those things that allow them to live a decent life. Likewise, all people have a duty to fulfill their responsibilities to their families, to each other, and to the larger society.
4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable: The Church calls on us to show a "preferential" care for the poor and vulnerable and to work to ensure their needs are considered in public policies and priorities.
5. Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers: The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God's act of creation, a way of fulfilling part of our human potential. The basic rights of workers, owners, and managers must be respected.
6. Solidarity: Because of the interdependence among all the members of the human family, we have a moral responsibility to commit ourselves to the common good at all levels.
7. Care for God's Creation: Our stewardship of the Earth is our way of supporting God's act of creating and sustaining the world. We must be guided by our concern for the welfare of others and by a respect for the intrinsic worth and beauty of all God's creatures and creations.

How does the New Jersey Catholic Conference view other religious denominations?

We respect and embrace all people of good will and enable ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and action.

Are there Catholic Conferences in other states?

Yes. To learn about Catholic Conferences in other states, visit the National Association of State Catholic Conference Directors.

How can I get involved?

Click here to sign up for Action Alerts and updates on key legislative issues or visit https://njcatholic.org/faith-in-action. To follow us on Facebook, click HERE.