N.J. Stat. tit. 16, ch. 16

N.J. Stat. tit. 16, ch. 16
in effect

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-1 Incorporation

Any Ruthenian Catholic church or congregation in this state may incorporate in the following manner: The Catholic bishop appointed by the Pope of Rome to have supervision over the Ruthenian Catholics of the Greek rite in the United States, together with his secretary or chancellor, and the pastor of such Ruthenian Greek Catholic church or congregation for the time being, or a majority of them, may elect two lay members of such church or congregation, and may with such laymen, sign a certificate, setting forth the name by which they and their successors shall be known and distinguished as a body corporate. They shall transmit the certificate to the clerk of the county in which such church or congregation is located, who shall forthwith file and record the same, for which service he shall be entitled to receive the fee provided in section 22:2-19 of the title Fees and Costs. Thereupon such church or congregation shall be a body corporate by such name or title.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-2 Reincorporation of religious organizations

Any religious organization incorporated under and by virtue of any law of this State may organize under the provisions of this article. Its trustees shall pass a resolution (a) declaring it advisable that the corporation reincorporate under the provisions of this article, and (b) calling a meeting of the congregation to take action thereon. Such resolution shall be submitted to the congregation at a meeting to be held at the usual place of meeting for public worship, upon such notice as the by-laws of said organization shall provide, and if there is no such provision, after at least ten days' notice of the time and purpose of the meeting, set up in open view at or near the place of meeting. The resolution shall be read publicly at each regular service of the church on the Sunday next preceding the meeting. If a majority of the congregation shall, at such meeting, approve incorporation under this article, the trustees or a majority of them shall file a certificate in accordance with section 16:16-1 of this Title. Upon filing such certificate, all the right, title and interest of such organization in any real or personal property and all franchises and charter rights, shall be vested in the corporation organized under the provisions of this article, and the original incorporation of such organization shall then be null and void. Amended by L.1953, c. 16, p. 147, s. 14.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-3 § 16:16-3

The persons so executing and acknowledging such certificate shall be the trustees of the corporation and they and their successors shall, by the name of incorporation, have all the powers enumerated in section 16:1-4 of this title.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-4 § 16:16-4

The successor in office for the time being of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic bishop in communion with the Roman See and appointed by the Pope of Rome, the secretary of such United Greek Catholic bishop, or his chancellor, and the pastor, respectively, shall by virtue of their offices be the trustees of such corporation, church or congregation in place of their predecessors. The lay members shall hold office as trustees for one year, and until their successors are elected or appointed. When the office of any such layman shall become vacant in any manner whatsoever, his successor shall be appointed in the manner provided for the selection of the original lay members of the board of trustees. It shall not be necessary, however, to file with the county clerk any certificate of such selection or appointment, but an entry in the minutes of the corporation shall be sufficient.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-5 § 16:16-5

The Ruthenian Catholic bishop appointed by the Pope as aforesaid shall, by virtue of his office, be the president of the board of trustees and of the corporation, and may convene the trustees as occasion may require.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-6 § 16:16-6

The corporation may elect annually, or at such periods as it may deem fit, one of such trustees to be the secretary of such corporation. He shall keep the minutes and enter the orders, acts and proceedings of the corporation in a book to be kept for that purpose.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-7 § 16:16-7

The proceedings, orders, acts, contracts or obligations of a majority of all the members of the corporation, but not of a less number, upon receiving the written sanction or approval of the bishop, or in his absence, the vicar general of the bishop, if any there be, duly appointed as such vicar general by the bishop, or in case of a vacancy in the office of bishop, by the administrator acting as bishop, appointed and confirmed by the Pope and recognized by the apostolic delegate in the United States, shall be valid and effectual.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-8 § 16:16-8

Any corporation created under or by virtue of the provisions of this article shall not be dissolved by failure to continue the succession of the trustees thereof at any time specified for the election of such trustees.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-9 Incorporation

Any Ruthenian Catholic diocese in this state or of the United States, of the Catholic Greek rite in the United States, may incorporate in the following manner: Any Catholic bishop appointed by the Pope of Rome to have supervision over Catholics of the Ruthenian Greek rite in the United States, or during a vacancy in such office, the administrator of any such diocese for the time being, the bishop's secretary, and the chancellor of the diocese, or a majority of them, may elect two priests from the Ruthenian Catholic priesthood of the diocese, and may, with such two priests, execute and acknowledge a certificate of incorporation setting forth the name by which they and their successors shall be known and distinguished as a corporation. They shall file and record the certificate in the office of the secretary of state and a copy thereof in the office of the clerk of the county in which such diocesan corporation has its principal office, for which services the secretary of state and county clerk shall be entitled, respectively, to the fees provided in section 22:4-1 and section 22:2-19 of the title Fees and Costs. Thereupon the diocese shall be a corporation by the name so taken.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-10 Powers of trustees

The first trustees of such corporation and their successors shall, by such name of incorporation, be able and capable unlimitedly to: Acquire, purchase, receive, erect, have, hold and use leases, legacies, devises, donations, moneys, goods and chattels of all kinds, church edifices, schools, college buildings, seminaries, parsonages, sisters' houses, hospitals, orphan asylums, reformatories and all other kinds of religious, ecclesiastical, educational and charitable institutions, and the lands whereon the same are or may be erected, and cemeteries or burying places and any lands, tenements and hereditaments suitable for any or all of said purposes in any place or places in any such diocese; and same or any part thereof, to lease, sell, grant, assign, demise, alien and dispose of; Sue and be sued; Adopt and use a common seal, and alter the same; Have perpetual succession; Make by-laws and rules not inconsistent with the laws of this State, or of the United States, for the regulation and management of their affairs, properties and institutions; Appoint such officers, agents and employees as they may require for the properties, institutions and business of the corporation; Borrow money from time to time for the purposes of the corporation, and to give notes, bonds and mortgages therefor on any part or parts of its properties; Aid and assist such of the parishes in said diocese, or any of the institutions in such parishes, as said corporation may deem fit; Aid and assist students pursuing their studies for the priesthood, and to aid and assist in the maintenance of the priesthood of such diocese, in accordance with the statutes of the diocese and the canons of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church; Have the general management, direction and control of all the civil and temporal affairs of such diocese; Exercise any corporate power necessary and proper to the carrying out of the above enumerated powers, and to the carrying out of the purposes of such corporation and its institutions. Amended by L.1953, c. 16, p. 148, s. 15, eff. March 19, 1953.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-11 § 16:16-11

The persons so executing and acknowledging such certificate shall be the first trustees of the corporation. The successor in office for the time being of the bishop, or the administrator in case of a vacancy in the office of bishop, the secretary, and the chancellor, respectively, shall, by virtue of their offices, be the trustees of such corporation in place of their predecessors. Such two priests shall hold office for one year, and until their successors are appointed, but shall be trustees only while in good standing according to the canons of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church, and approved by the bishop, or in his absence, by his vicar-general, or by the administrator. The office of either priest shall become vacant by his removal out of the diocese, or in the discretion and on the direction of the bishop or administrator.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-12 § 16:16-12

The bishop or administrator of the diocese shall, by virtue of his office, be the president and treasurer of the corporation, unless the board of trustees otherwise order unanimously. He shall have custody of the common seal, papers, documents, deeds, writings and books of or relating to the corporation, and may convene the trustees of the corporation, as occasion may require.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-13 § 16:16-13

The corporation may elect annually, or at such periods as it may deem fit, one of its trustees to be the secretary. He shall keep the minutes and enter the orders, acts and proceedings of the corporation in a book kept for that purpose.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-14 § 16:16-14

The proceedings, orders, acts, contracts or obligations of a majority of all the members of such corporation, but not of a less number, upon receiving the written sanction of such bishop, or in his absence, of such vicar-general, or in case of a vacancy in their office, of such administrator, shall be valid and effectual.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-15 § 16:16-15

Any corporation created under or by virtue of the provisions of this article shall not be dissolved by failure to continue the succession of the trustees thereof at any time specified for their election.

N.J. Stat. § 16:16-16 Incorporations under general law unaffected

Nothing contained in this article shall be construed to interfere with or affect any Ruthenian Greek Catholic parochial corporation, incorporated or which may be incorporated under an act entitled "An act to incorporate trustees of religious societies," approved April ninth, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, or any of the supplements thereto, except that any diocesan corporation organized under this article shall have jurisdiction over such parochial corporations as may be within the diocese, according to the statutes of such diocese and the canons of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church. Any such parochial corporation may give, grant, convey, and vest the title to any or all its property to and in the diocesan corporation.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026

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