N.J. Stat. tit. 16, ch. 15

in effect

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-1 Incorporation

Any Roman Catholic church or congregation in this state may incorporate in the following manner: The Roman Catholic bishop of the diocese in which the church or congregation is located, the vicar-general of the diocese, or, during a vacancy in such offices, the administrator of the diocese for the time being, and the pastor of the church or congregation for the time being, or a majority of them, may elect two lay members of the 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 corporation. They shall transmit the certificate to the clerk of the county in which the 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 the church or congregation shall be a corporation by such name or title.

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-2 § 16:15-2

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

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-3 § 16:15-3

The successor in office for the time being of such bishop, vicar-general and pastor, respectively, shall by virtue of his office be the trustee of such church or congregation in place of his predecessor. The lay members shall hold office for one year, and the office of any such layman shall become vacant by his removal out of the limits of such church or congregation. When the office of any such layman becomes vacant in any manner whatsoever the vacancy shall be filled by appointment in the manner provided for the selection of the original lay members of such board of trustees.

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-4 § 16:15-4

Such corporation may elect annually, or oftener if necessary or expedient, one of their own members to be president. The president shall keep the minutes and enter the orders, acts and proceedings of the corporation in a book to be kept for that purpose, shall have custody of the common seal and the papers, documents, deeds, writings and books of or relating to the corporation, and may convene the corporation as occasion may require.

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-5 § 16:15-5

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

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-6 § 16:15-6

If any corporation created under or by virtue of the provisions of this article shall be dissolved by failure to continue the succession of its trustees, it may be revived and the church or congregation reincorporated under this article, in the manner herein prescribed, at any time within six years from the date of such dissolution. Thereupon all the real and personal property belonging to the dissolved corporation at the time of its dissolution shall vest in the new corporation.

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-7 § 16:15-7

Any religious association incorporated under or by virtue of any law of this state may organize under this article. Upon filing a certificate according to section 16:15-1 of this title, together with a certificate signed by the trustees of the association, consenting to such organization, all the right, title and interest of the association in any real or personal property and all its franchises and chartered rights shall be vested in the corporation so created, subject to all legal liabilities of the association, and the original incorporation of the association shall be null and void.

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-8 § 16:15-8

The rights and customs of any Roman Catholic church corporation, incorporated under the provisions of this title, to conduct its affairs and convey or mortgage its property through a board of trustees shall not be affected by any statute passed prior to May tenth, one thousand nine hundred and seven, requiring the reference of such matters to a vote of the congregation, and any conveyance or mortgage made prior to May tenth, one thousand nine hundred and seven, by any such corporation is hereby confirmed and declared to be valid notwithstanding the same has not been submitted to a vote of the congregation.

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-9 Incorporation

Any Roman Catholic diocese in this state may incorporate in the following manner: The Roman Catholic bishop of any such diocese, the vicar-general of such diocese, or during a vacancy in such offices, the administrator of the diocese for the time being, and the chancellor of such diocese, or a majority of them, may elect two priests from the Roman 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 diocese has its principal office, for which services the secretary of state and the 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 such diocese shall be a corporation by such name or title.

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-10 § 16:15-10

The bishop, vicar-general, or administrator, as the case may be, and the chancellor of such diocese, together with the two priests elected as aforesaid, shall be the first trustees of such corporation. Such two priests shall hold office for one year, and until their successors are appointed in the manner provided in section 16:15-9 of this title, but shall be trustees only while in good standing, according to the statutes of such diocese and the canons of the Roman Catholic Church, and approved by the bishop, or in his absence by the vicar-general or by such administrator. The office of either of such priests shall become vacant by his removal out of such diocese, or in the discretion and on the direction of the bishop. The successor in office for the time being of such bishop, vicar-general or administrator and such chancellor, respectively, shall, by virtue of his office, be a trustee of such corporation in place of his predecessor.

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-11 Powers of trustees

Such first trustees 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, schoolhouses, 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 the 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 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 Roman Catholic Church; Have the general management, direction and control of all the civil and temporal affairs of such diocese; Exercise any corporate powers 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. 146, s. 13, eff. March 19, 1953.

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-12 § 16:15-12

The bishop of such 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 as occasion may require.

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-13 § 16:15-13

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

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-14 § 16:15-14

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 of the bishop, or in his absence, the vicar-general, or in case of a vacancy in their office, such administrator, shall be valid and effectual.

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-15 § 16:15-15

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

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-16 § 16:15-16

Any diocesan or other religious organization incorporated under and by virtue of any law of this state, may organize under this article. Upon filing a certificate according to section 16:15-9 of this title, together with a certificate signed by the trustees of such existing association consenting to such organization, all the right, title and interest of such association in any real or personal property, and all its franchises and charter rights, shall be vested in such corporation, subject to all legal disabilities of such association, and the original incorporation of the association shall then be null and void.

N.J. Stat. § 16:15-17 Incorporations under other statutory provisions unaffected

Nothing contained in this article shall be construed to interfere with or affect: a. Any Roman Catholic diocesan corporation incorporated under an act entitled "An act to incorporate associations not for pecuniary profit," approved April twenty-first, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight, or any of the acts amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto, or which may hereafter be incorporated under Title 15, Corporations and Associations Not for Profit. b. Any Roman Catholic parochial corporation 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 its supplements, or which may hereafter be incorporated under this title, 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 Roman Catholic Church. Any such parochial corporation may give, grant, convey and vest the title to any or all of its properties to and in such 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