Like so much else in the slow economy, a regional Catholic high school for Gloucester County is going to have to wait.

"The project is on hold because of the recession," said Andrew Walton, spokesman for the Diocese of Camden.

A year ago, diocesan officials hoped to open the school - the diocese's first in the county - in the fall of 2010. They had a nearly $5 million agreement to buy a 100-acre farm on Route 77 in Harrison Township, and envisioned a 200,000-square-foot facility for 1,200 students.

The project has not been abandoned, according to the diocese, but the economy has put on the brakes.

Church officials will continue to seek state and local project approvals, Walton said, but "the financing piece is going to have to wait."

The project's revised target date will depend on when the money falls into place, the spokesman said. The estimated cost of the new school is $64 million.

Walton said the diocese believes the school is needed given population growth in the county. Families also have expressed support for the proposed school, he noted.

The on-hold status gives a reprieve to Gloucester Catholic High School, an 81-year-old institution that educates about 750 students and is located in Gloucester City, Camden County. About two-thirds of its students come from Gloucester County.

Walton said Gloucester Catholic would not close until the new school was ready.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is moving forward with Pope John Paul II High School, under construction in Upper Providence Township. The 1,200-student school is expected to open in fall 2010.

Tough economic times may delay the archdiocese's proposed Lansdale Catholic Regional High School in Hilltown Township, however.

The Bucks County school had been projected to open in fall 2012. With the current financial uncertainty, the archdiocese has stepped back from predicting a date, according to spokeswoman Donna Farrell.

The archdiocese is about $71 million into a $200 million capital campaign, she said.

"These are very challenging times, but we are dedicated to building this high school, these high schools," Farrell said.

Contact staff writer Rita Giordano at 856-779-3841 or rgiordano@phillynews.com.