Advertisement
For premium support please call:
YOUNGSTOWN — Four churches in Stark County will merge into multi-site parishes starting July 1, the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown announced.
Christ the Servant Parish at 833 39th St. NW in Canton will be a collaborative unit with Little Flower Parish at 2040 Diamond St. NE in Plain Township.
It marks the second reconfiguration for the Christ the Servant church. In 2011, the former Our Lady of Peace parish was merged with the now-closed St. Paul parish in Canton to create Christ the Servant.
Meanwhile, St. Michael the Archangel church at 3430 St. Michael Drive NW in Plain Township will become a collaborative parish with Sts. Philip & James at 412 High St. NE in Canal Fulton.
The diocese made the announcement Saturday. Some parishes in Portage and Mahoning counties are affected.
As with past reconfigurations, parishes will continue to serve as individual entities but will have a priest and staff. Churches will also coordinate Mass times.
“Even when parishes have their own identity, parish associations remind us that we are all involved in a common project as a church and help us make up our minds to staff our parishes and address the shortage of priests,” Archbishop David Bonnar said in a statement listed. We have come a long way at the diocesan pastoral level, and we will make innovations and additional measures if necessary. I must express my gratitude to the clergy and faithful for their work and prayer over many years.
The adjustments are the latest results of the diocesan pastoral plan, which looks at the number of parishioners, parish finances, population movements, buildings and the number of priests and lay ecclesial ministers available. The investigation was conducted through Bishop George Murry in 2019 and has continued to expand since Bonnar’s installation in 2021.
Nearly all of the 80 parishes in the six-county diocese are now a collaborative union or exist as multi-site parishes.
“If you attend Mass regularly, please recognize that the numbers have decreased,” one user commented on the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown’s Facebook post about the most recent mergers. “Our beautiful Catholic churches can no longer stand on their own two feet and our active priests are aging. , and the young priests who lead the parishes are subject to many demands. In my time, we had a parish priest and two assistants. Our church will have to be helped through an active church. ” Members want to get more involved. We all want to pray for this and lend our help even if we don’t like the changes. I am grateful to be able to attend Mass. Unity prevails in numbers. “
The mergers are the second major reconfiguration of Catholic churches announced this year in Stark County. In January, the diocese announced that St. John the Baptist’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Guangzhou would merge from a reconfiguration plan, as would St. Peter’s. Joan of Arc and St. Joseph Parishes.
Last year, two parishes in the township, St. Anthony/All Saints and St. John’s. Benedict/St. Mary Immaculate merged to form a new parish, St. Francis of Assisi. In the case of St. Mary’s, parish leaders closed the church.
And in 2022, St. Barbara, St. Joseph, and St. Mary of Massillon merged to form Divine Mercy Parish.
Diocesan changes: closure of St. Barbara Catholic School; Threat of low enrollment, losses and debts cited
The affected parishes in Portage and Mahoning County are:
Mahoning: Christ Our Savior Parish in Struthers and Holy Rosary Parish in Lowellville; Holy Family Parish in Poland and St. Paul’s Parish in New Middletown; and St. John’s Parish. Angela Merici and St. Patrick Parish in Youngstown, and Christ the Good Shepherd Parish in Campbell. The move of Christ Our Savior and the Holy Rosary will go into effect on July 1, while the other two will take effect on July 1. May 1.
Portage: Kent State University Parish and St. Petersburg ParishJohn, Patrick in Kent, and Immaculate Conception Parish in Ravenna. The replacement will go into effect on July 1.
This article appeared in The Repository: Catholic Diocese of Youngstown Announces Parish Mergers in Stark
Advertising
Advertisement
Advertising
Advertising
Advertising
Advertising
Advertising
Advertising
Advertising
Advertising