New York Catholics learn which churches are changing due to merger plans
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Many New York Catholics learned Sunday how their parishes would be affected as part of a massive reorganization plan.
The Archdiocese of New York is merging about 14 percent of the parishes in New York City and the Hudson Valley next year.
Some 50 churches will be affected, many in Manhattan and the Bronx.
Timothy Cardinal Dolan says the changes are necessary to better distribute resources throughout the entire Catholic community.
Dolan has released the information to priests, who distributed the news as to whether their parishes will be closing or remain as is.
The mergers have been occurring across the country in an effort to cut costs at a time when church membership and the numbers of priests have declined drastically.
The 368 churches in the Archdiocese had input into the mergers, which will begin next year.
"This time of transition in the history of the archdiocese will undoubtedly be difficult for people who live in parishes that will merge. There will be many who are hurt and upset as they experience what will be a change in their spiritual lives, and I will be one of them," said Dolan. "There is nobody who has been involved in Making All Things New who doesn't understand the impact that this will have on the Catholic faithful. It will be our responsibility to work with everyone in these parishes so as to help make the change as smooth as we possibly can."
The Archdiocese covers three boroughs in New York City and seven counties: Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island, and Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state.
The Archdiocese announced that the following parishes will merge, with the designated parish church identified with an asterisk:
Staten Island
1.
*Our Lady of Pity
Saint Anthony of Padua
__________________________________________________________________
2.
*Saint Peter
Assumption /
Saint Paul
at St. Paul
__________________________________________________________________
3.
*Saint Joseph
Immaculate Conception
Manhattan
1.
*Saint Peter
Our Lady of the Rosary
__________________________________________________________________
2.
*Our Lady of Victory
Saint Andrew
____________________________________________
3.
*Basilica of Saint Patrick Old Cathedral
Most Precious Blood
__________________________________________________________________
4.
*Guardian Angel
Saint Columba
________________________________________________________________________________________
5.
*Holy Cross
Saint John the Baptist
_________________________________________________________________________________
6.
*Our Saviour
Chapel of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary of St. Stephen/Our Lady of the New Scapular
Bronx
1.
*Saint Margaret of Cortona
Saint Gabriel
____________________________________________________________
2.
*Saint Jerome
Saint Luke
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.
*Holy Family
Blessed Sacrament
____________________________________________________________________________________
4.
*Our Lady of the Assumption
Saint Mary Star of the Sea
Westchester County
1.
*Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Saint Catharine
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2.
*Saint Gabriel
Saint Joseph
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3.
*Immaculate Conception
Assumption
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4.
*Annunciation
Our Lady of Fatima
