Eight new, merged parishes to be created Jan. 6

Eight groupings of parishes in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh will merge on January 6, 2020, to create eight new parishes, Bishop David Zubik announced today. Twenty-six parishes will be part of the mergers.

“For more than a year, you have journeyed together on a road that is intended to unite you on the mission to bring the Good News of Jesus to your neighbors and to strengthen all of you in faith,” Bishop Zubik wrote in a letter to be read or distributed in those parishes at this weekend’s Masses.

“This has not been a simple task. Jesus never promised that it would be easy to carry his message of love and mercy to others. He was clear that sacrifice would be necessary. However, you are positioning your new parish for more effective ministry by addressing financial needs, sharing resources and allowing your clergy to focus on the spiritual work for which they were ordained.”
The eight new parishes are:

• Archangel Gabriel (Kennedy/McKees Rocks/Robinson), which brings together the parishes of Holy Trinity (Robinson), Saint John of God (McKees Rocks) and Saint Malachy (Kennedy);
• Christ the Divine Shepherd (Monroeville/Penn Hills), which brings together the parishes of Saint Bartholomew (Penn Hills), Saint Bernadette (Monroeville), Saint Gerard Majella (Penn Hills), North American Martyrs (Monroeville) and Saint Susanna (Penn Hills);
• Corpus Christi (Bridgeville/Cecil), which brings together the parishes of Saint Barbara (Bridgeville), Holy Child (Bridgeville) and Saint Mary (Cecil);
• Divine Mercy (City Center/Hill District), which brings together the parishes of Saint Benedict the Moor (Hill District), Epiphany (Uptown) and Saint Mary of Mercy (The Point/Gateway Center);
• Divine Redeemer (Aleppo/Sewickley), which brings together the parishes of Saint James (Sewickley) and Saint Mary (Aleppo);
• Mary, Mother of God (McKeesport/North Versailles/Versailles/White Oak), which brings together the parishes of Saint Angela Merici (White Oak), Corpus Christi (McKeesport), Saint Patrick (McKeesport, Versailles) and Saint Robert Bellarmine (East McKeesport);
• Saint Andrew the Apostle (Charleroi/Donora/Monongahela), which brings together the parishes of Saint Damien of Molokai (Monongahela), Mary, Mother of the Church (Charleroi) and Our Lady of the Valley (Donora);
• Saint Mary Magdalene (East End/Point Breeze/Wilkinsburg), which brings together the parishes of Saint Bede (Point Breeze), Saint Charles Lwanga (East End) and Saint James (Wilkinsburg).

No buildings will close at this time. Decisions about which buildings the new parishes use will occur later, after consultation among the faithful of those parishes.

Each of the mergers was requested by the priest-administrator of the grouping, after extensive consultation with parishioners. Bishop Zubik consulted with and received consent from the diocesan Priest Council and Vicars General before approving each request.
 
The mergers are part of the ongoing On Mission for the Church Alive! strategic planning initiative, which is designed to help parishes mobilize their resources to prioritize mission over maintenance. Its goal is to help Catholics have a deeper relationship with Jesus and empower them to reach out to others with His love and mercy.

“This is a pivotal time for our diocese as we plan for the future of the Church of Pittsburgh,” Bishop Zubik wrote.

“Southwestern Pennsylvania is radically different than it was 100, 50, 20, even 10 years ago, yet the work of the Church and our call from God to bring His love to everyone continues as strong as ever. As we address the challenges we face in the Church today, the witness of working and growing together reflects the unity of the Body of Christ that is essential to our mission.”

The mergers follow extensive consultation with laity in all parishes, including 329 parish meetings across the diocese in 2017. Parishioners expressed their understanding that their faith communities are changing, and indicated a strong desire to draw younger Catholics into the Church.

The mergers of January 6, 2020 will bring the number of parishes in the Diocese of Pittsburgh from 170 to 152.