Archdiocese to consolidate 27 parishes in Delco, Philadelphia

THE ARCHDIOCESE of Philadelphia yesterday announced plans to merge 27 parishes, the largest in a series of moves to deal with declining attendance and population shifts.

The parishes affected are in Philadelphia and Delaware County. The mergers, which will take effect July 1, were announced at the individual parishes during weekend Mass and communicated in a letter to congregants, the Archdiocese said.

The Archdiocese said the mergers were based on several factors stemming from reviews of each facility. They include demographic changes that moved Catholics out of the parish, a history of declining church attendance, economic challenges facing the neighborhoods, and the availability of fewer clergy.

In each of the consolidated parishes, congregants will attend services at the newly formed parish church, while the other church will remain open and be used for weddings, funerals and feast days at the pastor's discretion. As with past parish mergers, not all worshippers are pleased.

"It's a very frustrating thing. We've asked the Archdiocese, but nobody will talk to us," said Cheryl Fleming, 53, a lifelong parishioner at St. Leo the Great in Tacony, which will merge with nearby Our Lady of Consolation parish.

Fleming said that she and others from St. Leo are seriously considering not attending Mass at Our Lady of Consolation. She said the merging process has caused them to lose faith in the Archdiocese leadership.

"Maybe I won't go at all," said Fleming, who was baptized at St. Leo and attended grade school there. "This is the first time in my life that I would have ever thought that way. I go to church every single week."

As part of the review, the Archdiocese said 15 parishes in the affected areas will not merge but remain freestanding.

Some parishioners said they support the changes so that the church can move forward.

"It's necessary, and at this point we have to focus on the church and how do we worship, and that's through charity," said Michael Barkowski, a Roxborough resident who grew up in Pittsburgh, a city whose parishes have also experienced mergers in recent years. Barkowski said the news can be difficult for congregants, but added, "Part of being Catholic is also being financially responsible, and this is part of living out our mission."

The merger recommendations were made by the Archdiocesan Strategic Planning Committee and reviewed by Archbishop Charles Chaput under an initiative that began in 2011. The first set of mergers were announced in April 2012, with several other announcements since then. When the latest moves take effect July 1, there will be a total of 236 parishes in the five-county area, down from 266 before the process, according to Archdiocese spokesman Kenneth Gavin.

In 2012, the Archdiocese also closed several schools, transferred management of its high schools to a new foundation and sold multiple properties as part of its restructuring.

Additional parishes are expected to be reviewed in the fall and more mergers could be announced next spring.

At St. Leo, where parishioners held a rally yesterday, no one could understand why the parish isn't one of the survivors. St. Leo is sitting on a budget surplus, Fleming said.

"They're just taking our assets and it will become Our Lady of Consolation's assets," Fleming said.

- Staff writer William Bender contributed to this report.