The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced Saturday that four new merged parishes will be created on July 1.
The mergers will involve 15 parishes coming together in four new groupings. The move would reduce the number of parishes in the diocese to 70 from the current 81.
In a statement, the diocese said the four new parishes would be:
- All Saints Parish (Butler County), which will consist of St. Andrew in Center Township, St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen in Meridian, and three Butler churches, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Paul and St. Peter.
- Christ the King Parish (Lower Allegheny Valley), which will consist of St. Joseph in O’Hara, St. Juan Diego in Sharpsburg, St. Pio of Pietrelcina in Blawnox and St. Scholastica in Aspinwall.
- Mary, Queen of Saints Parish (Aliquippa/Center/Hopewell/Monaca), which will consist of St. Frances Cabrini in Center Township, St. John the Baptist in Monaca, Our Lady of Fatima in Hopewell and St. Titus in Aliquippa
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish (Allison Park/Glenshaw), which will consist of St. Mary of the Assumption in Glenshaw and St. Ursula in Allison Park
The mergers are part of the diocese’s strategic planning initiative titled “On Mission for The Church Alive!” which is “designed to help parishes mobilize their resources to prioritize mission over maintenance,” the diocese said in a news release.
Bishop David Zubik said it is a “pivotal time” for the diocese as it begins new mergers.
Each merger was requested by the priest-administrator for each grouping, and the bishop approved the requests in consultation with other diocesan officials, the diocese said.
“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,” Bishop Zubik wrote in a letter to parishioners.
“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.”
First Published: May 29, 2021, 8:41 p.m.
Updated: May 30, 2021, 2:10 a.m.
