Four Northeast Philadelphia Parishes Will Merge This Summer, Philadelphia Archdioceses Says
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced that Archbishop Charles Chaput has approved the merging of four parishes located in Northeast Philadelphia. The decision to merge has been discussed for the last several years.
Saint Adalbert Parish, Saint George Parish, and Mother of Divine Grace Parish will merge with Nativity B.V.M parish effective July 1.
A combination of factors played into the merger including, demographic shifts in the Catholic population, a large number of parishes in a small area, a decline in Mass attendance and the availability of priests.
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Saint Adalbert's Church will be the worship site for the new Nativity B.V.M parish.
This newly restructured parish will provide mass and sacramental care for Polish speaking people in the area.
"All churches of the former parishes will remain open and be maintained as a worship site," the Archdiocese said in a statement.
There will be 214 parishes in the five-county Archdiocese of Philadelphia when this merger goes into effect.
For more information about the Parish Area Pastoral Planning Initiative, visit www.archphila.org.
