Effective today, September 1, 2018, is the merger of two parishes less than a half-mile apart on Hone and Haight Avenues in the Morris Park section of The Bronx. The records held at St. Francis Xavier parish will be moved to the rectory of St. Clare of Assisi. The merger is somewhat unusual because the territorial parish is St. Francis Xavier, which will set the boundaries, while St. Clare of Assisi is a personal parish (read: national or Italian). Judging from the bulletins, attendance and revenue at St. Clare may be a bit stronger than at St. Francis Xavier, but both parishes have schools. Until today, the pastor of St. Francis was also the administrator of St. Clare, so this merger has been in the works. Neither church will be closed.
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The merger decree is linked HERE.
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My photos from St. Clare are HERE.
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My photos from St. Francis Xavier are HERE.
Showing posts with label Mergers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mergers. Show all posts
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Making All Things New
"Making All Things New" is the banner under which the Archbishop of New York is merging some parishes. For the first official document, dated 11.2.2014, please see this link, which itself contains two more links to lists of mergers. If the link becomes out-of-date, please try http://archny.org
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As of mid-February, 2015, the actual canonical degrees may be printed from this link. On February 13, 2014, the New York Times ran a lengthy article on the delay in public access to the decrees.
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List 2 tells that certain churches will be used only on special occasions. The sacraments will not be offered there on a regular basis. August, 2015, is the goal date.
Nativity of Our Blessed Lady, East 233rd Street and Dyre Avenue. The parishioners are directed to Holy Rosary, two miles south, but one or two Mount Vernon Catholic parishes appear equidistant. Nativity school remains open.
Visitation, on Van Cortlandt Park South. This parish is merged with St. John's, Kingsbridge. Both Visitation school and St. John's school remain open.
St. Ann, Bainbridge Avenue, near Montefiore Hospital. This parish is merged with St. Brendan on East 206 Street. Both schools, St. Ann and St. Brendan, remain open.
St. Roch, on Wales Avenue, Morrisania. This parish is merged with St. Anselm, Tinton Avenue. Both are architectural masterpieces. The stained glass windows of St. Roch provide color and light; St. Anselm's structure is heavy, dark. It turns out that St. Roch is a personal parish (formerly termed a national parish). Hence, it seems that St. Anselm gains no new territory.
St. Pius V on East 145 Street, Mott Haven, is merged with St. Rita of Cascia to the west.
St. John Vianney, 0.6 mile from the foot of Castle Hill Avenue, is merged with Holy Family at Watson Avenue another 0.6 mile north on Castle Hill Avenue. The Bx22 bus on the avenue has five trips scheduled each hour on Sunday mornings. Some parishioners probably live a distance east or west of the bus stops.
On December 14, 2014, The New York Times printed a list of further closings, a list that resembles this undated document on the archdiocesan website.
St. Joseph on Bathgate Avenue would be merged into St. Simon Stock, 0.7 mile to the north. I note that the 2014 Official Catholic Directory states that St. Joseph parish had 22 students in religious education, while St. Joseph's elementary school across the street had 465 students, a remarkable number, probably as of 2013. The school remains open.
Our Lady of Grace on Bronxwood Avenue would be merged into the parish of St. Frances of Rome (per the May 8th document). Our Lady of Grace elementary school remains open.
St. Francis of Assisi (Baychester Avenue) and St. Anthony (Wakefield) would be merged into St. Frances of Rome. However, an almost similar arrangement has been the situation for a few years recently, with one pastor tending to three parishes. With the addition of Our Lady of Grace, he now will tend four parishes, two open on Sundays, two mainly unavailable. The school at St. Francis of Assisi would remain open. The small church is attached to the school.
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Those are the nine mergers in which one parish is effectively closed for regular worship.
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List 1 explains four pairs of mergers in which both churches remain open. The one with the asterisk is designated the parish church. I am uncertain about sacramental records, but I suspect that by August, 2015, the priests and the records will be moved to the church with the asterisk.
*St. Margaret of Cortona and St. Gabriel, both on the highland called Riverdale.
*St. Jerome and St. Luke, both on East 138th Street, Mott Haven. However, the May 8th document suggests this may not occur, as a Ghanian Catholic community may share St. Luke's. Also, St. Luke received a new pastor according to the Catholic New York 8.5.2015.
*Holy Family, Watson Avenue, and Blessed Sacrament, Beach Avenue.
*Our Lady of the Assumption, Pelham Bay, and St. Mary Star of the Sea, City Island.
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The canonical decrees that were finally released in early February, 2015, have two pages of standard language (a common narrative of events, ignoring particular situations), plus a single page of what-will-happen and where-the-records-will-go.
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As of mid-February, 2015, the actual canonical degrees may be printed from this link. On February 13, 2014, the New York Times ran a lengthy article on the delay in public access to the decrees.
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On May 8, 2015, the archdiocese released another document concerning the project "Making All Things New." I have linked the May 8th document here.
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The changes are scheduled to take effect on August 1, 2015, but according to the May 8th document some things are still in flux. I have tried to edit the list as more news comes out.
The changes are scheduled to take effect on August 1, 2015, but according to the May 8th document some things are still in flux. I have tried to edit the list as more news comes out.
List 2 tells that certain churches will be used only on special occasions. The sacraments will not be offered there on a regular basis. August, 2015, is the goal date.
Nativity of Our Blessed Lady, East 233rd Street and Dyre Avenue. The parishioners are directed to Holy Rosary, two miles south, but one or two Mount Vernon Catholic parishes appear equidistant. Nativity school remains open.
Visitation, on Van Cortlandt Park South. This parish is merged with St. John's, Kingsbridge. Both Visitation school and St. John's school remain open.
St. Ann, Bainbridge Avenue, near Montefiore Hospital. This parish is merged with St. Brendan on East 206 Street. Both schools, St. Ann and St. Brendan, remain open.
St. Roch, on Wales Avenue, Morrisania. This parish is merged with St. Anselm, Tinton Avenue. Both are architectural masterpieces. The stained glass windows of St. Roch provide color and light; St. Anselm's structure is heavy, dark. It turns out that St. Roch is a personal parish (formerly termed a national parish). Hence, it seems that St. Anselm gains no new territory.
St. Pius V on East 145 Street, Mott Haven, is merged with St. Rita of Cascia to the west.
St. John Vianney, 0.6 mile from the foot of Castle Hill Avenue, is merged with Holy Family at Watson Avenue another 0.6 mile north on Castle Hill Avenue. The Bx22 bus on the avenue has five trips scheduled each hour on Sunday mornings. Some parishioners probably live a distance east or west of the bus stops.
On December 14, 2014, The New York Times printed a list of further closings, a list that resembles this undated document on the archdiocesan website.
St. Joseph on Bathgate Avenue would be merged into St. Simon Stock, 0.7 mile to the north. I note that the 2014 Official Catholic Directory states that St. Joseph parish had 22 students in religious education, while St. Joseph's elementary school across the street had 465 students, a remarkable number, probably as of 2013. The school remains open.
Our Lady of Grace on Bronxwood Avenue would be merged into the parish of St. Frances of Rome (per the May 8th document). Our Lady of Grace elementary school remains open.
St. Francis of Assisi (Baychester Avenue) and St. Anthony (Wakefield) would be merged into St. Frances of Rome. However, an almost similar arrangement has been the situation for a few years recently, with one pastor tending to three parishes. With the addition of Our Lady of Grace, he now will tend four parishes, two open on Sundays, two mainly unavailable. The school at St. Francis of Assisi would remain open. The small church is attached to the school.
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Those are the nine mergers in which one parish is effectively closed for regular worship.
---
List 1 explains four pairs of mergers in which both churches remain open. The one with the asterisk is designated the parish church. I am uncertain about sacramental records, but I suspect that by August, 2015, the priests and the records will be moved to the church with the asterisk.
*St. Margaret of Cortona and St. Gabriel, both on the highland called Riverdale.
*St. Jerome and St. Luke, both on East 138th Street, Mott Haven. However, the May 8th document suggests this may not occur, as a Ghanian Catholic community may share St. Luke's. Also, St. Luke received a new pastor according to the Catholic New York 8.5.2015.
*Holy Family, Watson Avenue, and Blessed Sacrament, Beach Avenue.
*Our Lady of the Assumption, Pelham Bay, and St. Mary Star of the Sea, City Island.
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The canonical decrees that were finally released in early February, 2015, have two pages of standard language (a common narrative of events, ignoring particular situations), plus a single page of what-will-happen and where-the-records-will-go.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
St. Pius V, East 145 St., Mott Haven
The address of St. Pius V parish was 420 East 145 St., Bronx NY 10454. The church remains on the south side of East 145 Street, just east of Willis Avenue. According to the notice from the archdiocese, it may be used for special occasions. The above photo is from 2012. The symmetrical design is evident: a church with two towers, the rectory to the left, the convent to the right.
---See page 476 for the 1906 establishment of the parish of St. Pius V. The church, according to the A.I.A. Guide designed by Anthony F. A. Schmidt (more likely Schmitt), dates from 1908. Pages 584 and 586 describe the parish and other neighborhoods half-consumed by flames in the late 1960's and 1970's. However, in 2012, the Mott Haven is busy with residents and many small stores. Buildings have been renovated or replaced.
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Michele Ghislieri was born in 1504 and served as Pope Pius V from 1566 until his death in 1572.
In January, 2012, this banner hung on the former convent.
Also, please see my post about the merged parish. The archbishop's decree of merger is linked here.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
St Rita of Cascia & St Pius V, Mott Haven
As of August 1, 2015, the parish of St. Rita of Cascia parish has absorbed the parish of St. Pius V. The parish website is linked here. The two photos below are from 2009.
See page 231 for the foundation of the parish of St Rita of Cascia in 1900. The present church was built in 1904 at College Avenue and East 145 Street. The rectory address is 448 College Ave., Bronx NY 10451, telephone 718-585-5900.
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On May 24, 1900, Leo XIII canonized two saints: Rita of Cascia and Jean Baptiste de la Salle. Archbishop Michael Corrigan immediately named a new parish for each: Rita here in The Bronx, and John Baptiste de la Salle on Staten Island.
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Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.
The parish website shows parishioners painting the church exterior. They did a masterful job.
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The pastor or administrator is now the pastor or administrator of the merged parish of St. Rita and St. Pius V. However, in neither location could I find a sign acknowledging the merger. The 2016 Official Catholic Directory lists Fr. Pablo Gonzales Maestre as administrator (or pastor?). In turn, he is listed as a priest of the Archdiocese of Madrid as a missionary in The Bronx. His service appears to be with the O.M.P., Obras Misionales Pontificias.
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Please see my post for the parish of St. Pius V, which has no regular religious services.
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There are seven comments, which may be read when you click on "Comments" below.
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Immaculate Conception elementary school is a half-mile away at East 151st Street and Melrose Ave.
See page 231 for the foundation of the parish of St Rita of Cascia in 1900. The present church was built in 1904 at College Avenue and East 145 Street. The rectory address is 448 College Ave., Bronx NY 10451, telephone 718-585-5900.
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On May 24, 1900, Leo XIII canonized two saints: Rita of Cascia and Jean Baptiste de la Salle. Archbishop Michael Corrigan immediately named a new parish for each: Rita here in The Bronx, and John Baptiste de la Salle on Staten Island.
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Clicking on any photo will enlarge it.
The parish website shows parishioners painting the church exterior. They did a masterful job.
The Missionaries of Charity live, work, and pray in this parish.
The pastor or administrator is now the pastor or administrator of the merged parish of St. Rita and St. Pius V. However, in neither location could I find a sign acknowledging the merger. The 2016 Official Catholic Directory lists Fr. Pablo Gonzales Maestre as administrator (or pastor?). In turn, he is listed as a priest of the Archdiocese of Madrid as a missionary in The Bronx. His service appears to be with the O.M.P., Obras Misionales Pontificias.
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Please see my post for the parish of St. Pius V, which has no regular religious services.
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There are seven comments, which may be read when you click on "Comments" below.
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Immaculate Conception elementary school is a half-mile away at East 151st Street and Melrose Ave.
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