The Rev. Michael Roche took over as the priest for both St. Gregory Parish in Zelienople and St. Matthias Roman Parish in Evans City in July. If the parishes consolidate in the near future, both their churches would remain open, a Pittsburgh Diocese spokesman said.

ZELIENOPLE — It's coming full circle for the St. Matthias and St. Gregory parishes.

In 1939, St. Gregory parish in Zelienople purchased an empty church in Evans City and renovated it for use as a Catholic church. St. Matthias continued as a mission of St. Gregory until 1946 when a resident pastor was assigned.

Now, the Pittsburgh Diocese could merge the two parishes back together in the near future.

Although the future parish would be called St. Gregory, both churches would remain open and their worship service schedules would remain unchanged, according to Bob DeWitt, a spokesman for the Pittsburgh Diocese.

The diocese counts 2,782 members of St. Gregory parish and 480 members in St. Matthias parish. At present there are 240 students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at St. Gregory School, 115 Pine St., Zelienople.

“St. Gregory in Zelienople is the older of the two. It was established in 1906,” said DeWitt.

“Whereas in the past we have had more priests, more people, more participants, more everything; since 2007 we've had one priest for the two parishes,” said DeWitt.

The Rev. Michael Roche, who took over as the sole priest in the two parishes in July 2015, said, “For the last nine years one priest has been the pastor of both parishes. It shows, with integration, one priest can handle the whole thing.”

A collaborative planning team has proposed to merge the parishes, DeWitt said.

Roche said, “We've been working together as one community since the two churches have one pastor. It's been a two-year conversation as to how we proceed.”

“A change was needed in both parishes. To make them as vibrant as possible, they should be one parish,” said DeWitt, to cut costs and avoid duplication of staff, effort and administration.

“It means St. Matthias is returning to St. Gregory like a child to a parent,” said DeWitt.

The diocese has put the process into motion. Parishioners received parish demographic data at two information sessions at Seneca Valley Intermediate School in December and recently completed a survey to provide comment on the proposed merger.

“What they are doing now is getting more input from the parishoners,” said DeWitt.Roche will consult with the parish finance and pastoral councils about the team's recommendation.Next week, Roche will present a petition for action to Bishop David Zubik.Zubik will review the petition and decide whether to take action. If he decides to go forward with consolidation, then the petition will go to the Priest Council, a consultative body, then back to the bishop for a final decision, DeWitt said.There is no specific timetable for a decision.According to DeWitt, under the proposal:n Both churches would be remain open and their worship schedules would be unchangedn Current members of church councils would be invited to stay onn The cemetery and school building would operate unchanged.Regardless of any action or inaction on consolidation, Roche said the parish will hire a new director of religious education to ensure the CCD program is strong for the 272 students in the Sunday CCD programs.

St Matthias Roman Catholic Church in Evans City was started as a mission church in 1939 by St. Gregory. It might rejoin St. Gregory in a parish consolidation plan.