Creation of All Saints Parish set for July 1
The planned July 1 merger of five Butler County Catholic congregations into All Saints Parish feels like a natural progression, according to some members.
“We seem to be more together,” said Tony Pellegrino, who attended St. Paul Roman Catholic Church with his wife, Pat, on Sunday. “It makes us more cohesive.”
Pat Pellegrino said there didn't appear to be any negative aspects about the merger, and she felt as though their church family was growing.
“It makes us more comfortable at any of the parishes,” she said.
All Saints Parish will bring together St. Andrew, Center Township; St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Meridian; St. Michael the Archangel, Butler; St. Peter, Butler; and St. Paul.
The merger was among four announced Saturday by Bishop David Zubik of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
According to the Butler Area Catholic Parishes website, all churches unveiled the information about the merger at Masses over the weekend.
“For more than two years, you have journeyed together on a road that is intended to unite you on the mission to bring the Good News of Jesus to your neighbors and to strengthen all of you in faith,” Zubik said in a news release announcing the four groupings of parishes.
The newly formed parish will act as an umbrella entity encompassing all five churches, which will continue to operate under their current names.A parish is a geographic territory composed of people; a church is a building designated for the gathering of people to worship God.Logistically, the merger will help strengthen ties between the five churches and pull their resources into shared goals, according to Herb Nichol, who serves on the pastoral council at St. Michael.“It's really coming together,” Nichol said. “We're all part of one family, part of God's family. But it's like you have five different households coming together as one. That's the beauty of it.”Nichol said he was involved with representatives from the five churches in selecting a name. Suggestions were first gathered by surveys from the churches and were forwarded to Zubik, along with suggestions.Nichol said the majority in every building seemed in favor of the All Saints Parish.“It pretty much encompasses what we are,” he said. “Each of the five churches is named after the saints, and at Butler Catholic, all the teams are named the saints.”
Nichol said there is little drawback from the merger at this point, especially as all five churches will continue operations and preserve their names and histories.He said some members may have a difficult time, but he believes they will come to accept the decision.“Change is always difficult, but change is also a growth,” he said.In a letter to parishioners, Zubik echoed these sentiments, backing them with faith.“This has not been a simple task,” Zubik said. “Jesus never promised that it would be easy to carry His message of love and mercy to others. He was clear that sacrifice would be necessary.”
