United Purpose
A new year will bring new parishes for some Butler County Catholics. Now the hard part is making the transition as painless as possible, according to the Rev. Ward Stakem, senior parochial vicar for the two new parishes of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare of Assisi.
A third grouping in northern Butler County also will have a new name, St. Faustina.
Stakem and two other priests will assist the Rev. Matthew McClain, the pastor of the new St. Francis and St. Clare parishes, in serving their six churches (St. Joseph in North Oakland, Mater Dolorosa in Chicora and St. Wendelin in Carbon Center for the St. Clare Parish, and St. John in Coylesville, St. Joseph in Cabot and St. Mary of the Assumption in Herman for the St. Francis Parish).
“There are four of us on the clergy team,” said Stakem, estimating the four priests will be responsible for between 2,500 and 3,000 parishioners, depending on who attends Mass in person and who views Mass remotely.The day-to-day administration of St. Francis of Assisi Parish will be handled by an administrative center at St. Joseph in Cabot. For right now, Stakem said, there will be no changes in Mass schedules or church operations.After Jan. 4, any changes will be worked out among the new clergy team.“I don't know the nuts and bolts,” Stakem said. “It's being worked out within the new clergy team.”For now, Stakem said, “Activities will flow as they are presently.” People seeking a wedding, christening or funeral should still contact their local church.Bishop David Zubik of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced 14 new merged parishes, which include the three new Butler County parishes listed in a letter released Saturday.In the letter Zubik wrote, “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. 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.”
The parish mergers are part of the culmination of the “On Mission for the Church Alive!” strategic planning initiative launched by Zubik in April 2015.No churches are slated for closure at this time, but Zubik urged parish leaders and parishioners to follow a thorough process to consider which buildings best serve the needs of the faithful and the community. “Church buildings are not the focus of this initiative,” said Linda Ritzer, diocesan secretary for parish services. “The goal is to offer a deeper relationship with Jesus and the Catholic Church.”Ritzer said after a study of need and consultation with parishioners, pastors together with the churches' lay leadership will determine which buildings best serve the needs of the new parish. Only Zubik can decide to close a church and only after he receives a formal petition from the pastor.Jason Foster, financial secretary and past grand master of Knights of Columbus Council 13943 in Slippery Rock, said the consolidation of St. Alphonsus in Boyers/Murrinsville/West Sunbury, St. Christopher in Prospect and St. Peter in Slippery Rock into the new St. Faustina Parish was not unexpected.“It's a good thing. We are the northernmost part of the diocese, and we're more of a rural area,” said Foster. “This helps with the organization of all three churches.”Foster said a lack of priests prompted the reorganization. “We've got two priests and they do a lot of work,” he said.“I think consolidation of all the parishes helps alleviate the problems,” he said. “We're glad to see the diocese trying to push through.”
