Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009

Dear Arthur and friends,

Our Lady of Consolation and St. Joseph's Churches are still open.  I thought one church would remain after July 1 from Pleasant View merger of Sacred Heart, OLC and St. Joseph's into Holy Family Parish.  What is happening here?  Hopefully, there were too many active church members for a total merger.

Peace,

Ludlow1  

I believe there was a gradual change but perhaps someone in the parish knows the story.

Sept. 15, 2009

Dear Arthur,

What is the latest on the St.Leo the Great/St.Cecilia's proposed 2010 merger?

Peace,

Ludlow1 

This seems to be the latest as it sorts out to two remaining churches

Rev. Perron officially installed as pastor of new Holy Family

PAWTUCKET - Rev. Robert Perron was officially installed as pastor of the newly formed Holy Family Parish by Bishop Thomas Tobin on Sunday, marking a symbolic start to a new era under a consolidated Catholic faith umbrella in the city.

The combining of three Pawtucket parishes hasn't quite happened as originally planned earlier this year, says a representative for the Catholic Diocese of Providence, but all parties now appear content with a situation that divides local parishioners from three former churches into two buildings.

Diocese of Providence spokesman Michael Guilfoyle told The Breeze that instead of merging the former Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Lady of Consolation, and St. Joseph into the Our Lady of Consolation building at 211 Sabin St. as had been planned, parishioners from the three parishes now have the choice going forward of worshipping at either St. Joseph Church, at 195 Walcott St., or Our Lady of Consolation.

"The faithful are welcome to attend Mass at either location," said Guilfoyle.

Guilfoyle acknowledged that there was some dissatisfaction expressed by the people of the former Sacred Heart Church and St. Joseph about moving to Our Lady of Consolation.

Some parishioners were upset over moving to the Sabin Street building because of its more modern architecture and preferred attending the St. Joseph Church building as always, so leadership at the Diocese decided to keep both buildings open under the auspices of the new Holy Family Parish name.

The new Holy Family Parish will facilitate "one, strong faith community that better and more responsibly (serves) the spiritual needs of the faithful," according to a statement from the Diocese.

Perron, appointed by Bishop Tobin last spring to serve as the pastor of the new Holy Family Parish, previously served as administrator of St. Joseph Parish and Sacred Heart Parish, which is now under new ownership.

The Pawtucket resident assumed the new assignment on July 1 of this year, taking over for the Rev. Norman Courtemanche, former pastor of Our Lady of Consolation, who has retired.

Perron, who could not be reached for comment prior to his official installation, said at the announcement of his appointment that "consolidating the spiritual and financial resources" of the three Pawtucket parishes "will enable the church to better serve the people of Pawtucket."

"It is the people, not a building, that creates a strong and vibrant faith community," he said. "I look forward to serving the people of the new Holy Family community and would like to express my appreciation to all the laity and clergy who, through an exhaustive consultative effort, have helped to establish this new community of God's people."

Once heavily attended each week, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Lady of Consolation and St. Joseph had all witnessed a steady decline in parishioners in recent years as families moved to suburban areas in Rhode Island, according to representatives from the Diocese.

As has been happening across the country in recent years, financial challenges brought about by the decline in attendance at local Catholic parishes forced a review and then "canonical suppression," as the Diocese puts it, of the three local parishes.

The former Sacred Heart Church, at 38 Park St., was purchased by the leadership of Pentecostal church House of Prayer Gethsemane on July 30 of this year.