NEW ORLEANS (LA)
WDSU [New Orleans]
October 30, 2023
By Kourtney Williams
This series of mergers and consolidations will impact over a dozen parishes in southeast Louisiana.
“There is no doubt that our parishes, in fact our entire area, have been affected by many factors out of our control,” said Archbishop Gregory Aymond.
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That’s the explanation from Aymond when announcing the merger of several church parishes in a video released Sunday.
Citing inflation and skyrocketing property insurance rates are among some of the impacting factors.
There are four instances where two parishes will merge into one and one instance where the merger will include three parishes.
“My kids came here. They were baptized here, you know, confirmed, married. And it’s just isn’t, oh, my home of my church.” said Jeanette LeBlanc, a member of Our Lady of Divine Providence church.
That’s why Jeanette LeBlanc is relieved her church home isn’t among that list of closures.
She has been a member of Our Lady of Divine Providence in Metairie for over 30 years and would be devastated if it shut its doors.
However, the archdiocese says Our Lady of Divine Providence in Metairie and Christ the King in Terrytown won’t be closing after it was decided that both parishes showed significant improvement.
Their future was deferred to a later date for ongoing review.
“Very happy. Lifted heart and glad I can stay where my home is,” said LeBlanc.
Archbishop Aymond says this decision was difficult, but it had to be done.
“When I returned home to New Orleans in 2009, I never imagined I would be in the situation of having to merge parishes. This is something we must do for the good of the local church and something that is being done in catholic dioceses around the country,” said Aymond.
All of these mergers will be effective beginning July 1, 2024.
Parish Information
Christ the King, Terrytown and Our Lady of Divine Providence, Metairie
Both Christ the King in Terrytown and Our Lady of Divine Providence in Metairie participated in this pastoral planning process. Both parishes have shown significant improvement in the sacramental, pastoral programming, and financial issues that needed to be addressed. In light of this success, decisions regarding the futures of Christ the King and Our Lady of Divine Providence have been deferred to a later date for ongoing review and to ensure their progress is sustainable.
Our Lady of the Angels, Waggaman & St. Bonaventure, Avondale
Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Waggaman and St. Bonaventure in Avondale are both small parishes that face significant uncertainty in regards to their futures. In order to create a more vibrant community with resources to enable the people to grow in relationship with Jesus Christ through active participation in parish life, these two parishes will be merged into one parish, erected with a new name, and to be located at the current Our Lady of the Angels campus with consideration given for a new pastor effective July 1, 2024.
St. Gertrude, Des Allemands & St. John the Baptist, Paradis
Beyond the effects of Hurricane Ida on the demographics and recovery of the area, both St. Gertrude and St. John the Baptist parishes have sustained significant declines in pastoral programming and sacramental life that have led to financial challenges for both. The parish communities are currently engaging each other socially and beginning the work of becoming one parish. Additionally, the Parish Sustainability Committee emphasized the importance of maintaining a Catholic presence in that area of St. Charles Parish and strongly recommended that by combining St. Gertrude and St. John the Baptist, the new parish will be sustainable and have a level of vitality. Therefore, these two parishes will be merged into one parish, erected with a new name, and be located at the current St. John the Baptist campus with consideration given for a new pastor effective July 1, 2024.
St. John Bosco, Harvey and St. Rosalie, Harvey
St. John Bosco and St. Rosalie parishes, both in Harvey, are sharing a pastor and other resources while worshiping as two separate parishes. Given all data and pastoral considerations, these two parishes will be merged into one parish. We ask that the community come together to propose the name of the merged parish and the campus at which the parish is to be located by March 1, 2024. The new parish will formally begin July 1, 2024.
Transfiguration of the Lord, St. James Major, and St. Gabriel, New Orleans
Transfiguration of the Lord, St. James Major, and St. Gabriel all in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans are in pastoral programming and sacramental decline and posting financial losses. In order to provide for vibrant and active parish life, these three parishes will need to merge into one parish. With the assistance of a local, outside facilitator, the communities will come together to propose a name for the new parish and propose the location of the new parish with any of the three parish campuses as options by March 1, 2024. The new parish will formally begin July 1, 2024.
St. Mary of the Angels and Our Lady Star of the Sea, New Orleans
St. Mary of the Angels and Our Lady Star of the Sea in New Orleans have both struggled with sustainability for a number of years. Therefore, they will be merged into one parish to create a larger more sustainable and vibrant community. The communities will come together to propose a name for the new parish to be located at St. Mary of the Angels by March 1, 2024. The new parish will formally begin on July 1, 2024.
St. Hubert, Garyville
St. Hubert Parish in Garyville has experienced a decline in pastoral programming and sacramental statistics, along with some financial uncertainties. Therefore, St. Hubert Parish will be merged into the territory of St. Peter Parish in Reserve. Given that the parishioners strongly desire to have Sunday Mass in Garyville, and their commitment to financially sustain the church building as well as the desire to have a Catholic presence in that area of St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Hubert Church will remain open as a non-parochial Church with one Mass on weekends. This arrangement is effective July 1, 2024.
St. Theresa of Avila, New Orleans
St. Theresa of Avila Parish in New Orleans has experienced significant decline in recent years. Given the low number of parishioners, most of whom live outside of the parish, and the large financial losses the parish is experiencing, the territory of St. Theresa of Avila Parish north of the Pontchartrain Expressway will be merged with St. Patrick Parish on Camp St. and the territory south of the Pontchartrain Expressway will be merged with St. Alphonsus Parish on Constance St. effective July 1, 2024.