Miami Archdiocese
proceeds with parish mergers

Editor’s Note: Ana Rodriguez–Soto continues to follow the story on parish mergers in the Archdiocese of Miami. This latest update includes new articles on St. Philip Neri Parish, St. George Parish and Divine Mercy Haitian Mission, and a listing of final events taking place at the parishes affected by the mergers.

MIAMI | The weekend of Aug. 15–16, Catholic parishioners at eight of the 117 parishes, five missions, and one apostolate of the Archdiocese of Miami heard the news that their parishes/missions/apostolate would be merging.

Archbishop John C. Favalora announced that after much prayer and personal reflection — as well as consulting with the presbyteral council of priests, the archdiocese’s finance council, the pastors’ committee, and the pastors and some parishioners of all merging parishes — the archdiocese has decided to move forward with the parish mergers first proposed in June of this year.

“I know that this decision is a disappointment to the parishioners of merging parishes. It also is a very difficult decision for me,” the archbishop stated in a letter to each of the affected parishes.

Archbishop Favalora assured parishioners that the same pastoral and spiritual care that was given to them at their parishes will be given to them at their new spiritual homes.

“The teaching of the Catholic faith, the preaching of the Gospel, the celebration of the sacraments and the life of charity are yours at your new parishes,” the archbishop said.

The pastors of the merging parishes will meet with the members of the parish pastoral council and finance council as well as other parish leaders to ensure a smooth and effective transition by Oct. 1, the date the mergers become effective.

“I assure each of you my prayers during this difficult time. Through his passion and death, the Lord Jesus redeemed the world and by his resurrection brought the assurance of eternal life to those who believe in him. In a sense, you are now being asked to share in the sufferings of Christ, but you will also experience new life as you continue the life of grace at your new parishes,” Archbishop Favalora said.

Parish Location Map

Posted: 08.18.09

Parishes and missions confirmed for merger are repesented by the universal “no” symbol on their icon. Parishes without the symbol are the receiving parishes. Click on any symbol for more information on the individual parish, mission or apostolate.

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Archbishop’s Interviews

Posted: 08.18.09 | Last Update: 08.21.19

Archbishop John Favalora discusses the needs, reasons and dispositions of parishes scheduled for merger in the following four interviews conducted by Ana Rodriguez–Soto for Radio Paz.

Archbishop’s Q & A

Question: How were these eight parishes, five missions and one apostolate selected?

Answer: Three criteria were used. The first was the economic reality. In considering cost–effectiveness, the archdiocese has to think in terms of larger parishes rather than smaller parishes because smaller parishes have less income and, proportionately, it costs more to operate them.

The second consideration was the need to maintain multicultural diversity in the parishes. In an archdiocese like Miami, where everything is multicultural, there is no need to have segregated communities for reasons of language. It is a principle of diversity rather than segregation. All the different cultural and racial groups need to take part in the family life and take leadership in the parish. The parish will be strengthened by having that much diversity.

The third principle was the sacramental life that exists in that parish. Aside from Mass every Sunday, some parishes only have 35 sacraments (i.e., first Communion, confirmation, anointing and marriages) throughout the whole year. Even though it may be financially taking care of itself at the moment, in the long run it is better for that parish to merge with a larger parish.

Question: Is the closing and merging of parishes a unique problem of the Archdiocese of Miami?

Answer: Numerous dioceses across the country have had to do this. The Archdiocese of Miami probably has the smallest number: eight parishes, five missions and one apostolate, 14 entities in all. Some dioceses have had to close 50, 60, 100 parishes and merge them.

Question: Have these decisions been made due to lack of priests?

Answer: Not at all. The problem simply is the financial stability and the pastoral life of certain parishes. There is much more pastoral life going on in a large parish than in a small parish. The Archdiocese of Miami has adequate priest personnel.

Question: How critical was the financial situation of these communities?

Answer: The archdiocese has been subsidizing the merging parishes for anywhere between five and 10 years by paying their bills, the pension and medical insurance for their employees, and the insurance and the liability on the buildings. As in every diocese, parishes also pay an assessment so that the diocese can operate all the ministries out of the Pastoral Center. However, these parishes have not been able to pay that assessment. Some of them owe the Archdiocese of Miami as much as $1 million.

Question: How did the process take place?

Answer: The archbishop had advisers looking into these mergers, among them the Presbyteral Council of priests, the Archdiocese of Miami Finance Council, the pastors’ committee, and the pastors and some parishioners of all merging parishes, who studied the pastoral information as well as the financial information for months. Both groups made their recommendations to the archbishop and he discussed it with his staff — the two auxiliary bishops, the vicar general and the chancellor. He also consulted with the Presbyteral Council and heard back from the people. After that, decisions were made.

Question: Did the archbishop and his advisers look at the records of how many have been baptized and how many attend Mass on Sunday at the affected parishes/missions?

Answer: Every year, the archdiocese looks at all the pastoral records and the information that comes from the pastors. Some parishes are declining; some have very few sacraments other than Mass. It is better to unite and strengthen two parishes rather than let one eventually fail.

Question: Have parishioners been taken into consideration throughout this process?

Answer: Yes, of course. The parishioners have been the focal point throughout this entire process. The archbishop asked for prayers about this because he understands it is difficult for many parishioners. People love their parishes and they have loyalties to them as communities of faith for themselves and their loved ones: sacred places where they encounter the eucharistic Lord at Mass and where the celebration of the sacraments has accompanied them through the most important moments in their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

The archbishop has read parishioners’ letters and was not surprised to learn of their affection for the Church, their pastor and their particular parish, which is a spiritual home to them.

Question: In what way will the transition be made easier?

Answer: Both the merging parish and the receiving parish will work together toward assuring an orderly process that will protect the rights of the parish and parishioners, the security and sanctity of the sacramental records, and the care of sacred vessels and objects, as well as other significant records.

Question: How will members of the merging parish deal with the change?

Answer: It should be taken into consideration that the clergy and members of the merging parish may experience a range of feelings, including gratitude for the many gifts they received in the context of the parish community, sadness and anger at the loss of their spiritual home, and uncertainty and fear regarding integration into the receiving parish.

The archbishop has suggested to the pastoral leadership of both the merging and the receiving parishes that they may want to offer an experience of reflective and interactive prayer for all involved. He encourages the pastoral leadership to gratefully express and consider the many gifts they have received from their days in the merging parish; to open up the experience of merging and reconfiguration as nothing other than an experience of the paschal mystery of Christ; to reflect on this experience as a true witness to the Catholicism and universal expression of one’s personal faith; and to continue addressing the need for tolerance and respect for other cultures and expressions of one’s faith.

Question: Will there be a place and a time for parishioners to grieve the closing of their parish or mission?

Answer: The liturgy is a natural moment in which this can occur. As the parish moves toward its final moments, an important element of that process will be the closing liturgy, a celebration that will assist the people to express that grief and sadness. At the same time, the liturgy needs to promote a sense of healing and sense of movement as the people journey to a “new” home. Thanksgiving, hope in trial and solidarity are themes that should mark this journey. Parishioners can be assisted to realize their wonderful past without forgetting to look forward toward the future.

Prior to the closing liturgy, it might be appropriate to offer some other opportunities for prayer or ways of remembrance, such as an evening prayer on the night before the closing Mass with a preacher who served the parish in the past to preach; an all–night eucharistic vigil the night before the closing Mass; a three–day mission with a potluck supper shortly before the actual closing date in order to deal with the people’s feelings in a spiritual setting; and an exhibit of parish history and treasures, and take these to be displayed at the receiving parish on the occasion of their first Mass at the receiving parish.

Question: What will happen to the clergy from the merging parishes?

Answer: Each clergy member will be reassigned in the next few weeks.

Question: What about announced Masses already scheduled for the merging parish?

Answer: Before the merger of the parish/mission/apostolate takes effect, it is the responsibility of the pastor/administrator to reschedule announced Masses that are already scheduled. This must be done in consultation with the pastor of the receiving parish. The Masses are first to be rescheduled in the receiving parish and secondly, if needed, in a place suitable to the original requestor. The pastor/administrator of the merging parish is to give the pastor of the receiving parish the Mass record book and the stipends offered by the one requesting the Mass intention. Thus, those pastors who entrusted to others Masses to be celebrated are to note in a record book both the Masses received and those sent to others, as well as their stipends.

Question: What will happen with the marriages scheduled in the merging parishes?

Answer: One of the most immediate items relative to parish merging will be to ensure that marriages currently scheduled in the merging parish after the closing date are rescheduled to a suitable place. After the date that the parish closes, no celebrations can happen in the church building. The ideal situation would be that a marriage be rescheduled at the exact same time on the exact same date at the parish designated to receive the parishioners. Without doubt, this ideal will not always be an option; thus, it is very important to work with the couples involved to come as close to that ideal as possible.

Question: What will happen to the church’s records, inventory and sacred items?

Answer: Now that the decision has been made by the archbishop to merge one parish/mission/apostolate into another parish, all the assets and liabilities become the property of the receiving parish. Within two weeks a complete written and, wherever possible, a digital photographic inventory of sacred items, office and rectory furniture, archives, permanent files and records will be prepared by the pastor of the merging parish/mission/apostolate with the assistance of a team of representatives of the archdiocese. After the parish/mission/apostolate has celebrated its last Mass, the doors will be locked, all sacred objects removed and the receiving parish will take over the property, with the assistance of the archdiocesan Building Office. There will be no events in the church after the merging date, including weddings, funerals and any other sacraments. The archbishop will determine the final disposition of the church building, issuing a decree reducing it to profane use according to canon law.

St. Vincent de Paul Parish: Last–minute change

MARLENE QUARONI | Florida Catholic Correspondent

Posted: 09.02.09

MIAMI | Although St. Vincent de Paul parishioners knew their church was one of several in the Archdiocese of Miami set for closing, they believed they would merge with Immaculate Conception in Hialeah. Instead, Archbishop John C. Favalora decided to send parishioners east to St. Rose of Lima in Miami Shores, which came as a surprise to both parishes.

“There were some rumors about this whole matter during the last few weeks, but I had been led to believe that the merger was with Immaculate Conception,” Msgr. Seamus Doyle, St. Rose’s pastor, wrote in the Aug. 23 parish bulletin.

He said he had been notified of the change by the archdiocese a few days before the official announcement was made Aug. 15–16.

“I immediately called an emergency meeting” of the parish council and finance board, together with the priests and parish staff, to make them aware of what was happening, he wrote. “I know that the council naturally had some reservations, but all of them assured me they would back me in the decisions I have to make to bring about a smooth transition.”

Msgr. Doyle also wrote about the difficulty of the transition for St. Vincent de Paul parishioners.

“The parishioners of St. Vincent are naturally sad and upset over the closing of their parish. Now they have the freedom of the children of God to choose their own particular parish, where they may wish to worship. However, this Monday, I am sending a letter of welcome on your behalf to any who desire to join St. Rose of Lima.”

He added, “In God’s view, there are no geographical boundaries; there is no north or south, no east or west of Interstate 95. May we be a welcoming community to all our brothers and sisters.”

Before publishing his letter in the bulletin, Msgr. Doyle addressed St. Rose parishioners at the weekend Masses Aug. 15–16. The 78–year–old pastor told his parishioners that even though he was three years beyond retirement age, he will not retire at this time.

“I felt it would be unfair to impose this new burden on an incoming pastor,” he said.

Archbishop Favalora said that the decision to merge St. Vincent de Paul with St. Rose came about after much personal prayer and reflection, and after consultation with the archdiocese’s presbyteral and finance councils. He urged St. Rose parishioners to welcome St. Vincent parishioners.

“St. Vincent parishioners will now become St. Rose parishioners,” the archbishop said. “In addition, all the assets and liabilities go with them.”

St. Vincent is a smaller parish with 600 families compared to St. Rose’s 2,200 families. St. Vincent is on 103rd Street at Northwest 22nd Avenue. St. Rose is at 105th Street at Northeast Fifth Avenue. St. Vincent is more ethnically diverse, with Masses in Creole and Nigerian–Ibo.

Vilma Aviles, who was attending a weekday evening Mass at St. Vincent recently, said she is familiar with St. Rose. She lives in an area between both churches.

“I go to both churches,” she said. “However, I feel sad about the closing of St. Vincent. I love this church.”

Two churches, one neighborhood

Posted: 08.19.09

MIAMI | Corpus Christi and St. Robert Bellarmine are like two halves of an Allapattah orange — both parishes minister to different sections of the same overwhelmingly Hispanic, predominantly poor neighborhood.

In fact, St. Robert Bellarmine was carved out of Corpus Christi Parish’s boundaries back in 1968. But that will not diminish the sense of loss once it merges back into Corpus Christi Oct. 1.

“The merger is not as problematic as having to shut down the building” where people have been baptized and married and buried, said Father José Luis Menendez, pastor of Corpus Christi.

He compares it to his own sense of loss and longing for his childhood home in Cuba: “The house where you were born and grew up is your house; and when that house closes, a part of you dies.”

Father Menendez is hoping to ease the pain, however, by getting to know the new members of his community. For the past month, he has celebrated the Sunday Masses at St. Robert Bellarmine.

“I have gotten to know the people. I no longer see them as a number,” he said of the 200 or so who attend liturgies there each weekend.

He realizes that some of them do not drive or cannot afford cars. But that is also true of the 1,500 or so people who attend Corpus Christi, which is why his parish has established a number of mission churches in key neighborhoods where “basic communities” of laypeople meet on weekdays and Mass is celebrated on weekends.

He hopes to do something similar for the people of St. Robert Bellarmine.

And if they approve, he said, he wants to have both communities celebrate together the feast of St. Robert Bellarmine on Sept. 17 — on the grounds of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish.

That’s because “it’s not us who are welcoming them to our home,” Father Menendez explained. “It is they who are receiving us in their neighborhood. Together, we will fight to evangelize both neighborhoods.”

Parish welcomes ‘new life’

Posted: 08.19.09

FORT LAUDERDALE | While the announcement of parish mergers brought sadness to many, it was a reason for rejoicing at St. Helen Parish.

In fact, Msgr. William Dever and his parishioners did not wait until the official merger date, Oct. 1, to celebrate.

St. Helen’s parishioners officially welcomed members of the Vietnamese apostolate to their church Aug. 16 with a concelebrated Mass in Vietnamese, followed by a potluck lunch featuring Vietnamese delicacies and open house tours of St. Helen School.

“There was a great sense of them being delighted to come and us welcoming them in,” said Sister Anne Corrigan, an Irish Sister of Mercy who serves as director of ministries and director of religious education at St. Helen.

St. Helen’s pastor, the also Irish Msgr. Dever, concelebrated the Mass with Miami’s Irish–born Auxiliary Bishop John Noonan and the Vietnamese–born Father Isidore Baky, director of the Vietnamese apostolate.

Father Baky has been serving at St. Helen while celebrating Mass for the Vietnamese community throughout Miami–Dade and Broward counties. Now, the noon Mass every Sunday at St. Helen will be celebrated in Vietnamese. St. Helen will become the Vietnamese community’s church.

As Msgr. Dever pointed out in a letter to parishioners, “the Vietnamese community will not be just ‘using’ our church for Mass on Sunday, but will be fully integrated into the life of the parish.”

That means they will register as parishioners, be represented on the parish and finance councils, and enjoy parish tuition rates at St. Helen School. The children also will receive religious education classes before the noon Mass each Sunday, as has been their custom.

The Vietnamese community will add about 200 families to St. Helen’s existing 800 families. The parish already is ethnically diverse, with a community composed of people from the Caribbean islands, Central and South America and some of the founding “Anglo” families, as well as elderly residents from St. Joseph Hall and St. Joseph Residence, apartment complexes for the elderly which are next door to the church.

“It’s new life for the parish, really,” Sister Corrigan said. “We’re wonderfully excited.”

‘Pray, mourn, rise together’

Posted: 08.19.09

NORTH MIAMI | Were it not for the heartbreak, the merger of Our Lady of Perpetual Help into St. James would be quite smooth.

Both parishes have Sunday Masses in the same language at the same time: 10:30 a.m. in English, noon in Spanish.

Msgr. James Pierre, pastor of St. James, plans to use that coincidence to smooth the transition — and perhaps ease the heartbreak.

Even before the merger was officially announced, he began speaking with Our Lady of Perpetual Help’s pastor, Father Joaquin Rodriguez, and visiting with the community.

“I’ve been going there from day one. We have a good relationship with the pastor. I’ve celebrated Mass there,” said Msgr. Pierre, whose parish is about three miles east of Our Lady of Perpetual Help — nearly a straight shot by car or bus via Northwest 135th Street.

The two pastors and parish councils have begun planning the transition, “but it’s very difficult for the parishioners who have been going there for the past 15, 20, 30 years,” Msgr. Pierre said. “A lot of the parishioners don’t understand why, but I tell them that maybe the Lord has something better in store for them.”

Our Lady of Perpetual Help has a mostly Hispanic community along with a mix of English–speaking African–Americans and people from the Caribbean. St. James has more Haitians, but also caters to English– and Spanish–speaking families.

St. James is preparing for the transition as well.

“We are meeting to talk how we are going to welcome the new people, what we need to do to make them feel at home,” Msgr. Pierre said.

He is thinking of canceling the 10:30 a.m. and noon Masses at St. James one Sunday so that his parishioners can celebrate the liturgy together with those of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

In the meantime, “I am going to continue to go there and to support the parishioners and to invite them to join us because the church is not only the building, it’s the people of God, it’s the community,” Msgr. Pierre said.

“I am going to pray with their community. And I am going to tell my people to go there as well. It’s not a matter of them coming here. We have to go there first. We have to build some relationships and some bridges.”

The goal, Msgr. Pierre said, is “to pray with them, to mourn with them and then we will rise together.”

For Brazilians: A church they can call home

Posted: 08.19.09 | Updated: 08.21.09

MIAMI | The merger of the Brazilian apostolate, Our Lady of Aparecida Mission, into St. Vincent Parish here is “certainly a blessing from God,” said Scalabrinian Father Volmar Scaravelli, a Brazilian of Italian descent who directs the apostolate.

Although the location is not ideal — the largest Brazilian communities are in Pompano and Deerfield Beach — St. Vincent will be the first actual church that the Brazilians can call home.

Through much fundraising and sweat equity, the community managed to purchase an old Knights of Columbus Hall in Pompano and turn it into a gathering place for weekly Masses and other celebrations.

“It’s like a family home,” Father Scaravelli said.

But the place will be sold now and he expects the 1,500 people who attend Mass in Portuguese there each Sunday to pack the pews of St. Vincent, where parking is plentiful and the grounds an oasis.

Having a church also means that couples who want to get married will not have to do so at “borrowed churches,” Father Scaravelli said.

The Brazilian apostolate has been celebrating Masses in Portuguese throughout Miami–Dade and Broward counties for nearly a decade now. Being home at St. Vincent means that Masses will no longer be celebrated in Weston, Hollywood and Pompano.

But the Masses at St. Catherine of Siena in Kendall and St. Joseph on Miami Beach will continue to take place, to serve the needs of Brazilians living in Miami–Dade County.

The apostolate ministers to nearly 2,000 each weekend but counts only 753 registered families — only those who commit to a tithe, that is to giving 10 percent of their income to the Church.

“About 80 percent are happy with the change. Twenty percent are still dealing with it because of the distance,” said Father Scaravelli, who will continue as parochial vicar at St. Vincent while another Scalabrinian — someone more fluent in English — takes over as pastor.

In addition to the Brazilian apostolate, St. Luke Parish in Coconut Creek will merge with St. Vincent.

Father Scaravelli noted that St. Vincent has about 600 people at English–language Mass each Sunday, with about 250 in attendance at the Spanish Mass. When the Scalabrinians take over Oct. 1, Sunday Masses will continue to be celebrated in English and Spanish, and Portuguese–language Masses will be added on Saturday and Sunday evenings.

“The feast days — Easter, Holy Thursday — we will all celebrate together,” Father Scaravelli said.

Members of the Brazilian apostolate also will be lending a hand with St. Vincent’s carnival, which is coming up in October.

“It’s a multiethnic parish. We’re used to working that way,” Father Scaravelli said.

He added that the mission of the Scalabrinians “is to open the doors of the church so that immigrants will be welcomed and integrated. Everyone feels fine in his own little group, but we want to integrate people into American society. Otherwise, you start creating ghettos and that is not good.”

Shock in Dania Beach

Posted: 08.19.09

DANIA BEACH | The people of Resurrection Parish here are still in shock over the news that their parish will be merging with St. Maurice come Oct. 1.

“Everyone is really totally upset,” said Augustinian Father Thomas Pohto, pastor.

“We’re self–sustaining and our population is growing. So it’s a little bit confusing to some of us,” said Gary Garofalo, who became a seasonal parishioner in 1988 and a permanent one in 1995.

He points out that Resurrection was Dania Beach’s “original” Catholic church, founded 51 years ago. A few years ago, the city annexed the area east of Stirling Road where St. Maurice is located. St. Maurice was founded in 1970.

Garofalo said Resurrection, across the street from Dania Jai–Alai, has about 500 registered families. Many of them are retirees. There also is a seasonal influx of tourists and “snowbirds.”

“We have older people that this is where they go. I can’t imagine them going to St. Maurice to a converted barn with no pews,” said Garofalo.

There are two other parishes nearby that Resurrection’s parishioners could attend: Little Flower just down U.S. 1 in Hollywood, and Nativity just slightly west and south.

“I’m debating which direction I will go in,” said Garofalo.

“It’s the psychological impact of this,” he added. “We’ve been 51 years in that community and suddenly we’re going to disappear. It’s just very difficult emotionally.”

Divine Mercy: ‘Thy will be done’

Posted: 09.23.09

FORT LAUDERDALE | As soon as the announcement was made in June that Divine Mercy Haitian Mission might have to merge with St. Clement Parish in Wilton Manors, Father Robes Charles began 40 days of prayer at the mission.

His people’s prayer: “Thy will be done. Whatever it is, we’ll embrace it.”

That does not mean that Divine Mercy’s parishioners did not feel angry or confused when the final decision to merge was announced. But Father Charles set up “lots of committees” to help explain and implement the transition.

“Things are moving smoothly,” said Father Charles, whose appointment as pastor of St. Clement should ease the transition. “Right now, it’s not anger. It’s more sadness because to leave the place is a difficult moment.”

He noted that Divine Mercy Mission started with little but a patch of land. “We built up this church that was nothing and turned it into something,” he said. “It’s kind of tough but we deal with it.”

To mark the transition, he said, parishioners will “make the crossing as the people of Israel did.”

At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, they will take the icon of Divine Mercy and the church’s tabernacle to St. Clement by way of a two-mile procession up Andrews Avenue. Most will travel by car, but some have said they will walk while singing and praying the rosary.

When they arrive at St. Clement, Divine Mercy’s drum line, composed of young people, will be waiting for them. There will be a candlelight procession around the church and then the icon will enter, along with the tabernacle. Whatever hosts remain in Divine Mercy’s tabernacle will be solemnly placed in St. Clement’s.

Father Charles also described a picture that will remain in the church for some time: It depicts the church of St. Clement with the church of Divine Mercy inside, and the image of Divine Mercy overlooking both.

ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FLORIDA CATHOLIC MIAMI BUREAU EDITOR

St. George: ‘Infect others with what we learned here’

Posted: 09.23.09

FORT LAUDERDALE | “Naturally I feel sadness,” said Father Robert Tywoniak, pastor of St. George Parish in Fort Lauderdale, which is set to merge with Our Lady Queen of Martyrs about four miles to the southeast.

“Yet, at another level I understand the need to join the two parishes and make a reborn parish. There are great possibilities for new spiritual growth for the people as they work through issues that will confront them.”

St. George is a predominantly black parish of about 200 families. Our Lady Queen of Martyrs is a larger parish that also has Hispanic and Anglo families. But Father Tywoniak said such categories are too simplistic.

“Black or blackness or being black is not a monolith. It is the same as saying Latin, Latino or Latina, Hispanic, etc. It is also the same as saying white. To be white is to be many things, too,” Father Tywoniak said.

He described St. George as “a happy mix of people” whose liturgies reflect the various cultures: African-American, Caribbean islands, European, African, Latin American and even Lebanese.

“Many came here from different denominations and religions. They found the one true Church in the Eucharist here,” said Father Tywoniak, who has been appointed pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Oakland Park. “I guess St. George served its purpose. Now all of us, including me, will have to build on the strength they experienced here. They must take the spiritual growth they gained with them. Perhaps we all can infect others with what we learned here.”

“We are one Church so no matter the parish, we are still serving the Church,” said Lesly Barthole, a member of St. George’s for the past 12 years, parish secretary for the past six, and most recently secretary of the transition team.

Although he said he, along with many others, disagrees with the decision to close St. George, “The decision was made. We have to go forward and see whatever love we created through this St. George Church, we can carry it to whatever parish we go into.”

Like many of those who attended St. George, he does not live within its parish boundaries. In fact, he lives within the boundaries of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs.

“I will feel at home there. We’ve been involved with Queen of Martyrs throughout the years so we always had a rapport with them,” Barthole said.

ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FLORIDA CATHOLIC MIAMI BUREAU EDITOR

St. Philip Neri: ‘A very painful time’

Posted: 09.23.09

MIAMI GARDENS | Oblate Missionary Father Gerard Bolduc said the community of St. Philip Neri is undergoing “a very painful time right now.”

He described the congregation of about 250 families as “a cultural parish,” founded for and by black Catholics in 1953. Many of its parishioners say they will continue to fight to overturn the merger.

“They’re confused, hurt, angry and yet want to do the right thing,” Father Bolduc said. “People’s identity is being challenged.”

He estimated about 30 percent of St. Philip’s parishioners will go to the merging parish, St. Monica; another 30 percent will go to the remaining black Catholic parish, Holy Redeemer in Liberty City; another 30 percent will go to Visitation in North Miami; and 10 percent will simply leave the Church.

“There are Baptist churches around here. Many of (the parishioners) have a wife or husband who’s Baptist or evangelical and they’ll just go there,” said Father Bolduc, adding that he himself will be “homeless and jobless” as of Oct. 1.

But his main concern is for the children in St. Philip Neri’s religious education program, for the sick and elderly whose homes he visits on a regular basis, and for those in nursing homes nearby. He notes that St. Monica only has one priest, its pastor, Father Samuel Muodiaju of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit.

As for his plans on closing weekend, “We’re going to leave some silent time for people to grieve a bit, then we’re going to carry on,” he said. “It’s a very sad time.”

ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FLORIDA CATHOLIC MIAMI BUREAU EDITOR

Merging parishes: final events

Posted: 09.23.09

• Divine Mercy Haitian Mission, Fort Lauderdale: Closing Mass Sept. 27, 9:30 a.m.; caravan from Divine Mercy to St. Clement, Sept. 30, 6 p.m., with Divine Mercy icon, tabernacle, followed by candlelight procession on grounds of St. Clement and 7 p.m. Mass; triduum at St. Clement, Oct. 1, 2 and 3, concluding with 3 p.m., solemn, trilingual merging Mass Oct. 4.

• Resurrection, Dania Beach: The parish’s Knights of Columbus Council is selling “remembrance mugs” which briefly tell the history of the 51-year-old parish. Cost is $6 each or 2 for $10, plus shipping if applicable, while supplies last. Information at 954-540-2320, 954-303-0603 or by e-mail.

• St. Joseph Haitian Mission, Pompano Beach: Last Mass, 9:30 a.m., Sept. 27, followed by eucharistic procession to St. Elizabeth of Hungary and welcome prayer service at 1 p.m. at St. Elizabeth; inaugural Mass in Creole will take place Sunday, Oct. 4, noon; St. Elizabeth of Hungary School to be renamed St. Elizabeth–St. Joseph Catholic School.

• St. George, Fort Lauderdale: Closing Mass Sept. 27, 9:30 a.m., followed by parish picnic.

• Our Lady Aparecida Brazilian Mission and St. Luke Parish: Welcome Mass, Sunday, Oct. 4, 11 a.m., at St. Vincent, Margate, followed by reception in community center.

• Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Opa-Locka: Last Mass Sunday, Sept. 27, 10:30 a.m., followed by potluck breakfast; preceded by potluck barbecue/picnic Saturday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Greynolds Park, 17530 W. Dixie Highway, North Miami Beach.

• St. Robert Bellarmine, Miami: Celebrated feast day of St. Robert Bellarmine Sept. 19 with evening Mass, concert and dinner for members of both St. Robert Bellarmine and its merging parish, Corpus Christi.

• St. Francis Xavier, 1698 N.W. Fourth St., Miami: Last Mass was Sept. 4.

• St. Luke, 2370 Hammock Road, Coconut Creek: Mass of thanksgiving Sunday, Sept. 27, 11:30 a.m.

• St. Philip Neri, Miami Gardens: Parish dinner dance Sept. 25, picnic Sept. 26, last Mass Sept. 27, 9 a.m.

• St. Vincent de Paul, Miami: Closing Mass Sept. 27 celebrated by Msgr. Seamus Doyle, pastor of St. Rose of Lima, Miami Shores; welcome Masses at St. Rose on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 9, 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Catholic churches are not the only ones merging

Posted: 08.20.09

MIAMI | Shifting demographics and stretched budgets are not affecting only Catholic parishes. They also are forcing the closure or merger of Protestant and Jewish congregations.

Palm Springs Presbyterian Church in Hialeah closed in June, its buildings taken over by an evangelical congregation, after enrollment dwindled to 20 members.

Temple Samu–El Or Olom, a Conservative synagogue in Miami, merged with Bet Breira, a Reform congregation four miles away, this July. According to an article in The Jewish Week, the Reform congregation has 350 members and the Conservative 240.

The big difference between those mergers and the ones affecting Catholics in south Florida is the way the decisions were made. Because the Catholic Church has a hierarchical structure, the decision was made at the archdiocesan level by Archbishop John C. Favalora.

Presbyterian churches and Jewish synagogues do not have a hierarchical structure, however. Since the congregants themselves are responsible for the financial viability of their congregations, they are the ones who decide when it is time to raise more money, merge or close.

“No one tells them what to do,” said Rabbi Frederick L. Klein, executive vice president of the Greater Miami Rabbinical Association.

Like Catholic churches, synagogue mergers are happening throughout the United States.

“All synagogues are going through difficult times,” Rabbi Klein said.

Florida Catholic Correspondent Jacqueline Shuck contributed to this article.