UPDATED — Sept. 21, 10:17 a.m.
Two Roman Catholic churches in Greater Sudbury are merging its parishes as part of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie's parish reorganization plan.
The changes go into effect on Jan. 1. Parishoners from Holy Trinity will join the Christ the King Parish, while parishoners from St. Anthony's will join Our Lady of Hope parish. While Holy Trinity and St. Anthony's will remain open, the two churches will now share a pastor and part-time priest each with Christ the King and Our Lady of Hope respectively.
The Diocese has closed 11 churches in Greater Sudbury in the past 13 years, according to a press release from Bishop Jean-Louis Plouffe.
"Let us not lose sight that the main goal when reevaluating the presence of our Church in each region of our Diocese was to become a more outreaching Church in the spirit of the Gospel," he said in the press release.
The press release also announced closures and mergers in North Bay, and a previous release announced closures in Sault Ste. Marie. The parish reorganization process continues, with more announcements expected in July.
"Beyond the challenge of these closures and amalgamations, let us not lose our commitment to the Church," Plouffe said. "Any parish reorganization is painful and disturbing, not only for those directly involved, but also for parishes not up for review."
"In times like this, only faith can give meaning to closure and change and open a door to new beginnings."
