26 Catholic parishes in Pittsburgh area merging into 8 parishes

The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced Saturday that 26 parishes will be merged into eight early next year.

The mergers are part of the diocese’s strategic planning initiative to help parishes use their resources to “prioritize mission over maintenance,” officials said.

Bishop David Zubik called the mergers “a pivotal time for our diocese as we plan for the future of the church of Pittsburgh.”

“Southwestern Pennsylvania is radically different than it was 100, 50, 20, even 10 years ago,” Zubik wrote in a news release. “Yet the work of the church and our call from God to bring his love to everyone continues as strong as ever.

“As we address the challenges we face in the church today, the witness of working and growing together reflects the unity of the Body of Christ that is essential to our mission,” the bishop wrote.

Zubik said the mergers are the culmination of extensive consultation with parishioners during the past two years and that each of the mergers was requested by the priest-administrator of the grouping.

“This has not been a simple task,” he wrote. “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.”

The mergers will create an atmosphere 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,” Zubik said.

There are no immediate plans to close church buildings, the bishop said. Decisions about which buildings the new parishes will use will be made after consulting with parish members, the bishop said.

The mergers reduce the number of parishes in the diocese from 170 to 152.

The following is a list of the new parishes and the churches that are merging Jan. 6:

• Archangel Gabriel: Serves Kennedy, McKees Rocks and Robinson. Created from Holy Trinity in Robinson, St. John of God in McKees Rocks and Saint Malachy in Kennedy.

• Christ the Divine Shepherd: Serves Monroeville and Penn Hills. Created from St. Bartholomew in Penn Hills, St. Bernadette in Monroeville, St. Gerard Majella in Penn Hills, North American Martyrs in Monroeville and St. Susanna in Penn Hills.

• Corpus Christi: Serves Bridgeville and Cecil. Created from St. Barbara in Bridgeville, Holy Child in Bridgeville and St. Mary in Cecil.

• Divine Mercy: Serves Downtown Pittsburgh and the Hill. Combines St. Benedict the Moor in the Hill District, Epiphany in Uptown and St. Mary of Mercy in Downtown.

• Divine Redeemer: Serves Aleppo and Sewickley. Created from St. James in Sewickley and St. Mary in Aleppo.

• Mary, Mother of God: Serves McKeesport, North Versailles, Versailles and White Oak. Combines St. Angela Merici in White Oak, Corpus Christi in McKeesport, St. Patrick in McKeesport and St. Robert Bellarmine in East McKeesport.

• St. Andrew the Apostle: Serves Charleroi, Donora and Monongahela. Created from St. Damien of Molokai in Monongahela, Mary Mother of the Church in Charleroi and Our Lady of the Valley in Donora.

• St. Mary Magdalene: Serves Pittsburgh’s East End and Wilkinsburg. Combines St. Bede in Point Breeze, St. Charles Lwanga in Homewood and St. James in Wilkinsburg.