Merged parishes: A journey toward unity

by Macie Capote

By Macie Capote
Clarion Herald

Following the recent merger of several parishes in the Archdiocese of New Orleans on July 1, the new pastors of the merged parishes are adapting to their roles and working to foster community within their congregations. Their common experience appears to be both excitement and challenge.

St. John Paul II

Father Vincent Phan, pastor of St. John Paul II in Waggaman (formerly Our Lady of the Angels), reported a positive attitude among his parishioners.

“Everyone is in good spirits and willing to help with anything that needs to be done,” he said.

Although attendance at the first merged Sunday Mass was lower than expected, the Saturday vigil Mass saw nearly double the turnout, Father Phan said. Some parishioners
from the closed St. Bonaventure in Avondale may choose to join different parishes, but Father Phan said the ones who attended Mass at the merged parish are happy.

Over the past few weeks, Father Phan has been moving sacred items from St. Bonaventure to St. John Paul II and working to get to know everyone to help him make informed decisions about establishing the new pastoral council. He aims to connect with those who may feel left out.

“Hopefully, we can draw in more people from St. Bonaventure, but these things take time to digest,” Father Phan said. “It’s going to take a while, but I will do my best to bring what is genuine, and give the rest to the good Lord.”

St. Martin de Porres

Father Francis Offia, pastor of St. Martin de Porres in New Orleans (formerly Transfiguration of the Lord), shares Father Phan’s sentiment that the transition will be “a slow and steady process.”

Father Offia said attendance at his first Sunday Mass was strong from Transfiguration of the Lord and St. Gabriel the Archangel, but only a few parishioners from St. James Major attended, as many have yet to decide whether to join the merged parish.

He said he is working to be as diligent as possible in selecting his committees with the closed parishes in mind, but he won’t let the absence of parishioners set him back.

“I’ve been intentional and deliberate in including every committee from each parish in every decision I make,” Father Offia said. “I want to create a space where each parish has equal representation, but if you’re not there, I have to move forward.”

The newly appointed pastoral council at St. Martin de Porres has two people from each parish represented.

“Luckily, the people who were selected are people with a positive mindset,” he said.

Even though some parishioners have already made up their minds on whether they will be joining the merged parishes or not, Father Offia said that won’t stop him from letting them know they have a home at St. Martin de Porres.

“We’re going to continue to reach out to everybody, even those who have decided they’re not coming,” he said. “We will continue to do what we have to to bring everyone together.”
In moving inventory from the closed parishes, Father Offia is committed to ensuring that something from each parish is represented within the church.

“I’m bringing something to the new parish from each of the three communities,” he said. “I want to demonstrate my willingness and readiness to contribute and carry out the process of integration.”

With the financial state of the parish still unknown, Father Offia has opted to hold off on making decisions about his staff. Despite the confusion and uncertainty, he is confident that God has called him to get this job done.

“It’s a task, but I keep asking myself, ‘If not you, who?’” he said.

St. Michael the Archangel

At St. Michael the Archangel in Paradis, Father Lance Campo is still trying to get settled.
“I’m still learning a lot, but everyone has been very nice and welcoming,” he said.

Father Campo has not yet formed a new pastoral council or finance council but plans to involve some members of the transition team in these roles.

Father Campo’s initial focus has been the parish’s finances and debt, making decisions about staffing and programs and taking inventory of the closed church, St. Gertrude the Great in Des Allemands.

With all of the planning, Father Campo said he is seeing some good come out of the merger, and for former St. Gertrude parishioners, it may have been a blessing in disguise.

Parishioners of St. Gertrude had been worshipping inside the church’s rectory for the past three years due to extensive damage to the church from Hurricane Ida. Some members of the congregation had to stand in the kitchen for Mass, due to a lack of space in the retrofitted chapel.

“They were very happy to be in a real church and see some of the things from their church here,” Father Campo said. “They haven’t been having Communion under both species because of the space, so they are happy to have that now as well.”

St. Josephine Bakhita

Franciscan Father Francis Kamau, pastor of St. Josephine Bakhita in New Orleans, spent the last three Sundays before the first merged Mass trying to prepare the parishioners of Our Lady Star of the Sea for the transition to St. Mary of the Angels Church.

“I spent a lot of time talking with the people about what I think will be the benefit and the good side of moving over and starting afresh,” he said. “We need to be spending more time thinking about our mission and where we’re headed instead of where we’ve come from.”

Father Kamau received mixed reactions from his parishioners: Some were excited and ready to trust him, while others expressed a need for time before making the transition.

Additionally, some stated they would not participate in the merger. In light of these mixed feelings, Father Kamau plans to delay the election of his pastoral council to allow everyone who intends to join the parish the opportunity to do so.

Despite the varied responses, Father Kamau said he is encouraged by the fact that attendance at Saturday and Sunday Masses has doubled. He believes that with the support of former staff and members, the parish’s future looks promising.

“It may not be all of a sudden, where everyone is here on Sunday, but over time we may start to see more parishioners join us,” he said. “I will continue to encourage and talk about the future so our community can be the best it can be.”

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