Local Churches to Close July 1

Saint Ann’s parish in Bristol Borough has been the site of countless weddings, baptisms and other special moments in people’s lives for 108 years.

Now, it’s one of 16 Catholic churches in the region that will close July 1.

Parishioners throughout Lower Bucks County learned the fate of their churches during masses this weekend.

• Saint Ann parish in Bristol could merge with nearby Saint Mark
• Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Bensalem will merge with St. Thomas Aquinas parish in Croydon
• Saint Joseph the Worker in Falls will merge with Saint Frances Cabrini
• Immaculate Conception in Bristol Township could join with Queen of the Universe in Middletown
• Saint Ann, Saint Joseph the Worker and Immaculate Conception will all remain worship sites

The consolidation of parishes comes after a committee released recommendations. The study by the Archdiocesan Strategic Planning Committee was part of an effort to measure if parishes had “the resources necessary to accomplish their roles in the mission of Christ while remaining sustainable and vibrant faith communities.”

Many in the Saint Ann’s community are not thrilled with the merger and plan to fight it.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Pastors said Friday that St. Mark would absorb St. Ann, a parish formed at the turn of the 20th century in part by Italian immigrants who felt discriminated against at St. Mark.

“Some of them remember their great-grandparents and grandparents weren’t treated very well at St. Mark,” Morris said. “It is my hope that people will get over these issues and help build the community.”

“I was baptized in this church, I made all my sacraments in this church, I was married in this church and I wanted to be buried in this church,” lifelong Saint Ann’s member Libby Tosti said to NBC10. “And if they close this church it’s not going to happen.”

“We might have the opportunity of blending these two parishes together and create a community of believers that will be formed under an attitude of cooperativeness,” Saint Ann Father Tom Morris told CBS3.com.

While masses will end at the church, officials from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia say the church will remain open as a place for traditional festivals, weddings, funerals and similar events.

Saint Ann’s is unique as it is the only Italian parish in Bucks County. The church serves a vibrant, yet aging, Italian community in the borough.

Joe Kelly, a parishioner at St. Thomas Aquinas parish in Croydon, said he looks forward to the newly formed church community when worshipers from Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Bensalem come over.

“It is a sad day for the parishes that have to go to a different church. We can get through it together with some Catholic spirit,” he said. 

Pastor of Immaculate Conception in Bristol Township, Rev. Timothy O’Sullivan, will move to Sacred Heart Church in Montgomery County.

The closure of Saint Joseph the Worker in Falls does not come as a surprise for some members, many of whom have talked about a pending closure for years. Earlier this year, the archdiocese sold a portion of land at the Saint Joseph the Worker property. The sale price, exact amount of land, buyer and settlement date are currently unknown.

The archdiocese said the study looked at demographic, financial and spiritual activity followed by consultation with parish leadership and parishioners. Over the past decade, many area Catholic churches have been faced with declining donations and attendance.

The Archdiocesan Strategic Planning Committee was made up of lay persons, priests and church staff.

The archdiocese will go from 266 parishes to 219.