Catholic Church in Enfield Regains Autonomy

ENFIELD, CT — Just over four months into a merger of three Enfield Catholic churches into a single parish, the Archbishop of Hartford has issued a decree to separate one of the three from the new entity, giving it back its former name and boundaries.

St. Martha Church on Brainard Road, which had been merged with St. Patrick and St. Adalbert churches into the new St. Raymond of Penafort parish in late June, has been separated from the others under "a workable alternative modification," according to the decree from the Most Reverend Leonard P. Blair.

The decree, obtained Saturday night by Patch, states in part:

"Since the merger of June 29, 2017, the assets and liabilities of the aforementioned parishes were not actually merged in the current juridic entity of Saint Raymond of Penafort. Thus, the assets and liabilities of the former Saint Martha Parish, extinct on June 29, 2017, will be the assets and liabilities of the new juridic entity of Saint Martha parish. Similarly, the assets and liabilities of Saint Raymond of Penafort will be the combined assets of the extinct parishes of Saint Patrick and Saint Adalbert. The administration of Saint Raymond of Penafort, along with the sacramental registers, parish records and historical documents, shall be preserved at the premises of Saint Patrick Church, and those of Saint Martha Parish at Saint Martha Church premises. The territorial boundaries of Saint Raymond of Penafort will henceforth be the combined boundaries of the extinct parishes of Saint Patrick and Saint Adalbert, and the territorial boundaries of Saint Martha Parish shall be its former boundaries."

According to the decree, the change will be effective Dec. 3, 2017, the First Sunday of Advent.

Patch file photo