Several Westchester Churches Affected by Archdiocese of NY Plan for Mergers and Closings

Two Catholic churches in Mamaroneck, Most Holy Trinity and Saint Vito, will merge under a new plan released by His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan and the Archdiocese of New York.

While occasional special events may be held at Most Holy, Saint Vito will be the designated church for weekly Masses and sacraments as of August 2015.

In Port Chester, a specific site for the Salesian community has not yet been determined. “The Salesian community will minister to the faithful in Port Chester with one Parish Church and another Church for Mass and Sacraments,” said the Archdiocese in a statement.

Churches in New Rochelle, Saint Gabriel and Saint Joseph, will merge with Saint Gabriel as the designated church, but Masses and sacraments will be celebrated at both.

The same is true with Immaculate Conception and Assumption in Tuckahoe, with Immaculate Conception as the designated church, and Annunciation in Crestwood and Our Lady of Fatima in Scarsdale, with Annunciation as the designated church. Additionally, Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Saint Catharine, in Pelham Manor and Pelham, respectively, will merge with Our Lady of Perpetual Help as the designated church.

Called “Making All Things New,” the move to merge and close some churches has been in the planning stages since 2010, and the Archdiocese admits that the plan will be difficult for many parishioners.

“This time of transition in the history of the archdiocese will undoubtedly be difficult for people who live in parishes that will merge,” wrote the Archdiocese in a statement. “There will be many who are hurt and upset as they experience what will be a change in their spiritual lives, and I will be one of them. There is nobody who has been involved in Making All Things New who doesn’t understand the impact that this will have on the Catholic faithful. It will be our responsibility to work with everyone in these parishes so as to help make the change as smooth as we possibly can.”

Click here to view the Archdiocese press release and list of affected churches.

Photo: His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan. Photo credit: Archdiocese of New York