Six Montco Parishes to Be Reviewed for Possible Mergers

Parishes in Montgomery County, including in Horsham and Ambler, are among those that may be merged, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has announced.

The archdiocese announced Sunday that 14 parishes will join the Parish Area Pastoral Planning Initiative, which the church said is aimed to make the parishes vibrant and sustainable. The list includes parishes in Montgomery and Delaware Counties as well as Philadelphia.

Determining what happens to the parishes listed for review includes several steps, according to the archdiocese. Demographic and financial information is reviewed followed by a consultation with parish leadership, parishioners and the Archdiocesan Strategic Planning Committee.

Once that happens, recommendations are made and can involve mergers or a plan to assure future sustainability. Results will be announced in Spring 2015, the archdiocese has estimated.

Information regarding the Pastoral Planning Initiative was shared with all affected parishes over the weekend.

The parishes that will be reviewed include:

• Saint Alphonsus (Maple Glen)
• Saint Anthony of Padua (Ambler)
• Saint Catherine of Siena (Horsham)
• Saint Genevieve (Flourtown)
• Holy Martyrs (Oreland)
• Saint Joseph (Ambler)
• Saint Francis of Assisi (Springfield)
• Holy Cross (Springfield)
• Saint Kevin (Springfield)
• Saint Adalbert (Port Richmond)
• Saint George (Port Richmond)
• Mother of Divine Grace (Port Richmond)
• Nativity BVM (Port Richmond)
• Our Lady Help of Christians (Port Richmond)