Woonsocket parishes to merge
Holy Family, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Sacred Heart to become Holy Trinity Parish
WOONSOCKET — After months of often-contentious discussion among parishioners, the Most Rev. Bishop Thomas Tobin has approved the merger of Sacred Heart, Holy Family and Our Lady Queen of Martyrs parishes, effective July 1.
The decision calls for the three flocks to be reconstituted as a new “Holy Trinity Parish,” operating out of OLQM’s Park Square real estate, and the permanent closure of Sacred Heart, one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in the city, founded in 1895.
In a ray of hope for parishioners of Holy Family, however, Tobin is allowing the 414 South Main St. church to remain open as a secondary worship site, subject to review after a year. Parishioners of Holy Family had been among the most strident opponents of the merger, arguing that the 116-year-old church was in good repair and the home of a committed community of Catholics.
“It’s a positive thing as far as I’m concerned,” said Holy Family Trustee Suzanne R. Miranda. “What’s the alternative? You’ve got to be willing to roll with the punches and be willing to compromise. That’s where we are, I think.”
After the last public hearing on the consolidation plan in April, at OLQM, many parishioners openly opined that the closure of both Holy Family and Sacred Heart seemed like a foregone conclusion for the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence. But Miranda said she met with Tobin personally days after the hearing and pressed the parish’s case for keeping Holy Family open and yesterday, she praised the bishop for “listening to the people.”
The Rev. Daniel Sweet, who had been appointed to lead the three parishes in July 2017 and tasked with the yeoman’s job of nudging them to accept the difficult inevitability of a merger, has been appointed pastor of the new Holy Trinity Parish, Tobin said.
“The bishop has been very supportive of me in this process,” Sweet told The Call. “He’s been listening to the people as well. Holy Family expressed that they just didn’t feel ready at this point to make the move. The bishop took that into account.”
Sweet said he is “very happy” that Tobin has chosen him to lead the reconstituted flock of Holy Trinity. He said he’s seen the merger through to this point and feels as though he has a ministerial stake in getting it off the ground.
“It’s a beautiful community and I feel like just because I’ve been following this process this long I really wanted to help them shepherd through the transition,” he said. “This isn’t the end of anything. It may be challenging, or it may be sad, but I think it’s going to bring new life into the Catholic churches in this area.”
Sweet announced Tobin’s decision during Sunday services, but the diocese issued a formal statement to the media on Monday.
Tobin said he made the decision with “hopes of forming a new, stronger faith community” in the city.
“The merger of the three parishes in Woonsocket marks a hopeful new beginning,” he said. “I pray that it will inspire parishioners to come together in a unified family of faith to strengthen the life of the Church. I commend Father Sweet and the members of the new parish for their generosity and patience in the consultative process that has led to this decision.”
During the final public feedback session on the proposed consolidation, Monsignor Raymond Bastia, vicar of finance and planning for the diocese, said “a perfect storm” of factors is pushing Catholic churches to consolidate all over the world – not just in the city. The leading causes, he said, are a steady decline in the number of people attending Mass; an aging inventory of church architecture; and last, but hardly least – a continuing diminution in the number of men who are choosing careers in the priesthood.
“It’s having a tremendous effect on the spiritual life of our diocese,” Bastia told a large gathering in the cafeteria of Monsignor Gadoury School, adjacent to OLQM. “It’s the third part of the storm.”
Bastia also said it costs $260,000 a year, on average, to maintain a sin- gle parish in Rhode Island – and neither Holy Family nor Sacred Heart were hitting the mark.
From 2013-2016, there were no weddings performed at Holy Family, just three First Communions and seven baptisms, according to the statement issued by the diocese. Meanwhile, during the same time period, Sacred Heart saw five weddings, 28 First Communions and 24 baptisms.
Founded in 1953, OLQM was doing a little better overall, with four weddings, 62 baptisms and 86 First Communions.
Last year, the three parishes held meetings to discuss declining attendance, plummeting sacramental practices and the increasing financial challenges, as well as the sharing of one priest – Sweet – among them. The parishes decided to consolidate staff and resources.
In addition, a joint Parish Pastoral Council was created to recommend further affiliations among the three parishes. After consultations with the diocese, Sweet presented a draft proposal that called for the merger of the three parishes and the formation of a “successor parish” with a new name. Tobin said he approved the draft after consultation with diocesan staff and the Council of Priests, a decision-making body within the diocesan hierarchy.
Though Tobin’s decision represents something of a reprieve for Holy Family, there are still many unanswered questions for the future of the parish. While Tobin says the church remains open for “liturgical celebration only” – worship services, in layman’s terms – it’s unclear when those services will take place, according to Miranda.
Also, Tobin’s order calls for the diocese to review Holy Family’s status in a year to see if it’s meeting certain metrics worthy of autonomy, but Miranda says, “We don’t know what those measurements are.”
Sweet seemed confident that he will maintain a weekend schedule of worship services at Holy Family after the merger takes effect. For now, he’ll keep the status quo, but he may tweak the schedule after he receives an official appointment letter from the bishop naming him pastor of Holy Trinity.
The only service of the week at Holy Family takes place on Saturday afternoons. Sacred Heart has one Sunday morning service – Masses that usually draw about 100 worshipers at either location. OLQM offers a Saturday afternoon and two Sunday morning services.
While Holy Family has a yearlong grace period, Sacred Heart could be sold or leased to another religious denomination after July. Sweet says there are no suitors for the property at the moment. Though there are some deed restrictions covering just about anything that would be in conflict with Catholic doctrine, Sweet says the property doesn’t necessarily have to be used for sectarian purposes if the real estate is sold.
After the merger is official, the sacramental records for Holy Family, Sacred Heart and OLQM will be maintained at the new Holy Trinity Rectory, 1409 Park Ave., according to the diocese.
Tobin’s merger directive was issued in the form of a religious decree in keeping with the canons of Catholicism – the equivalent of church law. As such, church members have appellate rights, and may initiate formal “recourse” against the decree within 10 business days, or no later than June 18. Recourse must be filed in writing via postal mail to Bishop Tobin.
“At this challenging time, I extend my prayerful support to all the members of these three parishes, which have been a source of stability and strength for generations of faithful Catholics in Woonsocket and North Smithfield,” Tobin’s decree says. “Let us continue to trust in God’s goodness and providence as we begin a new chapter in a faith journey that finds its fulfillment in the love of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”