Photo Caption: To symbolize the approaching merger in Kewanee, a St. Francis Garden has been created on the grounds of St. Mary Parish. Father Anthony Bernas, administrator, offers a helping hand to the work crew.

By: By Tom Dermody

The face of the Diocese of Peoria will change July 1 when the first stage of major parish reorganizations resulting from the ongoing “Growing In Faith Together” diocese-wide pastoral planning initiative takes effect.

Two new parishes are being created from historic faith communities in Spring Valley as well as Fairbury, Chatsworth, Forrest and Strawn. As previously announced, the new parish in Spring Valley will be named The Nativity of Our Lord while the parish uniting the other communities will be under the patronage of St. Andrew.

In Spring Valley, an “Ending and Beginning Service” will take place at 2:30 p.m. this Sunday, June 23, at the new parish’s primary site of St. Anthony Church, according to Father Bob Spilman, pastor. Following the service, historical displays of present and past Catholic churches of the area will be on display in the parish hall.

On Saturday, July 6, a celebratory Mass for the new Parish of The Nativity of Our Lord will be offered at 4 p.m., also at St. Anthony Church. Refreshments will follow in the parish hall.

In Fairbury, Father Scott Archer will take his oath of fidelity and profession of faith as the founding pastor of St. Andrew Parish on Sunday, July 1, at the primary site of St. John the Baptist Church. Coffee and doughnuts to welcome all members to the new parish will be served following the Mass.

MERGERS TAKE EFFECT
In addition, nine churches are being merged into existing parishes as follows:

— St. Theresa, Alexis, and St. Andrew, Oquawka into Immaculate Conception, Monmouth
— St. Peter, Peoria, into St. Bernard, Peoria
— St. Patrick, Camp Grove, into St. Dominic, Wyoming
— Immaculate Conception, Bongard, into St. Thomas, Philo
— St. Mary, Naplate, into St. Francis, Ottawa
— Sacred Heart, Rutland, into St. Ann, Toluca
— St. Francis of Assisi, Kewanee, into St. Mary, Kewanee, and
— St. Mary, Keithsburg, into St. Catherine, Aledo

The changes were part of a series of decisions made by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, last September after extensive consultations with clergy, laity, the Presbyteral Council and Diocesan Consultors. Decrees announcing the mergers and the reasons behind them were published in the Sept. 30, 2012 issue of The Catholic Post as well as in local parish bulletins.

All parishes in the diocese are affected by the “Growing In Faith Together” (GIFT) initiative, which brought regional parishes together into 56 “clusters” in the fall of 2011 to study how best to use resources and cooperate in the evangelization mission of the church. Many parishes are now “linked” or “partnered” with neighboring faith communities. Several newly linked parishes are announced at the conclusion of this story.

“The GIFT process is not just about merging or closing parishes, but more about how to bring about new experiences of a growing church through cooperation,” said Msgr. Paul Showalter, diocesan vicar general and chair of the Diocesan Planning Commission. The diocese is being assisted in the study by The Reid Group, a Seattle-based consulting firm.

Msgr. Showalter pointed out that while those parishes merging into existing ones will cease to exist, it does not necessarily mean the churches themselves will be closed. In Alexis, Kewanee, and Naplate, for example, weekend Mass schedules will continue but the churches will not be the primary worship site. At other locations, the church of a closed parish may be maintained for occasional use, such as for weddings or funerals.

The diocese is offering assistance to parishes as they go through the transitions and is mindful of the traditions of the churches involved and the “long history of baptisms, weddings, and funerals,” said Msgr. Showalter. Among the new phases of the GIFT process is an in-depth study of parish facilities utilizing the “in-house” talents of Andrew Hagemann, diocesan director of property and risk management, and Melissa Block of the Catholic Mutual Group.

Msgr. Showalter acknowledged that “some of this is unchartered territory.” But he is grateful for the structured, ongoing evaluation process as well as the cooperation of hundreds of leaders around the diocese in creating the pastoral plan.

“If we hadn’t started this a couple of years ago, we’d still be doing it piecemeal,” he said.

SADNESS AND OPPORTUNITY
Pastors and members of the parishes affected by the major transitions acknowledged to The Catholic Post both sadness at the loss of familiar surroundings — the parishes range in age from 31 to 156 years old — and excitement at the prospect of meeting new area Catholics and sharing talents and resources.

“It really highlights the Paschal Mystery” of Jesus’ dying and rising, said Greg Keck, sacristan at St. Peter Parish in Peoria, which is merging into St. Bernard Parish. His family has long been active at the parish, and he said it was an especially reflective Lent as they pondered the changes ahead.

“It’s the end of an era,” said Father John Thieryoung, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Keithsburg, which is merging into St. Catherine, Aledo. The Mississippi River community is “a model for demographic shifts” which are occurring in both rural and urban areas and led to the need to re-evaluate parishes across the diocese. Founded in 1868, St. Mary is the mother church for all other parishes in the county. But both the general and Catholic population has dwindled, and the closing did not come as a surprise.

“It’s been sort of a step-down process here,” said Father Thieryoung, noting the parish already had a common bond with the Aledo faith community as linked parishes.

NEWLY LINKED PARISHES
The Diocese of Peoria has announced that the following parishes have been, or will soon be, “linked.”

While continuing to function as autonomous parishes, linked parishes share the same pastor and do many things cooperatively. They may work together with other parishes in their clusters to accomplish regional goals such as support of Catholic schools, coordination of Hispanic or youth ministries, and the creation of cooperative Mass schedules to meet needs while avoiding unnecessary duplication.

This list of newly linked parishes also includes the effective date and the name of the pastor.

— St. Joseph, Pekin, and Sacre Coeur, Creve Coeur (January 2013), Father Michael Andrejek

— St. Michael the Archangel, Streator; St. Patrick, Seneca; St. Patrick, Ransom; and St. Joseph, Marseilles (May 8, 2013), Msgr. Philip Halfacre

— Holy Cross, Mendota; Sts. Peter and Paul, Peterstown; and St. Teresa, Earlville (June 12, 2013) Father Fredi Gomez Torres

— St. Patrick, Ottawa, and St. Francis of Assisi, Ottawa (July 1, 2013), Father Jules Adator, administrator

— St. Mary, Westville, and St. Isaac Jogues, Georgetown (July 1, 2013), Father Tim Sauppe

— Holy Trinity, Bloomington, and Historic St. Patrick, Bloomington (July 14, 2013), Father Tony Lee

— St. Mary, Pontiac; St. Joseph, Flanagan; St. John, Cullom; and St. Paul, Odell (July 31, 2013) Father David Sabel

— St. Patrick, Dwight, and Sacred Heart, Campus (July 31, 2013), Father Chris Haake