SHREWSBURY 鈥 A Vatican court has rejected the final appeal of parish closures under the 鈥淎ll Things New鈥 downsizing of the Archdiocese of 50度灰视频.
The Dicastery for the Clergy upheld Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski鈥檚 decision to close St. Lawrence parish in Ste. Genevieve County and merge it with St. Agnes parish 6 miles away in Bloomsdale, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese said Friday.
The 鈥淎ll Things New鈥 plan announced in May 2023 cut the number of parishes from 178 to 135 through closures and mergers across the archdiocese, which includes 50度灰视频 city and 10 surrounding counties in Missouri. The reorganization process was launched to address a declining number of Catholics and priests to serve them.
Members of 13 parishes appealed Rozanski鈥檚 closure decrees to the Vatican court, which upheld the closures of nine parishes:
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- Our Lady of Sorrows in 50度灰视频.
- St. Barnabas in O鈥橣allon.
- St. Bernadette in Lemay.
- St. Catherine of Alexandria in Ste. Genevieve County.
- St. Francis of Assisi in Franklin County.
- St. Matthew the Apostle in 50度灰视频.
- St. Paul in Franklin County.
- St. Roch in 50度灰视频.
The court also rejected the appeal from St. Agnes parishioners to stop the merging of St. Lawrence parish. Rozanski鈥檚 decision to close three parishes was overturned, and those parishes remain standing: St. Angela Merici near Florissant, St. Martin of Tours in Lemay and St. Richard in Creve Coeur.
Three closed parishes 鈥 St. Barnabas, St. Paul and St. Roch 鈥 appealed the dicastery鈥檚 decision to the Vatican鈥檚 supreme court, the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
The tribunal rejected St. Roch鈥檚 appeal on Sept. 11, while the other two parishes are still awaiting decisions.
鈥淎ll Things New鈥 did not close any of the parish churches, which continue to host weddings, funerals and the occasional Mass.
But church closures could be coming next, according to leaders of the group Save Rome of the West based in St. Charles County.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still keeping an eye on every parish that is formally closed to be sure that no (church closure) decree comes down for them,鈥 said Jason Bolte, the group鈥檚 co-founder. 鈥淧eople are not so naive as to believe that closing churches is going to help strengthen the Catholic church overall.鈥