LYNN — Driven by stagnant church attendance, St. Mary’s Church and Sacred Heart Church parishioners are recommending consolidating the two parishes into one, raising future questions about the need for two sprawling houses of worship.
Parishioners from both parishes spent months meeting to discuss how to address declining attendance in both churches and the prospect that a decline in the number of priests could mean that one priest assigned to serve both churches in three years.
“Attendance is flat. It’s an aging community. Despite efforts over the last six years, we have not really drawn new people in,” said Lynn Catholic Collaborative Rev. Brian L. Flynn.
Attendance translates into how much money both parishes receive in collections supporting church financial needs. Rev. Flynn did not provide collection figures for St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart, but David Solimine Sr., a life-long Sacred Heart parishioner, said the 75 people he recently counted attending the Saturday 4 p.m. Mass at the Boston Street church represents one-quarter of the attendance at the same Mass 10 years ago.
He called consolidation “a necessity.”
“The dollar bill dropped in the basket isn’t going to do it anymore,” Solimine said.
Rev. Flynn said the next steps toward consolidation include parish meetings to discuss three name suggestions for the consolidated parish. Flynn will send Cardinal Sean O’Malley a letter requesting consolidation and forward the name suggestions. He would present the case for consolidation to the Archdiocese of Boston Presbyteral Council.
“I would hope to go to the council in April,” he said.
Consolidation could be approved by July with Cardinal O’Malley picking the name for the new parish. Sacred Heart Church and St. Mary’s Church would retain their names, said Rev. Flynn.
He stressed that consolidation does not affect St. Mary’s High School or Sacred Heart School. Both schools are operated by St. Mary’s High School Inc. under the authority of the Archdiocese.
Consolidation does not mean closing a church. But a Parish Building Committee will be formed “ …to examine the properties owned by the newly established parish and determine how they can best be used to support the new parish,” stated an information bulletin provided to parishioners last weekend.
“Our hope would be to keep both would be to keep both worship spaces open. It’s important to note no decisions have been made,” said Rev. Flynn.
Much of the work needed to form one parish, like deciding where parish priests and employees should live and work, occurred beginning in 2013 when the Lynn Catholic Collaborative formed. Finances remained under the control of each parish and that will change with consolidation.
“All assets and liabilities of the two parishes come under the new parish,” Rev. Flynn said.
If consolidation is approved, the most immediate change could come in the form of Mass schedule changes. Flynn called consolidation an opportunity to get more parishioners involved in the parish and make their voices heard.
“This is challenging but I think people have recognized the challenge and met it,” he said.
