On the pastoral reorganization of the South City Deanery (continued)

Submitted on February 24, 2005

Send to friendNear Southside parishes 36.St. Agatha Parish, which has been serving as a personal parish for the faithful attached to the celebration of the Mass and other sacred rites, according to the liturgical books in force in 1962, is to become the personal parish of the faithful of Polish language and heritage. 37. St. Francis de Sales Parish is to be suppressed, and its territory and faithful are to be united to St. Pius V Parish.The Archdiocesan Hispanic Ministry, presently located at St. Francis de Sales Parish, is to be transferred to St. Cecilia Parish.St. Francis de Sales Church is to be an oratory for the faithful attached to the celebration of the Mass and other sacred rites, according to the liturgical books in force in 1962.St. Francis de Sales Oratory is to be under the pastoral care and direction of the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest, a society of apostolic life. 38. St. Joseph Parish is to continue as the personal parish for the faithful of Croatian language and heritage.It is to devote special attention to the new immigration from Bosnia.It is to remain under the care of the Franciscan Friars. 39. Sts. Peter and Paul Parish is to be a personal parish dedicated to the apostolate on behalf of the homeless and to the promotion of sacred music through the Young Catholic Musicians.The territory of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish is to be united to St. Vincent de Paul Parish 40.St. Thomas of Aquin Parish is to be a personal parish for the faithful of Vietnamese language and heritage.The territory of St. Thomas of Aquin Parish is to be united to St. Anthony of Padua Parish.Given that the families of St. Thomas of Aquin Parish choose a variety of local Catholic schools for their children, the parish is to provide financial support to the Catholic elementary schools chosen. 41.St. Vincent de Paul Parish is to continue as a territorial parish and is now to include also the territory of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish which has become a personal parish.It is to remain under the care of the Congregation of the Mission or Vincentians. 42. St. Wenceslaus Parish is to be a personal parish for the faithful attached to the spirituality of the Missionaries of the Holy Family, whose provincialate is located in the rectory of the parish.The pastoral care of the parish is to continue to be entrusted to the Missionaries of the Holy Family, who will also serve as chaplains to St. Francis Cabrini Academy. 43. St. Agatha Parish, St. Francis de Sales Oratory, St. Joseph Parish, Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, St. Vincent de Paul Parish and St. Wenceslaus Parish are to be sponsors of St. Frances Cabrini Academy. Tower Grove South parishes 44.Holy Family Parish and School are to be suppressed.The territory and parishioners of Holy Family Parish are to be united to St. John the Baptist Parish.Holy Family School is to be united to St. John the Baptist School. 45. St. Pius V Parish is now to include the territory of St. Agatha Parish, St. Francis de Sales Parish and St. Wenceslaus Parish. 46.St. Pius V Parish is to support St. Frances Cabrini Academy. Dutch Town, Carondelet and Bevo parishes 47.Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish and School are to continue at their present site. 48. Resurrection of Our Lord Parish and School are to be suppressed.The territory and parishioners of Resurrection of Our Lord Parish are to be united to St. John the Baptist Parish.Resurrection of Our Lord school is to be united to St. John the Baptist School. 49. St. Anthony of Padua Parish is now to include also the territory of St. Cecilia Parish, St. Hedwig Parish and St. Thomas of Aquin Parish.St. Anthony of Padua Parish is to remain under the care of the Franciscan Friars. 50.St. Boniface Parish is to be suppressed.The territory and parishioners of St. Boniface Parish are to be united to St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish. 51.St. Cecilia Parish is to become a personal parish for the faithful of Hispanic language and heritage.The territory of St. Cecilia Parish is to be united to St. Anthony of Padua Parish.Other faithful in the area may also be members of the parish, engaging fully in the life of the parish and giving particular support to the service of our Hispanic brothers and sisters in the deanery and the archdiocese.St. Cecilia Parish is, moreover, to become the center for the Church’s Hispanic Ministry in the city of St. Louis.St. Cecilia School is to continue.The Nativity Model, employed in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades of St. Cecilia School, is to continue.The parish, with the assistance of the Archdiocesan Curia, is to develop a plan for the financial support of the Hispanic Ministry at St. Cecilia Parish, for the financial support of St. Cecilia School and for the reception of additional students at St. Cecilia School.The students from St. Anthony of Padua School should be directed to St. Cecilia School, except in those instances where parents desire a traditional sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade model and whose children should be directed to St. Frances Cabrini Academy. St. Anthony of Padua Parish should provide financial support to the Catholic elementary schools chosen. 52.St. Hedwig Parish is to be suppressed.The territory and parishioners of St. Hedwig Parish are to be united to St. Anthony of Padua Parish. 53.St. John the Baptist Parish is now to include the territory of Resurrection of Our Lord Parish and Holy Family Parish. 54.Sts. Mary and Joseph Parish, founded in 1821, is to be suppressed.The territory and parishioners of St. Mary and Joseph Parish are to be united to St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish.Because of the historic nature of the parish, the parish church is to be maintained as a chapel for the occasional celebration of the Mass and devotions.St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish is to assume responsibility for the care of Sts. Mary and Joseph Chapel, and for the services to the poor, to which the parishioners of Sts. Mary and Joseph Parish have dedicated themselves. 55.St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish is now to include the territory of St. Boniface Parish and Sts. Mary and Joseph Parish.It will now also have the care of Sts. Mary and Joseph Chapel. Tower Grove North parishes 56. Immaculate Conception/St. Henry Parish is to be suppressed.The territory and parishioners of Immaculate Conception/St. Henry Parish are to be united to St. Margaret of Scotland Parish. 57.St. Cronan Parish is to be established as a personal parish dedicated to the apostolate of social justice.The territory of St. Cronan Parish is to be united to St. Margaret of Scotland Parish. St. Cronan Parish is to be a sponsoring parish of St. Margaret of Scotland School. 58. St. Margaret of Scotland Parish is now to include also the territory of Immaculate Conception/St. Henry Parish and St. Cronan Parish. The Hill and Tower Grove West parishes 59. Holy Innocents Parish is to be suppressed.The territory of the parish, which is south of Arsenal Street, is to be united to St. Mary Magdalen Parish.The territory of the parish, which is north of Arsenal Street, is to be united to St. Ambrose Parish.The parishioners are to be united accordingly to St. Mary Magdalen Parish and St. Ambrose Parish. 60.St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parish is to be suppressed.The territory and parishioners of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parish are to be united to St. Ambrose Parish. 61.St. Ambrose Parish and School are to continue at their present site.St. Ambrose Parish is now to include the territory of Holy Innocents Parish, which is north of Arsenal Street, and of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parish. Parishes west of Kingshighway 62.Epiphany of Our Lord Parish and School are to continue at their present site. 63.Our Lady of Sorrows Parish will continue at its present site.Our Lady of Sorrows School will close and form a new school, uniting Our Lady of Sorrows School and St. Mary Magdalen School.The site of the new unified school will be the present Our Lady of Sorrows School. 64.St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish and School are to continue at their present site. 65.St. James the Greater Parish and School are to continue at their present site.St. James the Greater Parish and School are to be part of a strategic planning process which will also involve Little Flower Parish and School, St. Luke the Evangelist Parish and School, and Immaculate Conception Parish. 66.St. Joan of Arc Parish and School are to continue at their present site. 67. St. Mary Magdalen Parish is now to include the territory of Holy Innocents Parish, which is south of Arsenal Street.St. Mary Magdalen School is to close and form a new unified school with Our Lady of Sorrows School, which is to be located at the present Our Lady of Sorrows School. 68. St. Raphael Parish and School are to continue at their present site. Conclusion 69.As we implement the necessary changes for the pastoral reorganization of the South City Deanery, we follow in a long line of our ancestors in the faith, who, in their place and at their time, accepted difficult changes, in order that the life of the whole Church be strengthened.We pray that we may imitate their faith and sacrifice in doing what is best for the Church in the South City Deanery. 70.I urge all of the faithful of the South City Deanery to accept the decisions with the generous obedience of Christ who does the Father’s will in all things.Our obedient response to the needs of the Church in our time and place, notwithstanding the sometimes painful personal sacrifice which it entails, will bring new life and growth to the Church.As your archbishop, I thank you, in advance, for all that you will do to implement the new organization of the pastoral life in the South City Deanery for the good of all. 71.I urge all of the faithful of the archdiocese to keep in your thoughts and prayers your brothers and sisters in the South City Deanery, especially during the coming time of transition.By your prayers and sacrifices, you will be one with them in carrying out the mission of Christ in our Archdiocese. 72.Before the challenge of carrying out faithfully and generously the mission of Christ, we are all deeply conscious that the mission is His.By ourselves alone, we will accomplish nothing.With Christ, we can do all that God the Father asks of us.Most of all, through our union with Christ in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, we receive the wisdom and the strength to do the Father’s will, especially when it is difficult for us.May our observance of the Year of the Eucharist bring us all closer to Christ and be a source of particular strength for the faithful of the South City Deanery. 73.We carry out Christ’s mission with the help of the love and prayers of all the saint.I confide the pastoral reorganization of the South City Deanery to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church; St. Joseph, patron of the Universal Church; and our archdiocesan patrons, St. Louis of France, St. Vincent de Paul and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne. Given at St. Louis on the twenty-fifth day of February, Friday of the Second Week of Lent, in the Year of the Lord 2005. (Most Rev.) Raymond L. Burke Archbishop of St. Louis