merge - CathNews New Zealand

New York archdiocese merges dozens of parishes

Michael — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 18:05:18 +0000

New York archdiocese has moved to merge more than 50 of its 368 parishes with neighbouring parishes.

In a column published online in Catholic New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan said 14 per cent of the archdiocese's 368 parishes would undergo a "purgatory" of sorts and be merged with neighbours.

"I wish it could be different. I'd rather be adding parishes, or expanding the ones we have," Cardinal Dolan wrote.

The archdiocese, which covers the Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island and parts of the Hudson Valley, can no longer fill the seats in all its parishes, he explained.

"In areas that used to have huge Catholic numbers . . . most of the people have since moved away.

"On Manhattan alone, for instance, we have 88 parishes, some only blocks apart. Do the math: We have about 25 per cent of our parishes in an area where less than 12 per cent of the 2.8 million Catholics of the archdiocese reside," he said.

New York archdiocese merges dozens of parishes

Not everyone happy with plan to merge two schools

admin — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 19:30:43 +0000

A plan to merge two schools takes away choice, some parents say.

Last week Christchurch, New Zealand, Catholic Education office manager Mike Nolan announced St Paul's School in Dallington and Our Lady of Fatima School in Mairehau are to merge.

"The minister has agreed in principle to the formation of a new state integrated full primary school with the new name of St Francis of Assisi Catholic School."

A parent of two St Paul's pupils says the community's views had not been listened to.

"Personally I don't like the fact [that] my choice is being taken away from me . . . my choice to have a small school, a school close to my house. I know the people I've spoken to would [agree]," she said.

"St Paul's, the school and the staff, have done an awesome job looking after [the children] and our best interests but personally, I don't like the way the bishop or [Catholic Education Office manager] Mike Nolan have handled it."

Nolan said there has been "extensive community consultation" about the merger, including community meetings that started in September last year.

Bishop Barry Jones favoured the plan to merge the schools, as their parishes had already combined since the quakes, Nolan said.

"The bishop's view was pretty clear. One parish, one school, one church."

Mr Nolan says there will be another round of consultation on how best to appoint teachers and staff with the aim that the school be open for term 1 of 2016.

Click here to read about the consultation process, the report and related matters.

Source

Not everyone happy with plan to merge two schools

Two Catholic schools may merge

admin — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:30:20 +0000

A merger of two Christchurch Catholic primary schools is under discussion. Under the proposal, Dallington's St Paul's School, which suffered severe earthquake damage, would form a new school with Our Lady of Fatima at its Mairehau site from 2015. St Paul's is housed on an Education Ministry site in Champion St until the end of 2013, with a right to extend until the end of the 2014 school year. Catholic Education Office manager Mike Nolan said Education Minister Hekia Parata had agreed "in principle" to support Bishop Barry Jones' request to consult on the proposal. "Each school in the diocese has already been notified about this proposal. The next step would be a formal community consultation on the proposal during term four," he said. The St Paul's, Holy Family (Burwood) and Our Lady of Fatima parishes have already combined. Marian College was the only other diocesan school not on its original site. The college has been operating from a site near the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Barbadoes St and is awaiting a further geotechnical assessment of its former North Parade site next August. Source:

Stuff
Image: The Telegraph

Two Catholic schools may merge