Brennan was speaking in front of a packed house at the dedication of North America's largest Catholic parish church - St. Charles Borromeo. The mega church has seating for 3,200 people.

"We're hoping that this becomes an example, if not a model, for the church in the States," said Brennan.

St. Charles Borromeo parish in Visalai consolidates different parishes and includes four worship sites.

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The move will mean a new name and structure for St Andrew's in Newlands, St Benedict's in Khandallah and St Peter and Paul's in Johnsonville.

The new parish will be established at a mass at St Andrew's on February 28, when it will assume the name of St Francis of Assisi, Ohariu.

All three churches will continue to hold mass and other activities. Continue reading

The reunification Mass at Sacred Heart Girls' College on 6 September was led by Bishop Charles Drennan, who told the parishioners that Taranaki had always been and would continue to be a fertile ground for the Catholic faith.

He said the fire that gutted the St Philomena's church in Brooklands in January 2014 had proven that faith did not live in bricks and mortar, but rather in the people of the community. Read Bishop Charles' homily.

Regional dean of North Taranaki Father Craig Butler said the amalgamation was a part of a plan to ensure the Catholic church would continue to grow.

Butler said to begin with there would be no changes and services would continue at the individual churches.

The amalgamation would ensure the Catholic community was unified and that emphasis was placed on the importance of the five Catholic schools in the district.

He said the process leading up to the amalgamation had been challenging but exciting.

"We are facing change and people are being very generous around that. It's been a lot of hard work, but it has been very satisfying because Taranaki has some wonderful people."

In 1856 the first Catholic church was build in the district, on Courtenay St, at a site now occupied by McDonalds and Countdown supermarket.

The Fitzroy and Brooklands parishes were established in the 1950 and 60s after the arrival of a cohort of Irish priests.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Image: Robert Charles/Fairfax NZ

The administrator of the Wilcannia-Forbes diocese, Bishop Kevin Manning said a lack of men joining the priesthood is of great concern. He thinks one of causes of low priest numbers is the difficulty that exists in promoting vocations in an area where, "the priests may not be in great standing...that's why I say this matter of clerical abuse hasn't helped the image of the priesthood here at all."

Read Natalie Whiting's article on ABC

Natalie Whiting is a radio joirnalist working for the ABC in Broken Hill.