Pastors of Both Plan to Retire This Year
By William Moyer
Press & Sun-Bulletin
February 18, 2008
http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080218/NEWS01/802180339/1006
Not that parishioners didn't see it coming, but the long-time priests at two Catholic parishes in Endwell have announced their retirements, which has triggered a diocesan-mandated formal process to merge the churches into a single parish.
The Rev. Thomas F. Hobbes, at Christ the King, and the Rev. John D. Roock, at Our Lady of Angels, informed parishioners that they will retire in July or August, depending on a still-to-be-determined and diocesan-approved timetable for merging the two parishes.
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| The Rev. Thomas F. Hobbes celebrates Mass Saturday at Christ the King Church in Endwell. Photo by Joseph Geronimo |
"Anything else would have been wishful thinking; it would have kept (Christ the King) open for a while, but people knew what was in the works," Hobbes said about the timing of the two priests' retirements. "People want some roots and to know what parish is going to be there for their children."
Bishop James M. Moynihan, of the Syracuse Diocese, announced last May that Christ the King and Our Lady of Angels were on the list of Broome County parishes that would eventually merge as part of a massive downsizing of the regional jurisdiction.
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| The Rev. John Roock,of Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church in Endwell, says Mass on Saturday. Photo by Joseph Geronimo |
At the time, though, a date for the merger -- which will result in closing one building -- was dependent upon the two 76-year-old priests' retirements. Even before the bishop's announcement, the two parishes -- about 1.5 miles apart -- had been kicking around ideas about a possible merger.
"We've been talking about it for 20 years," said Roock, who's been pastor at Our Lady of Angels for 14 years. "We just don't have enough priests; we had to do something."
Ideally, the diocese would like to see Christ the King, on Davis Avenue off Main Street, and Our Lady of Angels, on Phyllis Street, merge by August, when Moynihan would assign a priest to the new parish, according to Brother Ed Falsey, associate director of pastoral planning at diocesan headquarters in Syracuse.
Progress noted
Under the bishop's massive downsizing across the seven-county south and central New York diocese, six other Broome churches will eventually merge into three parishes. Eight others will be linked into four, two-parish assignments.
Officials at other parishes slated to merge are making progress toward implementing the bishop's mandate, said Falsey, the former administrator of the Church of the Holy Trinity, a merged parish on Prospect Street in the Town of Dickinson.
* St. Catherine in Hillcrest and St. Christopher in the Town of Chenango have recommended using St. Catherine as the site for their merged parish -- St. Francis of Assisi. The plan awaits diocesan approval, Falsey said, and then a date will be set for the merger.
* St. John and St. Andrew, both in Binghamton, are working on their recommendation, which is due by March to the College of Consultors.
* St. Casimir and St. Joseph, both in Endicott, will merge when St. Casmir's pastor, the Rev. Matthew S. Wieczorek, retires. Wieczorek, 76, said last week that he has no immediate plans to retire.
One of the buildings involved in each merger will be closed.
Some other parishes are working to meet a March deadline to submit formal plans to link, according to Falsey.
* St. Thomas and St. Patrick will be linked into one parish served by one priest, with both buildings remaining open. The same scenario is in the works for St. Mary and St. Paul, which will also share a priest. All are located in Binghamton.
* Blessed Sacrament in Johnson City and St. Vincent de Paul in Vestal are likewise expected to work out details of linkage by March, Falsey said. The new parish will be served by one priest, but both buildings will remain open.
St. Ambrose in Endicott will eventually be linked with Most Holy Rosary in Maine -- both will remain open -- upon the retirement of the Rev. Charles A. Currie, 75, who has said he wants to stay at St. Ambrose while the church celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2008.
By July 1, church leaders at St. Mary in Kirkwood, St. Joseph in Deposit, Our Lady of Lourdes in Windsor and St. Joseph in Sanitaria Springs must provide a plan that would involve two priests serving their communities. All buildings will likely remain open.
Aging and changing demographics among Catholics, as well as a declining economy in the diocese and a dwindling roster of priests, all played a role in the reorganization, according to church officials.
St. James in Johnson City, Our Lady of Sorrows in Vestal, St. Anthony in Endicott and Our Lady of Good Counsel in West Endicott were unchanged by the reorganization. Those churches are the four largest-membership parishes in the diocese's South Region, which includes Broome and Chenango counties.
Time to retire
For parishioners at Christ the King and Our Lady of Angels, the retirement announcements end speculation about when the two parishes will merge, hopefully allowing members to prepare to embrace the new parish, Hobbes and Roock said.
"The people needed some stability. I found myself saying it was better to go -- into retirement," said Hobbes. "The people seem to rather it not happen, but they realize it's going to."
Hobbes would like to see the new parish keep a spiritual presence in Christ the King's neighborhood, where the church has held Lenten fish dinners for 15 years and assisted residents during recent flooding, as well as hosted an open house for flood victims, sponsored by Project Recovery. Church members also handed out food, clothing and other necessities.
"It was time -- becoming one parish," added Roock.
Parishioners are making suggestions for the merged parish's name, said Hobbes, who's served 14 years at Christ the King and was previously a guidance counselor for two decades at Catholic Central and Seton high schools.
Officials at both churches must also make a recommendation to the College of Consultors about which building will be used.
Hobbes and Roock readily admit Our Lady of Angels -- whose membership, building and parking lot are larger than Christ the King -- will probably be the choice for the merged parish.
According to 2006 diocesan data, Christ the King has 1,035 members and draws about 240 people to weekend Mass in a sanctuary that seats 300.
Our Lady of Angels has 3,600 parishioners and gets about 750 at weekend Masses in a sanctuary that holds 620.
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