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	Southbridge Parishes Announce Merger Plans By Tanya Connor The Catholic Free Press December 29, 2009 http://www.catholicfreepress.org/_Pages/_This%20Week/1225Southbridge.html SOUTHBRIDGE – Notre Dame and Sacred Heart of Jesus parishes will merge into one parish, called Notre Dame of the Sacred Heart, on Pentecost, May 23, 2010. Decisions about what to do with the two parishes’ eight buildings, including the churches themselves, have not yet been made. Father Leo-Paul J. LeBlanc, pastor of Notre Dame since 2004 and administrator of Sacred Heart since 2007, gave The Catholic Free Press this information last week. He said he had previously announced the new name to parishioners. He announced the merge date at all Masses at both parishes last weekend, he said Monday. Father LeBlanc said Margaret M. Farrand, Notre Dame’s business manager, is organizing an evaluation of the buildings: two churches, two rectories, Notre Dame’s hall and religious education center, and Sacred Heart’s former convent and former school. The school is now a parish center. The already elected pastoral council of the new parish, and the finance committee he appointed will get the report of the buildings, have a tour and discuss the situation, Father LeBlanc said. He said parishioners will be invited to attend the presentation about the report and the tour and give their feedback. Father LeBlanc said this process will continue while he is on sabbatical at a study program at North American College in Rome Jan. 24-April 15. Joan A. Comeau, pastoral associate, will be in charge of the process and will handle parishes’ administrative and pastoral responsibilities, he said. Msgr. Thomas J. Sullivan, diocesan chancellor, will have overall responsibility for the parish, though he will continue to be in the Chancery in Worcester. Father Edward Deviny, C.P., a retired Passionist priest from Scranton, Penn., will serve the two parishes from the time Father LeBlanc leaves until the end of February. Father Richard Landry, a LaSallette priest from Enfield, N.H., will serve the parishes from the end of February until April 4, Easter Sunday, Father LeBlanc said. They will celebrates Masses and carry out all the ministerial duties of the parishes. Bishop McManus decided to merge the parishes after consulting with the diocesan Presbyterial Council. Both parishes had voted in favor of merging the two parishes. Sacred Heart voted during the summer and Notre Dame voted in the fall, Father LeBlanc said. He said that the members of both parishes were invited to submit names for the new parish. Thirty-six names were submitted. Each parish voted on the names. The top three vote-getters were Notre Dame of the Sacred Heart, Notre Dame Sacre Coeur and Notre Dame - Sacred Heart. With the merger, Sacred Heart Parish will be coming back to the parish from which it was founded. Notre Dame Parish was founded on Nov. 29, 1869 to serve French-speaking Catholics. The present church was completed in 1919. Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish was founded on Dec. 6, 1908, to serve French-speaking Catholics when that group grew too large for one parish. It is significant that the merger will take place on Pentecost, Father LeBlanc said, because Pentecost is the birthday of the Church and it will be the birthday of the new parish. – William T. Clew contributed to this report.
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