The name of a new parish forming in northeast Rochester reflects the immigrant heritages of the five urban churches whose territories it now comprises.
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish is composed of the territories once served by the parishes of Light of Christ (St. Andrew and Annunciation churches), Our Lady of the Americas (the former Corpus Christi, Holy Redeemer/St. Francis Xavier and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel churches) and Our Lady of the Angels (Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Michael churches), according to Bishop Matthew H. Clark’s Nov. 29 decree, which became effective Dec. 13. A new Mass schedule for the new parish was announced during the weekend of Dec. 19.
Mother Cabrini, the new parish’s patron, founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and aided immigrants and the poor, first in New York City and then throughout the world in the late 1800s and early 1900s. A native of Italy, she became a U.S. citizen in 1909 and was canonized in 1947 as the first U.S. citizen-saint.
Naming the new parish after Mother Cabrini, the patroness of immigrants, is an apt choice because of the city parishes’ long-standing outreach to those in need, said Bernard Grizard, diocesan director of Parish Support Ministries, which oversees pastoral planning.
"It’s a great name for the parish, especially due to her (Mother Cabrini’s) involvement with immigrants and various ethnic groups," Grizard said.
According to the bishop’s decree, the impetus for combining Light of Christ, Our Lady of the Americas and Our Lady of the Angels into a single parish were "lack of available clergy, the financial burden associated with the maintenance and upkeep of surplus property, and the diminishing number of people to be served." The decree also notes that Bishop Clark consulted with the Presbyteral Council regarding the decision on Nov. 9.
Each of three parishes named in the decree had been the product of other recent consolidation over the past several years.
Our Lady of the Americas was formed at the end of 2007 from the merger of Corpus Christi, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and Holy Redeemer/St. Francis Xavier parishes; the Mt. Carmel and Holy Redeemer/St. Francis Xavier worship sites closed in 2008.
Our Lady of the Angels was formed in 2008 from Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Michael parishes. In October, a planning team recommended that Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church be closed. The final weekend Mass for Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, which will be bilingual, will take place at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 9.
Light of Christ was formed in 2008 from St. Andrew and Church of the Annunciation parishes. In October, a planning team recommended the closure of Light of Christ at St. Andrew Church, but a final Mass has not been scheduled, Grizard said.
Masses scheduled for Church of the Annunciation will continue to be celebrated at St. Andrew Church while Church of the Annunciation is renovated. Additionally, St. Andrew’s 9:30 a.m. Mass will continue to be celebrated until renovations are complete.
After the final Masses at these churches, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini will comprise worship sites at 1754 Norton St. (Church of the Annunciation), 864 E. Main St. (Our Lady of the Americas) and 869 N. Clinton Ave. (St. Michael). Grizard said ministerial offices will be located at the North Clinton Avenue worship site and administration offices at 80 Prince St.
The parish’s coadministrators, Father Paul Gitau and Deb Housel, will continue in their roles until the end of June, he said.
Grizard noted that the new parish had to make major personnel cuts and confirmed that six full- and part-time staff members had been laid off. He said that these staff members had been referred to the diocesan department of human resources to see if they could be placed in other positions within the diocese.
Financial stresses were one of the factors that in June led Bishop Clark to charge a committee of clergy and lay people with studying ministry in the northeast area of Rochester. The financial issues were compounded by declining attendance, population shifts and high building operational costs, the bishop said in a June letter about the situation.
In October, when that committee released its recommendations — including the plan to close St. Andrew and Our Lady of Perpetual Help and reduce the collective parish debt — Housel noted that its members identified maintaining and expanding ministries as their top priority.
