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June 10, 2024 

Dear Parishioners,

As you know, we have received the recommendations from the diocese about closures and mergers concerning our family of parishes here in Niagara Falls.  I know this has caused a great deal of concern and a lot of frustration.  You care about your parishes and this city.  I understand this all comes from the heart of parishioners who have supported and loved their parishes for many years.  In some cases, they have attended a particular parish all their lives.  The thoughts and feelings you have are certainly understandable.

There will be a period of evaluation of these recommendations to study making our own recommendations.  Nothing is definite yet.  However, I cannot make any promises that this will change.  Included below are the word for word recommendations given by the diocese. 

1) Projected number of priests for this family by 2030=2

2) Based upon scoring and metrics, it is recommended that the family right size and reshape this family evaluating the following recommendations:

a) Divine Mercy Parish is recommended to merge with St Mary of the Cataract.

b) The entire property of Divine Mercy will be sold.

c) The Our Lady of Mt Carmel site of Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is to close and be sold.

d) St John de LaSalle is recommended to merge with St Vincent de Paul.

e) The entire property of St John de LaSalle will be sold.

Justification

1) Divine Mercy has the fewest contributing households in this family, a negative net balance and declining sacraments.

2) This is also a strategic move for the area in rightsizing the number of parishes needed with the priestly leadership we can anticipate.

3) Sale of Our Lady of Mt Carmel is recommended because the parish does not need the secondary worship site for participating families to be effectively ministered to.

4) St John de LaSalle parish recommendation is a strategic move based upon geography and the number of parishes needed to minister to Niagara Falls.  Based upon available priestly leadership this area of the Diocese needs to be rightsized so that it can be effectively ministered to by only 2 priests in the future.  St John de LaSalle is only 3 minutes from St Vincent de Paul Parish.

Take some time to read them and pray about them.  These are difficult times for us.  As I have said before.  I pray that the results of the Road to Renewal bear the fruit that we hope it does.

Christ’s Peace,

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Fr Jim Kirkpatrick

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