ST. LOUIS — The Vatican on Monday announced two more decisions on the fate of parishes that appealed their closures under the Archdiocese of St. Louis' "All Things New" restructuring plan.
In the first decision, the Dicastery for the Clergy upheld St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski’s decree to consolidate Saints Philip and James parish in River aux Vases into Ste. Genevieve parish in Ste. Genevieve.
In its second decision, the Vatican did not uphold the Archdiocese's decree to consolidate St. Richard parish in Creve Coeur, saying it couldn't find just cause to do so given the parish’s "financial and demographic stability."
According to the Archdiocese, no further steps need to be taken regarding St. Richard parish since Rozanski suspended the effects of the decree while awaiting a decision from the Vatican.
The Archdiocese said Fr. Sebastian Mundackal would continue pastoral guidance for St. Richard parish as well as for St. Monica parish.
"Notably, the dicastery supported the decision for these two parishes to share a pastor and specifically rejected the suggestion that All Things New was a 'preconceived plan to close or notably alter' parishes of the Archdiocese of St. Louis," the Archdiocese said in a statement.
The Archdiocese said appeals remain outstanding for the following parishes:
- St. Angela Merici
- St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist
- St. Roch
- Our Lady of Sorrows
- St. Bernadette
- St. Martin of Tours
- St. Agnes
- St. Lawrence
- St. Catherine of Alexandria
- St. Paul (Berger)
- St. Francis of Assisi (Luebbering)
- St. Barnabas
- St. Matthew