of Port Chester
Parishes
On June
12 the archdiocese of New York made a long-awaited announcement concerning the
new configuration of the parishes that serve the Catholic population of the
village of Port Chester, N.Y.
The
re-alignment in Port Chester was the last piece in the Making All Things New
process underway in the archdiocese for several years, involving parish,
regional, and archdiocesan discussion and planning. About 80 parishes in the
archdiocese have been affected by various forms of closure or merger.
 |
| Corpus Christi Church, with the two-parish school adjacent to it |
The archdiocese announced that the parish
mergers in Port Chester will take place in two phases. In the first, on August 1,
2015, Corpus Christi and Our Lady of the Rosary parishes—the two in the village
long staffed by the Salesians—will merge, with Corpus Christi designated as the
main parish church and Our Lady of the Rosary continuing to be used for Masses and
sacraments. On the same date the other two parishes in the village, Sacred Heart
of Jesus and Our Lady of Mercy, will merge, with Our Lady of Mercy designated as
the main parish church, and Sacred Heart of Jesus remaining a church that may be
used on special occasions but no longer on a regular basis.
 |
| Our Lady of the Rosary Church, better known as Holy Rosary |
The second phase will go into effect on August 1, 2017, when,
with the cooperation of the Salesians, the parishes of Corpus Christi-Our Lady of
the Rosary, and Our Lady of Mercy-Sacred Heart of Jesus, will merge, with Our Lady
of Mercy designated as the parish church.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, thanked the people
of Port Chester for their patient cooperation in this process, and the Salesians
for undertaking an expanded pastoral work, saying “I am grateful to the parishioners
of Port Chester who provided me with their thoughtful input on how the Church could
best serve the religious and spiritual needs of the people. Great appreciation must
also be expressed to the Salesians, who are known for [their] work in evangelization,
particularly among young people, in taking responsibility for this new parish structure.
I am confident that this will lead to an active and vibrant Catholic community in
Port Chester!”
As of this writing, no announcement
has been made concerning a new pastor for Corpus Christi-Holy Rosary Parish, or
a new director for the Salesian community of Port Chester. Fr. Tim Zak, who has
filled both roles for the last year, has been assigned to the provincial residence
in New Rochelle, where he will serve as vice provincial.
 |
| Don Bosco Community Center, adjacent to Holy Rosary's parish offices |
The announcement does not immediately
affect Corpus Christi-Holy Rosary School, which is administered by the Salesian
Sisters, or the Don Bosco Community Center.
 |
| Corpus Christi-Holy Rosary parochial school |
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