Holy Family and St. Stephen parishes merge and become St. Joseph and St. Stephen Parish

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

WORCESTER – The merger of Holy Family and St. Stephen parishes was called a cause for celebration when it was announced last weekend.
The two parishes, within walking distance of each other, are officially one as of 12:01 a.m. today, Sept. 1. The new parish is called St. Joseph and St. Stephen Parish.
But not much is changing, those involved said.
Masses will continue to be celebrated in St. Stephen Church at 357 Grafton St. and St. Joseph Church at 35 Hamilton St., according to parish leaders. (St. Joseph’s Church has been the worship site for Holy Family Parish, which was formed in 2008 from Notre Dame/St. Joseph and Holy Name of Jesus parishes.)
“I believe it’s a reason for us to celebrate,” Msgr. Robert K. Johnson, pastor of both Holy Family and St. Stephen parishes since 2019 said at Mass Sunday in St. Joseph Church. He spoke of a bright future and of incorporating different gifts as one parish.
 Msgr. Johnson said movement toward merging the parishes started years ago when Father Steven M. LaBaire, then Holy Family’s pastor, was also assigned to be pastor of St. Stephen’s in 2017.
 Holy Family and St. Stephen’s have shared clergy, staff and programs. The new St. Joseph and St. Stephen Parish will additionally consolidate finances.
“Everybody was clapping at the end” of the announcement at Sunday’s 12:30 p.m. Spanish Mass at St. Stephen’s, said Barbara Lizardo, administrative assistant. She said the people are happy “because they understand we are one parish community.”
“They take it well because nothing is changing for people,” said her husband, Deacon Franklin B. Lizardo, who serves the parishes. However, he said, Hispanics will now be part of everything, including bilingual religious education.
“For the Hispanic community there is no attachment” to church buildings, since the community does not have a long history there, he said.
After St. Stephen’s Lord’s Day vigil Mass, Michael Simone, a parishioner there since 1975, asked whether Masses would change.
Deacon Paul J. Reuter assured him Mass times and places will be the same.
“We’re not closing either church,” the deacon said.
“It’s a good church, good people running it,” said Mr. Simone, who comes in from Shrewsbury for Mass.
Neil R. Isakson, St. Stephen’s finance committee chairman, praised Msgr. Johnson for “leading us in establishing a prayerful process” for bringing the parishes together.
“I think the merger is a cause for celebration” because it’s the work of the Holy Spirit, Mr. Isakson said. He said it will keep the sacraments central and the parish financially sustainable.
“We’re more than just church buildings,” he said. “We’re a faith community that enjoys the sacraments at the heart of our parish experience.”
But he said there is no way to serve the community without both churches, because of the many Masses. There are three Lord’s Day Masses in English, two in Spanish, two in Portuguese for the Brazilian community and one in French for the Haitian community.
Mr. Isakson said each parish campus has four buildings – its church, former school, and rectory, Holy Family’s Msgr. Ducharme Social Center and St. Stephen’s former thrift shop (now housing parish offices). The priests live in Holy Family’s rectory.
“We will be looking at” how to manage the buildings, in terms of maintenance and use of space, said Ralph Berthiaume, chairman of Holy Family’s finance committee. He said a charter school is using the former St. Joseph’s School and part of the former St. Stephen’s School, which Deacon Reuter said will now house parish offices and religious education classes.
Paula Warner, cantor at both parishes, said the merger will not affect her work. She belongs to St. Mary Parish in Uxbridge.
“There are people that I love in both places,” she said. “Jesus is everywhere. We all understand this is practical … in order for us to keep both (church) buildings.”
While St. Stephen’s people love their parish, they concluded, after meeting with the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Committee, that merging was the best option, Mr. Isakson said.
“It’s going to be good,” said Marcel Duplessis. “Both of us (parishes) are going to be one.” He said he grew up at St. Joseph’s, went to other parishes, returned to St. Joseph’s and now belongs to St. Stephen’s, where he is an altar server for weekend Masses. He serves at both parishes for weekday Masses, which alternate between the church buildings.
“It’s a day of celebration. … The Church on Grafton Hill is alive and well,” Theresa Turgeon, a Holy Family parish council member, said. She was a leader in the fight to save St. Joseph’s when it was closed in the 1990s.
“I’m so grateful that we’re here,” she said Sunday. “The faces of the people are different. The Brazilian community, the Haitian community and the Spanish community are so spirit-filled. It reminds me of long-ago times,” when English and French were spoken at St. Joseph’s. “I think God would be happy.”
Yvette Rutledge, president of Holy Family’s parish council, echoed those sentiments, saying that, as the Anglos are getting older, the new ethnic communities have brought youth and life.
“I love having them around,” she said. “It reminds me of when I was a kid” in a multigenerational parish where people were involved.
“I think for the Grafton Hill parishes the merger is OK, a good thing,” said Margarette Leveque, coordinator of Holy Family’s Haitian community. She said people are willing to work together.
“I’m very happy and very proud to be a part of a community … that is together (and) happy,” said Livia Araujo, of Holy Family’s Brazilian community. She said she thinks others feel the same.