Three Grafton parishes to merge

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

GRAFTON - The three Grafton parishes are to become one parish with a new name effective July 1, according to an announcement made at Masses this weekend. Bishop McManus met with the pastors and representatives from St. Mary, St. Philip and St. James parishes on April 6 to inform them of his decision.  

Father Anthony J. Mpagi, St. James’ pastor, will be pastor of the new parish, and the pastoral team will include an associate, who will be named later, and Deacon Timothy G. Cross, who serves St. Mary’s and St. Philip’s, according to the announcement.

Father Leo-Paul LeBlanc, pastor of St. Mary’s and St. Philip’s, told The Catholic Free Press he hopes to retire.

Other members of the pastoral and support staffs will be determined by Father Mpagi ,with the advice from committees, according to the parishes’ renewal process website graftoncatholic.org/parish-renewal.

All of the church buildings are being kept, for the time being, Father LeBlanc said.

Last October the three parishes began a renewal process. On March 16, parish representatives informed Bishop McManus that “the overwhelming recommendation of parishioners from all three parishes was that we form one new parish.” The bishop accepted the recommendation after consultation with the presbyteral council.

This decision may be painful for some people, the parish representatives acknowledged in the announcement letter. But they said the pastors agreed they need to “encourage one another … giving thanks for the many graces we have received through our parishes, and now together to set out on the mission … entrusted to us by Christ.” To help with that task, a parish mission has been set for May.

The new parish will assume all the assets and liabilities, Father LeBlanc said.  

Legacy of Hope capital campaign funds that have been collected or will be collected can only be used for the church campus they were collected for and only for the use cases that each church presented to the diocese, says the parishes’ renewal website.

A transition team is to be formed and parishioners are being invited to suggest names for the new parish and give their rationale for their suggestions, Father LeBlanc said.

After Saturday’s Lord’s Day vigil Mass at St. James, parishioners expressed openness to, and even excitement about, the change.

Father LeBlanc said his parishioners were expecting the announcement.

“They know it’s been a long time in coming,” he said. “They’ve been talking about it for over 10 years,” going back to a clustering of the parishes in 2008. “People were introduced to the idea of becoming one. ...

“I think people see it makes sense to come together,” he continued. “Grafton is not a big town. Our children go to the same schools.”

The youth recently came together to lead outdoor Stations of the Cross for the parishes.

“I thought that was such a hopeful sign,” Father LeBlanc said. “The youth are leading the way. They don’t have the history that us older people do. …

“The key is evangelization, not self-preservation,” he said. “I’m dreaming what God wants and … young people need to have the vision for the future.” (See Joel 3:1)