Archdiocese of Philadelphia
News
Release
February
2005
New Parish To Be Established in Cluster 21 in July 2005
Our Lady of The Rosary Parish and Our Lady of Victory Parish To Be Consolidated
Reverend Thomas P. Kletzel, Pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish and Pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish, announces that Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, has approved the recommendation of the Steering Committee to establish a new parish in West Philadelphia by consolidating these two parishes. The new parish will be located at 63rd and Callowhill Streets, using the buildings of the present Our Lady of the Rosary site, and will have a new name.
The Steering Committee, made up of the pastor, the principal and lay representatives of each parish, made this recommendation after much prayer, discussion and deliberation. The parishes are faced with declining numbers of registered parishioners due to population changes in the area. The number of parishioners of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish has decreased from 1,045 in 1990 to 400 in 2004. During that same time period, the number of parishioners of Our Lady of Victory has decreased from 1,347 to 537.
The schools’ enrollments have been steadily decreasing and the costs to educate each student increasing. In the 2004-2005 school year, Our Lady of the Rosary Parish School enrollment is 162 students and Our Lady of Victory Parish School is 190.
Background
The 1997 Pastoral Plan for Cluster 21 (that is, the parishes in West Philadelphia located North of Market Street), brought about a restructuring of some parishes and schools. Saint Barbara Parish School was closed and six parishes were twinned (two parishes shared one pastor). While consensus was reached during the Cluster Pastoral Planning process that all of the parishes of Cluster 21 remain open, some parish representatives voiced strong concern that twinning parishes was not the most desirable approach to responding to the reduction of priests.
In March 2003, the parishes of Cluster 21 entered a new phase of Cluster
Pastoral Planning. The Cluster 21 Council met monthly until July 2003 to
discuss restructuring. During these discussions, consensus was reached to
seek Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua’s permission to begin a feasibility
study of the schools of Our Lady of the Rosary and Our Lady of Victory
Parishes to consider restructuring them. Cardinal Bevilacqua granted the
permission in summer 2003.
On September 14, 2003, it was announced to the joint congregations of Our Lady
of the Rosary and Our Lady of Victory Parishes that members of both Pastoral
Councils agreed to engage in the process of studying the feasibility of restructuring
their parishes rather than their schools alone. A questionnaire
was distributed to those present for worship. The questionnaire asked if they
approved of the initiation of such a process. Of those who responded, there
were 147 people who checked “yes;” ten checked “no.”
On September 17, 2003, the Regional Vicar, Rev. Msgr. John Conway, was invited to a joint meeting of the Pastoral Councils of Our Lady of the Rosary and Our Lady of Victory Parishes. At that meeting, Council members voted unanimously to send a proposal to the Cluster 21 Council to consider a restructuring of the parishes (not just the schools) of Our Lady of Victory and Our Lady of the Rosary. Both Parish Pastoral Councils then continued working together to evaluate parish life and to begin determining what would be needed to create one new parish.
On October 2, 2003, an ad hoc committee, consisting of the Pastor and two lay representatives from each parish began meeting to gather preliminary information. On April 17, 2004, a Steering Committee was formed and presented with the preliminary information. Members agreed to meet about every two weeks through summer and early fall 2004 in order to formulate a draft proposal for restructuring by late fall 2004. At their October 6, 2004 meeting, members of the Steering Committee reached a consensus on a site for the new parish and school. This decision was reached after much prayer, discussion and deliberation.
Since July 2003, the two parish communities have been worshiping together each Sunday, alternating between Our Lady of the Rosary Church and Our Lady of Victory Church.
Consultation
The Steering Committee solicited the input of parishioners via a November 5, 2004 communique. In addition, “town meetings” were held for parishioners, for other school families and for the schools’ faculties. Steering Committee members met on December 2, 2004 to consider the input they received. On December 9, 2004, the Steering Committee signed the final proposal which was submitted to the Cardinal. On January 9, 2005, a communique was distributed to parishioners informing them of the final recommendation.
Plans for the New Parish
The new parish will be located at 63rd and Callowhill Streets, using the buildings of the present Our Lady of the Rosary site. It is the hope of the Archdiocese that the new parish will continue to make a presence felt in the neighborhood by establishing a Parish Outreach Center at the site of the Our Lady of Victory Convent. There are no plans currently for the remaining buildings of Our Lady of Victory Parish. Parishioners will have an opportunity to offer suggestions for the name of the new parish. Cardinal Rigali will select the name and the new parish will open on July 1, 2005.
Plans for the School
The new school will also be located at 63rd and Callowhill Streets.