Several BX parishes forced to shut down, merge with other churches

<p>Several Bronx churches have closed down for religious services.&nbsp;</p>

News 12 Staff

Dec 10, 2017, 10:59 PM

Updated 2,492 days ago

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Several Bronx churches have closed down for religious services.
Our Lady of Pity was forced to stop services due to the financial burdens of repairing and maintaining the building. According to Welcome2TheBronx.com, the house of worship was deconsecrated, which means the blessing upon the religious institution was removed.
Since 2010, more than 100 parishes have either closed or merged as part of the New York Archdiocesan plan called Making All Things New.
About 600 people that attended St. Roch in Mott Haven were affected by the initiative. They were forced to merge with the nearby St. Anselm's Church.
"It was depressing and it's still depressing," says Aida Berrios, Parishioner of St. Roch's. "We still have a lot of people that can't go to the other church because they can't walk there."
St. Pius the Fifth's Church and St. Joseph's Church were also forced to merge with other churches.
Decisions to merge a parish can be based on a decline in available priests or parishioners, according to the Archdiocese. The buildings that are no longer used after parishes merge could be put up for sale. Parishioners also have the opportunity to appeal decisions to merge.