WKSU News: Cleveland Catholic Diocese announces church closings and mergers

Monday, March 16, 2009 Cleveland Catholic Diocese announces church closings and mergers Core urban areas of Cleveland, Akron, Lorain hit hard by WKSU's KEVIN NIEDERMIER	Reporter Kevin Niedermier

St James church in Lakewood is one of 29 the Cleveland Catholic Diocese has slated for closure.

Courtesy of Kevin Niedermier

Parishes across the eight county Cleveland Catholic Diocese are adjusting to this weekend's announcements on which churches close their doors. After 2 years of study, Bishop Richard Lennon plans to close 29 of the 224 parishes and merge 41. The decisions are the result of too few priests, parishioners moving from the cities, and dwindling funds. From WKSU's Cleveland studios...Kevin Niedermier takes a look at the restructuring...and its impact on one parish.

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Father John Weigand has been St. James' pastor for
25-years.

St. James parishioners filing in for Sunday Mass.

Cleveland Catholic Diocese Bishop Richard Lennon holds a Sunday press conference to talk about the church closings and mergers.

Diocesan plans for churches. Annunciation, 4697 West 130th Street, Cleveland. Merge with Ascension and St. Patrick-West Park with new parish site. to be determined. . Annunciation-Akron, 55 BRoad, Street, Akron. Merge with St. John the Baptist with worship at Annunciation . Ascension, 14040 Puritas Avenue, Cleveland. Merge with Annunciation & St. Patrick-Park with new parish site. to be determined. . Assumption of Mary-Brook Park, 5555 Smith Road, Brook Park. Merge with St. Peter the Apostle--worship site. to be determined. . Blessed Sacrament, 3381 Fulton Road, Cleveland. Closing. . Cathedral of St. John, East 9th & Superior Avenue NE, Cleveland. Will remain open. . Christ the King-Akron, 1584 Creighton Avenue, Akron. Merge with St. Martha with worship site. at St. Martha. North Akron Catholic School remains open. at Christ the King. . Christ the King-E. Cleveland, 1862 Noble Road, East Cleveland. Closing to merge with St. Louis, St. Philomena & St. Ann at St. Ann site. . Community of St. Malachi. Merge with St. Malachi parish on same site. . Conversion of St. Paul, 4120 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. Closing; The monastery of the Poor Clares will continue at the former site. as will the Friary of the Capuchin Friars. . Corpus Christi ,4850 Pearl Road, Cleveland. Closing to merge with Our Lady of Good Counsel at OLGC site. . Epiphany, 11901 Oakfield Avenue, Cleveland. Closing . Holy Cross, Lake Shore Boulevard & East 200th Street Euclid. Merge with St. Christine, will reopen. with new parish name at this site. . Holy Cross-Elyria, 1417 W. Avenue, Elyria. Closing. . Holy Nam, 8328 BRoad,way Avenue, SE Cleveland. Will remain open. . Holy Redeemer, 15712 Kipling Avenue, Cleveland. Will remain open. . Holy Rosary-Cleveland, 12021 Mayfield Road, Cleveland. Will remain open. . Holy Trinity-Bedford Hts., 24821 Columbus Road, Bedford Hts. Mergerwith St. Mary and St. Pius X at St. Piux X site. . Holy Trinity-Lorain, 2428 Elyria Avenue, Lorain. Merge with St. Mary-Lorain with worship site to be determined. . Immaculate Conception, 4129 Superior Avenue, Cleveland. Will remain open. . Immaculate Heart of Mary, 6700 Lansing Avenue, Cleveland. Will remain open. . Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary-Lorain, 1454 Lexington Avenue, Lorain. Will remain open. . Our Lady of Angels, 3644 Rocky River Drive Cleveland. Will remain open. . Our Lady of Good Counsel , 4423 Pearl Road, Cleveland. Will remain open and merge with Corpus Christi at OLGC site. . Our Lady of Lourdes, 3396 East 55th Street Cleveland. Will remain open. . Our Lady of Mercy, 2425 West 11th Street Cleveland. Closing. . Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, 6928 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland. Will remain open. . Our Lady of Peace, Shaker Boulevard & East 126th Street Cleveland. Will remain open. . Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 18022 Neff Road, Cleveland. Will remain open and merge with St. George Lithuanian at Our Lady site. . Sacred Heart Chapel-Lorain, 4301 Pearl Road, Lorain. Will remain open. . Sacred Heart of Jesus, 6916 Krakow Cleveland. Closing. . Sacred Heart of Jesus-Akron, 734 Grant Street Akron. Closing. . Sacred Heart of Jesus-Elyria, 162 Irondale Street Elyria. Closing. . Sagrada Familia, 7719 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland. Will remain open. . SS. Cyril & Methodius-Barberton, 183 15th Street NW Barberton. Closing. . SS. Cyril & Methodius-Lakewood, Madison & Lakewood Avenue, Lakewood. Mergerwith St. Rose of Lima and will open. at this site. as a new parish. . SS. Cyril & Methodius-Lorain, 1705 East 31st Street Lorain. Merge with St. Vitus & St. John the Baptist to create new parish at St. John site. . SS. Philip and James, 3727 Bosworth Road, Cleveland. Closing. . St Anthony of Padua " Parma, 7546 State Rd Parma. Merge with St. Francis. . St. Adalbert, 2347 East 83rd Street Cleveland. Closing . . St. Agnes-Elyria 611 Lake Avenue, Elyria. Will remain open. . St. Agnes-Our Lady of Fatima 6800 Lexington Avenue, Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Aloysius-St. Agatha 10932 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Andrew ,5133 Superior Avenue, Cleveland. Demolished. . St. Andrew Kim, 2310 West 14th Street Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Ann, 2175 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights.Merger with St. Louis, St. Philomena & Christ the King will reopen at this site as a new parish. . St. Anthony of Padua-Akron, 83 Mosser Place Akron. Will remain open. . St. Augustine , 2486 West 14th Street Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Barbara, 1505 Denison Avenue, Cleveland. Closing . St. Bernard-Akron, 44 University Avenue, Akron. Will remain open., merge with St. Mary with worship site. at St. Bernard. . St. Boniface, 3545 West 54th Street Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Casimir, 8223 Sowinski Avenue, Cleveland. Closing . St. Cecilia, Kinsman Road, & East 52nd Street Cleveland. Closing . St. Charles Borromeo-Parma, 5891 Ridge Road, Parma. Will remain open. . St. Christine-Euclid, 840 East 222nd Street Euclid. Closing and merged into Holy Cross to create new parish . St. Clement-Lakewood, 14401 Madison Avenue, Lakewood. Will remain open. . St. Colman, 2027 West 65th Cleveland. Closing and will merge with St. Stephen at St. Stephen site. for new parish. . St. Elizabeth of Hungary, 9016 Buckeye Road, Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Emeric ,1890 West 22nd Street Cleveland. Closing . St. Felicitas, 140 Richmond Road, Euclid. Merged with St. Paul and will reopen. at this site. as a new parish . St. Francis ,7206 Myron Avenue, Cleveland. Closing but elementary school will remain open. . St. George, 6527 Superior Avenue, Cleveland. Closing will merge with Our Lady of Perpetual Help at Our Lady site. . St. Gregory the Great-S. Euclid, 1545 South Green Road, Cleveland. Merge with St. Margaret Mary with worship site. to be determined. . St. Hedwig-Akron, 213 East Glenwood Avenue, Akron. Closing . St. Hedwig-Lakewood, 12905 Madison Avenue, Lakewood. Closing . St. Hyacinth, 6114 Francis Avenue, Cleveland. Closing . St. Ignatius of Antioch, 10205 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland. Closing . St. James-Lakewood 17514 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood. Closing . St. Jerome 15000 Lake Shore Boulevard Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. John Cantius 906 College Avenue, Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. John Nepomucene, Fleet Avenue, & East 50th Street Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. John the Baptist-Akron, 1044 Brown Street Akron. Merge with Annunciation with worship site at Annunciation . St. John the Baptist-Lorain, Grove Avenue, & Homewood Drive Lorain. Merge with St. Vitus & SS. Cyril & Methodius to create new parish at St. John site. . St. Joseph-Lorain, Reid Avenue, & 15th Street Lorain. Closing . . St. Jude-Elyria, 590 Poplar Street Elyria. Will remain open. . St. Ladislaus-Lorain, 1412 East 29th Street Lorain. Closing. . St. Lawrence, 3532 East 80th Street Cleveland. Closing. . St. Leo the Great, 4940 BRoad,view Road, Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Louis-Cleveland Hts.,2463 N. Taylor Road, Cleveland Hts. Closing will merge with St. Ann, Christ the King & St. Philomena at St. Ann site. . St. Luke-Lakewood, Clifton Boulevard & Bunts Road, Lakewood. Will remain open. . St. Malachi, West 25th & Detroit Road, Cleveland. Will remain open. and merge with Community of St. Malachi to reopen at this site as new parish. . St. Margaret Mary-S. Euclid, 4217 Bluestone Road, South Euclid. Merging with St. Gregory the Great with worship site to be determined. . St. Margaret of Hungary, 4680 Lander Road, Orange Village. Closing. . St. Mark, 15800 Montrose Avenue, Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Martha-Akron, 300 East Tallmadge Avenue, Akron. Will remain open. will merge with Christ the King with worship site at St. Martha. . St. Mary, 15519 Holmes Avenue, Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Mary-Akron, 750 South Main Street Akron. Merge with St. Bernard with worship site at St. Bernard . St. Mary-Bedford, 340 Union Street Bedford. Closing and will merge with Holy Trinity and St. Pius X at St. Pius site. . St. Mary-Elyria, 320 Middle Avenue, Elyria. Will remain open. . St. Mary-Lorain, Reid Avenue, & Eighth Street Lorain. Merge with Holy Trinity with worship site to be determined. . St. Matthew-Akron, 2603 Benton Street Akron. Will remain open. . St. Mel, 14436 Triskett Road, Cleveland. Will remain open, but school will close. . St. Michael the Archangel, 3114 Scranton Road, Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Patrick, 3602 Bridge Avenue, Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Patrick-West Park, 4427 Rocky River Drive Cleveland. Merge with Ascension & Annunciation at new site to be determined. . St. Paul, Croatian 1369 East 40th Street Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Paul-Euclid, 1231 Chardon Road, Euclid. Closing and merging into St. Felicitas . . St. Peter, 1533 E. 17th Street Cleveland. Closing. . St. Peter the Apostle, 6455 Engle Road, Brook Park. Merger with Assumption of Mary--worship site to be determined. . St. Peter-Lorain, 3501 Oberlin Avenue, Lorain. Will remain open. . St. Philip Neri, 799 East 82nd Street Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Philomena, 13824 Euclid Avenue, East Cleveland. Merged with St. Ann, St. Louis & Christ the King; building will be 2nd worship site for new parish. . St. Pius X-Bedford, 400 Center Road, Bedford. Merging with Holy Trinity & St. Mary and will reopen. at this site as new parish. . St. Procop, 3181 West 41st Cleveland. Closing. . St. Robert-Euclid, 23802 Lake Shore Boulevard Euclid. Closing and merging into St. William. . St. Rocco, 3205 Fulton Road, Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Rose of Lima-Cleveland, 11401 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland. Closing and will merge with SS. Cyril & Methodius in Lakewood at Lakewood site. . St. Stanislaus, 3649 East 65th Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Stanislaus-Lorain, Elyria Avenue, & East 28th Street Lorain. Closing . St. Stephen, 1930 West 54th Street Cleveland. Will remain open and merge with St. Colman at this site as a new parish. . St. Thomas More-Brooklyn, 4160 North Amber Drive Brooklyn. Will remain open. . St. Vincent De Paul, 13400 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Vincent De Paul-Lorain, 41295 North Ridge Road, Elyria Township. Will remain open. . St. Vitus, 6019 Lausche Avenue, Cleveland. Will remain open. . St. Vitus-Lorain, 1793 East 32nd Street Lorain. Merge with St. John the Baptist & SS. Cyril & Methodius to create new parish at St. John site. . St. Wendelin, 2281 Columbus Road, Cleveland. Closing. . St. William, 367 East 260th Street Euclid. Merge with St. Robert and will reopen with new parish name at this site.