THREE PARISHES IN PAULDING COUNTY UNITE TO FORM DIVINE MERCY

June 4, 2008—Toledo, Ohio—As of July 1, Three Catholic Parishes in Paulding County, Antwerp St. Mary, Paulding St. Joseph, and Payne St. John the Baptist, will merge to become Paulding Divine Mercy Parish—one parish with three separate locations. All three buildings will remain open, and a single parish elementary school will be established in Payne under the name Divine Mercy.

Father G. Alllan Fillman, pastor of Paulding St. Joseph and Payne St. John the Baptist, has been named pastor of the new parish. A three-year transitional parish council has been established to help with the merging of the parishes.

The decision to unite the three parishes was made after three years of study and planning by stakeholders in Paulding County. A committee with members from each parish was also formed to help decide the future of the Catholic community in the area.

The committee studied population trends, the physical structure of the three parishes, and survey results from Catholic residents in the County. They developed three different plans for the area parishes, eventually deciding to unite the parishes while keeping the separate locations open.

Changes for the new parish include a new Mass schedule, the creation of one parish office, and the development of a single curriculum for Divine Mercy School. Fr. Fillman does not expect to make any staff changes at the parish or the school.

“We’re going to see if it works,” says Fr. Fillman about the schedule change, adding that it will be reassessed in the fall.

The first Masses for Divine Mercy, July 5 and July 6, will feature a number of symbolic events, including the renewal of the congregation’s baptismal vows. “It is to remind us of our baptism into the one church,” Fr. Fillman says, “because together we ‘embrace the faith.’” 

Catholic Chronicle Reporter Laurie Stevens contributed to this release.

The Diocese of Toledo, established April 15, 1910 encompasses 8222 square miles in a mixture of urban and rural areas that spans 19 counties across Northwest Ohio, serving 306,000 Catholics. The diocese includes Allen, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, Wood and Wyandot counties.

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