Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Allentown will be consolidated into the nearby St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Whitehall.
Parishioners of Ss. Peter and Paul, at 1065 Fullerton Avenue, were told of the consolidation into St. Elizabeth, at 618 Fullerton Avenue, at Mass this past weekend.
Father John Pendzick, Pastor of St. Elizabeth, has also been serving as the administrator of Ss. Peter and Paul.
The Ss. Peter and Paul church building will remain open for funerals of parishioners, and for Mass on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul each year on June 29, and on the anniversary of the dedication of the church.
“I’d like to extend a very warm welcome to our friends at Ss. Peter and Paul as they join our parish family up the street at St. Elizabeth,” Father Pendzick said.
Ss. Peter and Paul has seen declining attendance over many years. Its Polish-language Mass was transferred to Incarnation of our Lord Parish, Bethlehem, last year. Ss. Peter and Paul also is experiencing financial distress. After consulting with the Pastoral Councils of both parishes, Father Pendzick recommended the consolidation.
Consolidating Ss. Peter and Paul into St. Elizabeth will provide the combined parish with the potential for reduced operating costs and more efficient operations through better use of resources.
The consolidation was reviewed by the Diocesan Council of Priests, the Diocesan Pastoral Council, and the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Commission, which recommended the action to Bishop Alfred Schlert.
The consolidation is effective April 25.
