Decrees issued for Boston and Lawrence parishes

The latest round of decrees signed by Archbishop Seán P. O’Malley will result in the creation of two new parishes in Lawrence, and the renaming of a South Boston parish.

Archbishop O’Malley has issued two decrees affecting South Boston. In one, the suppression of St. Augustine Parish in South Boston is decreed for Nov. 1 with the parish records to be kept at St. Monica-St. Augustine Parish. The other decree, also effective Nov. 1, changes the name of St. Monica Parish — at the request of the people of St. Augustine Parish and St. Monica Parish — to St. Monica-St. Augustine Parish. The goods and obligations of St. Augustine will become those of the archdiocese.

The reconfiguration of Lawrence parishes continues with the archbishop issuing several decrees. A single decree, effective Nov. 1, establishes a new parish in the “northwest territory of the City of Lawrence” to be called St. Mary of the Assumption. This results from the merger of Asuncion de la Virgen Maria Parish and St. Mary-Immaculate Conception Parish.

Another new parish is to be established for the “northeast part of the City of Lawrence” to be named Corpus Christi. This decree, also effective Nov. 1, follows the issuance of the decrees of suppression for three personal, or nonterritorial, parishes in Lawrence: Holy Rosary (Italian), Holy Trinity (Polish) and Sts. Peter and Paul (Portuguese). The records of all three parishes will be kept at the new parish.

The worship site will be Holy Rosary Church, the school of Holy Trinity will be part of the new parish, and Holy Trinity Church will be used principally for the worship needs of the school. The decrees determine that the goods and obligations of the parishes be distributed as follows: parish properties of Holy Rosary will be the property of Corpus Christi, likewise Holy Trinity Church and school will be the property of Corpus Christi, and the remaining goods and obligations of Holy Rosary and Holy Trinity together with all the goods and obligations of Sts. Peter and Paul will become the goods and obligations of the archdiocese.