New parish created in Roxbury

Archbishop Seán O’ Malley has announced the creation of a new parish in the Roxbury section of Boston. The new parish will bear the name of the second native born saint from the United States, St. Katharine Drexel. The new parish will come into being on May 15, 2005, Pentecost Sunday. Traditionally dubbed the birthday of the Church, Pentecost Sunday is a fitting day for two former parishes to become one: St. John-St. High Parish and St. Francis de Sales-St. Philip Parishes both will be suppressed. The new parish will use both St. Hugh Church and St. Francis de Sales Church, the remaining goods and obligations of the two parishes will be those of the archdiocese and the parochial records of the two previous parishes will be maintained at the new parish.

St. Jeremiah Parish in Framingham will be suppressed on May 13, 2005 and the territory will become that of St. George in Framingham and the canonical registers will also be kept at St. George. The goods and obligations of the parish will become those of the archdiocese.

The decrees issued by the archbishop determining these actions indicate that these decisions arise from the ongoing reconfiguration of the entire archdiocese and follow a period of consultation and with regional bishops, vicars forane, presbyteral council and a special Central Committee.