2 Warren parishes to merge in July

WARREN, R.I. (WLNE) — The Diocese of Providence announced Sunday that St. Alexander Parish will merge with St. Mary of the Bay Parish.

The merge is set to occur on July 7.

The Warren parishes decided to merge based on requests from administrators, trustees, and finance councils.

“The people of St. Alexander and St. Mary of the Bay are grateful to Bishop Henning for granting our request for a formal canonical merger. We are eager to work together as a combined community of faith with shared resources in fulfilling our mission in Warren and beyond,” said Rev. Joseph Upton, pastor of St. Mary of the Bay and administrator of St. Alexander.

“This process has brought our parish families together as one, not only in faith and service, but also in fellowship. We are eager to see what good things God has in store for us as a unified community,” he said.

The requests came due to declining demographic shifts for St. Alexander, which is much smaller than St. Mary of the Bay.

Parishioners from both parishes were informed of the merger at services on Sunday.

The diocese said that all records, including those of baptisms, confirmations, eucharists, marriages, and deaths, at St. Alexander will be transferred as well.