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Vatican Confirms Closure of Saint Lucy Church

PRESS RELEASE

MORE INFO: Justin Huyck, Director of Communications, (330) 744-8451, ext. 320, jhuyck@youngstowndiocese.org

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO – The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy has confirmed the closure of Saint Lucy Church in Campbell. The decree from the Dicastery was in response to an appeal and was dated September 21, 2022. The Most Rev. David J. Bonnar, Bishop of Youngstown, received the decree from the Dicastery for the Clergy this week.

Saint Lucy Church, along with Saint Joseph the Provider Church and Saint John the Baptist Church, had been one of three worship sites for Christ the Good Shepherd Parish since the parish’s establishment in 2012 after a merger of parishes. Due to a debt that grew to nearly $850,000 in recent years, along with declining parish income and maintenance needs, Saint Lucy Church and Saint Joseph the Provider Church were closed in November 2021. Christ the Good Shepherd Parish continues to worship at one church at the Saint John the Baptist site on Reed Avenue. In Spring 2022, after the consolidation to one worship site, Father Matthew Zwilling became the new administrator of Christ the Good Shepherd Parish, in addition to serving as Vice Rector of the Cathedral of Saint Columba.

Following the closure of Saint Lucy Church, a small group of parishioners made an appeal to the Dicastery for the Clergy in Rome. The Dicastery then reviewed the appeal and confirmed the decision to close the church. Any further appeal would be considered by the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in Rome.

Bishop David Bonnar comments, “I am grateful to the Dicastery for this decision. Last November, we celebrated the last Mass at Saint Lucy Church, and also at Saint Joseph the Provider Church. Endings are always painful, but now we have the opportunity for resolution so that the parish can live its mission going forward. We have a vibrant diocese here in Youngstown, and I look forward to seeing what is next for Father Zwilling and the people of Christ the Good Shepherd Parish!”

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