Three West Allis Catholic churches to merge in latest case of local parishes restructuring
Three West Allis Catholic churches will merge into one parish, the latest instance of Milwaukee-area churches reorganizing because of declining membership and tight budgets.
Holy Assumption Parish, 7109 W. Orchard St.; St. Augustine, 6768 W. Rogers St.; and St. Rita, 2318 S. 61st St., will merge into one parish with a new name, which is yet to be announced.
The parishes already share a priest as well as some operations. Since 2021, the parishes have established a joint pastoral council, merged some committees, rebranded their website and bulletin as "West Allis Catholic," and held joint events.
Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki recently approved the merger, setting into motion a larger process of combining operations. The merger is effective July 1.
"Across all three parishes, our efforts are too focused on buildings, roofs and boilers," trustees of the parishes wrote in a March letter to Listecki. "Our financial resources are being funneled to repair and maintain older buildings that are underutilized."
As one parish, leaders hope to direct more attention to reaching young adults, single-parent families, older people and the city's Latino population, the trustees said in the letter.
A group of parishioners are undertaking a review of all the buildings "to determine how to best use our facilities," according to a document on the parishes' website. No decisions have been made yet about what to do with the buildings, said Dave Grunwaldt, director of administrative services for the three parishes.
Holy Assumption was established in 1901 to serve workers of Allis Chalmers, according to a news release. St. Augustine was established in 1928 to serve the Croatian community. St. Rita was established in 1924 for the residents of what was then the growing community of southeast West Allis.
Less than a year ago, St. Florian, 1233 S. 45th St., West Milwaukee, closed and merged with Holy Assumption. The St. Florian building is now used by Notre Dame School of Milwaukee as its boys' middle school. Notre Dame is part of the Milwaukee Parental Choice program, which provides tax-funded vouchers for lower-income families to attend private schools.
Three other West Allis Catholic churches merged into one parish in 2018. They were Mary Queen of Heaven, 2322 S. 106th St.; Immaculate Heart of Mary, 1121 S. 116th St.; and St. Aloysius, 1435 S. 92nd St.
They now operate under the name Mother of Perpetual Help Congregation. St. Aloysius closed its doors in 2021, and the Mary Queen of Heaven building is now the main worship site, with the Immaculate Heart of Mary building as a secondary location.
The mergers reflect what is happening to scores of houses of worship nationwide facing existential threats such as declining membership, aging congregations and an unwinnable financial situation. The trend is decades-long: Catholic institutions were at their peak in the 1950s and 60s, and a downturn began in the 1970s.
Nearby, Wauwatosa Catholic parishioners are experiencing the same belt-tightening. In March, St. Bernard Parish announced it would close and merge with its sister parish, Christ King. It followed the shuttering at the end of the last school year of the adjoining Wauwatosa Catholic School because of a financial deficit and low student enrollment.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: West Allis Catholic churches to merge in latest sign of trend
