Two churches in a Tamaqua parish will soon be consolidated into one.

A letter was read at the Masses at the two churches that make up St. John XXIII Parish over the weekend confirming the decision.

Diocese of Allentown Bishop Alfred A. Schlert has approved the request of the Rev. John Frink and the parish pastoral council and finance committee to close the former St. Jerome Church building.

St. John XXIII was formed in 2014 by the merger of St. Jerome Church and SS. Peter and Paul Church. Services have been held in both churches since that time.

Effective Pentecost Sunday, May 20, all services will be held at the former SS. Peter and Paul Church, which will become the seat of St. John XXIII Parish.

For more than a year, the Rev. Frink and the parish councils have been discussing a vision for the future of the parish and the strain that maintaining two worship sites has placed on the financial condition of the parish. Engineering reports concluded that the former St. Jerome Church needs extensive repairs and a feasibility study concluded the parish could not raise nearly enough funds to pay for those repairs.

Even with modest renovations to enable the former SS. Peter and Paul Church to accommodate a combined congregation, this plan would significantly decrease the operating costs for the parish and thus strengthen St. John XIII Parish and its ability to provide spiritual care for the faithful in Tamaqua and surrounding areas.

The plan, proposed by the Rev. Frink, and endorsed by the Parish Pastoral Council and the Parish Finance Committee, was recommended by the Diocesan Council of Priests and approved by Bishop Schlert.

The Rev. John Frink said, “I’m really very deeply saddened by this move only in as much as no pastor really ever wants to have to close a church. You’re losing a home, the folks are losing their home, and yet the reality of the situation is that you really don’t have much of a choice in the matter because of our own inability to raise the funds to make repairs that really are necessary.

“But at the same time for as sad as I am about having to do this, and I really mourn and grieve for the folks, at the same time, I’m very excited because we’re really putting ourselves in a position as a parish to grow in the future and to move into the future and to be a vibrant parish in the Tamaqua and surrounding areas for the future.”

In his letter to the St. John XXIII parishioners, Bishop Schlert acknowledged, “The closing of the building that had been St. Jerome’s Church, which has been a part of the Catholic life of Tamaqua and the surrounding areas for many years, is a sad event.”

He closed his letter by writing, “I join my own prayers with yours that Our Lord Jesus Christ will watch over your parish and her faithful parishioners as you embark on this next step in your parish life.”

Frink said, “I’m really grateful to the bishop for his support and his encouragement and really also allowing the people to be involved in making this decision. The people of the parish, some have been really great and I’m very happy, excited moving forward.”