KC Reporter

The recent amalgamation of Seven Dolors Parish in Hurlingen with Saint Joseph Parish in Easton has been a subject of hierarchical recourse and subsequent confirmation. Lazzaro Cardinal You Heung sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, issued a decree rejecting the petition for hierarchical recourse against the amalgamation.

In a decree dated December 4, 2023, Cardinal You Heung sik affirmed the decision to merge Seven Dolors Parish with Saint Joseph Parish, stating that the petition for hierarchical recourse "has no foundation in law or in fact." The decree further mentioned that the petition was rejected both procedurally and in terms of decision-making.

Following this confirmation, the Most Reverend James V. Johnston, Jr., Bishop of Kansas City – Saint Joseph, reiterated the decision to merge the two parishes. In a decree dated March 19, 2024, Bishop Johnston declared the amalgamation to be effective at the end of the day on May 19, 2024.

The decree, issued at the Chancery of the Diocese of Kansas City- Saint Joseph, solidified the amalgamation process that began with a previous decree dated July 10, 2023. The decision to merge Seven Dolors Parish with Saint Joseph Parish was initially communicated in the decree from July 2023 and has now been reaffirmed following the hierarchical recourse process.

The amalgamation of Seven Dolors Parish with Saint Joseph Parish marks a significant change in the ecclesiastical landscape of the region, with the decision now set to take effect in May 2024 as per Bishop Johnston's latest decree.