Johnstown reorganization is working out

Things were so busy one recent morning at Holy Trinity Pastoral Center in Johnstown that Rev. James Fitzmaurice had completely forgotten his six-year anniversary as pastor.

"Hey, isn't anyone going to wish me a happy anniversary?" he asked, standing in the doorway to his office. Teen volunteers helping with retreat plans peered up from the large table in the center of the room. Parish secretary Mary Reich peeked out from behind her office door and grinned. Others shouted their congratulations.

Besides being a celebratory day for Father Fitzmaurice, July has been a landmark time for Catholics in Johnstown: the one-year anniversary of the incorporation of St. Anthony's, St. Patrick's and Immaculate Conception parishes into one body called Holy Trinity Church.

Getting along

The past year went "very smoothly," Father Fitzmaurice said. "There have been no blowups, no major conflicts."

Under the Holy Trinity plan, each of the three church buildings remained open, with one Mass celebrated at each building on Sundays, so Catholics could continue worshipping in familiar places.

But the parish consolidated three staffs, offices, councils, clubs and ministries under one name to save time and money. Parish buildings, such as halls, gyms and schools, were put to use communally. The old St. Patrick's School, for example, serves as the single faith formation center. Youth retreats for all Confirmation candidates take place in the basement of St. Anthony's hall.

Integrating the three faith formation programs into one curriculum at St. Patrick's "brought a consistency in terms of what [teens and children] are learning about their faith," the pastor noted.

Working as one

The consolidation came as no surprise to the community, which had been preparing for the eventuality even before Father Fitzmaurice's arrival. They were told in the late '90s, he said, that when two of the longtime pastors there retired, they could not be replaced.

The transition relied on fostering of a sense of a togetherness among the three churches -- and a lot of constant and honest communication, said the parish staff. Hands-on involvement of the parish rank-and-file in making crucial decisions -- such as the parish name -- resulted in "immediate positive effects," according to Father Fitzmaurice.

The staff also encouraged Catholics to identify themselves with the Holy Trinity name by planning such activities as a summer festival, and inviting people who identified with St. Patrick's and Immaculate Conception parishes to plan the Slovak Heritage Night at St. Anthony's.

Jeannie Popp, pastoral assistant for administration, credited the summer festival -- formerly the purview of Immaculate Conception only -- for being "one of the things that really brought the parish together."

Trinity Catholics

The hingepoint in the changeover came, noted Father Fitzmaurice, when the disparate parish councils began to meet as one body. Because of that effort, he said, processes are more streamlined; a sense of community, togetherness and common cause is more acute; and everyone is closer to being on the same page.

"In nursing homes and at the hospital, I'm hearing a lot of people identifying themselves with Holy Trinity now," he said.

Coming together

The staff credits the relative ease of consolidation to the tight-knit, overlapping community in Johnstown.

"This is an area where everyone is intermingled with everyone else," said Ms. Popp. "All the activities are together. Kids are in school together. Parents are on the PTA together."

The staff's advice to other parishes facing the clustering or consolidation process is to "be patient."

"It takes time for people to test this out and see if it's going to work," the pastor said. "You've got to be open and willing to share, and to be flexible and willing to adjust. You have to listen to the people, to what's important to them. And you have to be open and honest with the people" to dispel the inevitable rumors and hearsay that crop up.

Three into one

In the end, staff members said, the consolidation was about the vision of the founders whose names are etched onto the stained-glass windows in the three Johnstown churches, and the vision of those who were faced with the difficult prospect of knitting one community from three without sacrificing the contributions and the lessons of the past.

"We want to be true to their vision," Father Fitzmaurice explained. "We have to be willing to dream, take charge and move ahead. If we stay stagnant, we're not doing them any good."

"The people that are committed to their faith will work together for their parish and to keep their Catholic faith strong," said Lucy McHenry, pastoral associate for faith formation. "You're Catholic, so you worship together despite what the bricks around you are."

(7/29/04)