• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
A statue of Blessed Michael McGivney, sculpted by Stanley Bliefeld, is displayed outside of St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Connecticut. (OSV Photo/Bethany Ippolito, Knights of Columbus)

New Haven churches merged into new parish named for Knights of Columbus founder

July 5, 2023
By Gina Christian
OSV News
Filed Under: Feature, Knights of Columbus, News, World News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

A priest on the road to sainthood, who has united millions of Catholic men across the world, is drawing faithful together in the town where he first served.

The Archdiocese of Hartford, Conn., announced it will merge seven parishes in New Haven into the newly created Blessed Michael McGivney Parish, named for the Waterbury, Conn., native who founded the Knights of Columbus fraternal order, which counts some 2 million members globally.

A decree by Archbishop Leonard P. Blair of the Archdiocese of Hartford has merged New Haven’s seven Catholic parishes into the new Blessed Michael McGivney Parish. The decree was displayed at St. Mary’s church — birthplace of the Knights of Columbus — on June 12, 2023. (OSV News photo/Tamino Petelinšek, Knights of Columbus)

Effective July 1, the parishes of Sts. Aedan and Brendan, St. Anthony, St. Martin de Porres, St. Mary, St. Michael, Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Stanislaus will be “united as one parish under the patronage of Blessed Michael McGivney,” said Hartford Archbishop Leonard P. Blair in a July 3 joint statement with the Knights of Columbus and Catholic leaders from the New Haven area.

Under the new pastoral model, the merged parish will operate eight existing church buildings while serving thousands of diverse parishioners, with the St. Mary church site as the anchor.

Archbishop Blair chose the new parish name from a list of three options, which had been decided upon by a committee of New Haven parishioners following several months of deliberation.

Father Ryan Lerner, pastor of St. Mary — the oldest Catholic parish in New Haven and site of Father McGivney’s tomb — will serve as the new parish’s moderator.

“I feel profoundly moved and so very excited that our unified parish will be named for and entrusted to the patronal care of Blessed Michael McGivney,” said Father Lerner.

The saint-in-the-making’s “intercessory prayers have helped to guide this local manifestation of the body of Christ through a time of historic change,” said Father Lerner.

Beatified in 2020, Father McGivney, who established the Knights of Columbus in 1882 while an assistant pastor at St. Mary, “will continue to inspire us as we journey forward together as one family of faith,” Father Lerner said.

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly said the Knights of Columbus were “honored that the new city-wide parish has adopted Blessed Michael McGivney’s name,” pointing to the priest’s pastoral dedication “amid a society that frowned upon Catholic immigrants.”

“Blessed Michael McGivney … was an exemplar of charity and steadfast devotion to Christ, still today inspiring millions of people to action for the common good, in the name of God,” said Archbishop Blair. “I will continue to pray for this new parish community and invite all New Haven Catholics to do the same during this time of great Catholic revitalization in the Elm City.”

Read More Knights of Columbus

Archbishop Wenski leads Knights on Bikes to pray rosary at Alligator Alcatraz

Archbishop Lori and Supreme Knight Kelly meet with Pope Leo

Knights of Columbus announces June 19 novena for intention of Pope Leo

Knights of Columbus honored for pro-life support

Toddler’s recovery from drowning attributed to Blessed McGivney novena

Knights of Columbus mark 125 years of patriotic degree at St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Copyright © 2023 OSV News

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Gina Christian

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

  • Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

  • Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

  • Archbishop Wenski leads Knights on Bikes to pray rosary at Alligator Alcatraz

| Latest Local News |

Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

Driver arrested after crashing into entrance of Esperanza Center

Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

| Latest World News |

Warsaw archbishop ‘devastated, crushed’ by priest’s arrest in brutal murder of homeless man

Jubilee of Youth chance to celebrate hope, fraternity in world at war, panel says

New York archdiocese sees hundreds of responses to ‘Called By Name’ program

Can’t afford a Catholic college? Think again. Many offer full tuition options

Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Warsaw archbishop ‘devastated, crushed’ by priest’s arrest in brutal murder of homeless man
  • Jubilee of Youth chance to celebrate hope, fraternity in world at war, panel says
  • New York archdiocese sees hundreds of responses to ‘Called By Name’ program
  • Can’t afford a Catholic college? Think again. Many offer full tuition options
  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary
  • LA archbishop, joined by business leaders, starts fund to help families affected by ICE raids
  • FBI surveilled SSPX priest amid probe of suspected neo-Nazi’s plans for violence
  • Poland’s ‘living memorial’ to St. John Paul II marks 25 years of transforming lives
  • Our faith is not afraid of questions

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en