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

Faced with a growing financial crisis and a steady decline in parishioners, Prince of Peace Parish in Edgewood officially merged with nearby St. Francis de Sales Parish in Abingdon July 1. As a result, Prince of Peace is no longer serving as a regular worship site.

Father John Martinez, who serves as pastor for both parishes, marked the transition with a final Mass of remembrance and thanksgiving June 22 at Prince of Peace. The liturgy honored Prince of Peace’s 48-year legacy of faith and community outreach in Harford County.

A Decree of Parish Merger that took effect July 1 outlined the challenges leading to the merger. Among them: Prince of Peace had been running a monthly deficit of $3,400 and lacked any savings or investments.

The decree, signed by Archbishop William E. Lori and Diane L. Barr, archdiocesan chancellor, noted a sharp demographic shift. The number of registered Catholic households within the parish’s boundaries fell from 393 in 2004 to just 294 in 2024. Of those, only 90 were actually registered at Prince of Peace.

Mass attendance also dropped significantly. In 2004, an average of 366 people attended weekend Masses; by 2024, that number had declined to 205. Nearly half of those worshipers were over age 60.

Even after sharing a pastor and staff with St. Francis de Sales since 2015, Prince of Peace saw continued financial losses. Parish donations shrank alongside attendance, leading to operational deficits in 14 of the past 20 years.

The decree emphasized that nearly all offertory contributions were required simply to keep the buildings operational and maintain an annual facilities reserve. As a result, no funding remained to support ministries.

“Merging with St. Francis de Sales Parish will allow the greatest opportunity to continue and even strengthen the ministries which are presently offered for the parishioners of Prince of Peace,” Archbishop Lori and Barr said in the decree.

Looking forward, Archbishop Lori urged parishioners “to work together to build a thriving, evangelizing community reflective of their rich histories in the years ahead.”

An information sheet posted on the parish website explained that the decision to merge was made by Father Martinez in consultation with pastoral leadership at both parishes and the Archdiocese of Baltimore. It noted that while Prince of Peace Church may still be used for baptisms and funerals, no other activities will take place on its campus.

“This merger means that a new parish will form as St. Francis de Sales and Prince of Peace come together,” according to the information sheet. “There will need to be a discernment as to how the ministries and events can be shared, what needs to continue and what needs to begin to best serve our community and make disciples.”

Ministers and volunteers from both parishes will be “invited to use their gifts in service to the new parish.”

Since 2023, sacramental records from Prince of Peace have been housed at the St. Francis de Sales campus following the combining of parish offices. As outlined in the decree and in accordance with canon law, “all temporal goods, patrimonial rights, assets and liabilities of Prince of Peace Parish are subsumed by St. Francis de Sales Parish.”

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

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