In 1962, Archbishop Joseph Ritter asked Father Joseph Schejbal to start a new parish in Hazelwood, to be called St. Martin de Porres, after a native Spaniard knight and formerly enslaved Black person who was canonized that year.

More than four decades later, St. Martin de Porres welcomed parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy, which merged with the parish in 2005. St. Martin de Porres also gained new members with the closure of other parishes and schools in the north St. Louis County area around that time, including St. Mary’s Parish and School in Bridgeton and St. Sabina School in Florissant.

Those details were not lost on Father Lijo Kallarackal, who celebrated St. Martin de Porres’ final Mass on July 30. Acknowledging those who have gathered week after week, celebrating the sacraments and building friendships with one another, he likened the coming together of people over the decades to the mighty Mississippi River flowing into the ocean. A smaller vessel of water becomes a giant body that can do so much more with its power.

“Life is like a journey, and we always journey together,” he said in his homily. “St. Martin is not just one parish. … We became one journey: a journey with a purpose, a goal, and we have been helping each other on our way.”

On Aug. 1, St. Martin de Porres became one of 35 parishes that were subsumed, or merged, into neighboring parishes as part of the All Things New parish structure changes announced on May 27. Additionally, 15 parishes are merging to create five new parishes.

Seven parishes that have since appealed their suppression or merger to the Vatican received a new decree suspending the effects of the original decrees announced in May.

St. Martin de Porres was subsumed into the territory of St. Ferdinand Parish in Florissant, about 3 miles north. Father Kallarackal, now the pastor at St. Ferdinand, said he is eager to bring everyone along with him. “Whether we are eager to meet our new parish members or they are eager to meet and welcome us, either way, we are going to be together,” he said. “And that is what I think is the best way to look at it.

“If you’re praying for me, pray for that one intention that I have: that we all make that transition to the new parish,” he said.

Sharon Fiedler has been a parishioner at St. Martin de Porres for 52 years and has worked there since 1991 in both part- and full-time roles. Like many others, she has mixed feelings about what’s happening. While she’s happy her pastor will be moving along with them, she’s also sensitive to the needs of older parishioners and wants the transition to be as easy as possible for them.

“To many people, (the parish) is our social life, our spiritual life and our home,” she said. “We hope we can take that sentiment with us.”

All Things New sought to address the declining number of active parishioners in the Archdiocese of St. Louis over the decades. The number of diocesan priests also has declined over time, and parishes have contended with too few priests in large parishes and a disproportionate number of priests in smaller parishes.

Throughout the process, the primary question has been: “Which parish communities make the most sense to come together in light of demographic shifts, evangelization and social outreach efforts, resources and priest availability?”

At Our Lady of the Presentation Parish in Overland, the final Mass on July 30 included a procession at the beginning of Mass to lay flowers at the altar. Father Mark Dolan, recently retired pastor at Our Lady of the Presentation, returned to celebrate Mass. A group also played “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes.

The song stirred mixed emotions within Joan Willey, a longtime parishioner and parish secretary, who noted the juxtaposition between the beautiful sound of the bagpipes and the sadness that the song invoked within her.

Our Lady of the Presentation was subsumed into St. Ann Parish in Normandy. The new community also will receive a new pastor, Father Jim Gray, who already has met with parish representatives from Our Lady of the Presentation and St. Ann to discover how to best to bring the two parishes together.

“People say that everybody here is so friendly and it feels like home,” said Willey, who worked at the school and parish for nearly three decades. “We had great stewardship over the years, and we did so much: Masses, Rosaries, at Christmas we have a Christmas tree lighting — and a lot of events and fish fries. Knowing how good things were, it was hard” to receive the news that the parish would be merged with another.

Parishioners at St. Andrew in Lemay also celebrated their final Mass on July 30, with a barbecue held afterward. Recently ordained Father Allen Boedeker, who served at St. Andrew as a permanent deacon since 2001 and later as parish administrator before his priestly ordination, told parishioners that he hopes their spirit of hospitality will follow them wherever they go.

St. Andrew and several other parishes have been subsumed into St. Mark Parish, also in Lemay, where Father Boedeker will continue as an associate pastor.

The Gospel July 30 included the parable of the pearl of great price. Likewise, Father Boedeker said the people of the parish have been pearls to one another in how they have built a sense of church community.

“Our relationships with each other, our beautiful church and worshiping together, the activities, the fish fries and festivals we have had … all of those will be pearls in our memory,” he said. “The hope is wherever we wind up, we will be able to share our expertise and our spirit with whomever we come into association.”