Church reorganization in Kent, Ravenna to merge 3 parishes into new St. Katharine Drexel Parish

Changes are coming to several Catholic Parishes in Portage County. “We're not forgetting the past, but we're building on a stronger future,” said Msgr. John Zuraw of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown. This month, the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown announced St. Patrick Catholic Church in Kent, Immaculate Conception Parish in Ravenna and the University Parish Newman Center at Kent State University will merge in a new parish over the summer. It will be called St. Katharine Drexel. “We're looking not only at the demographics,” said Zuraw. “So looking at finance, we're looking at the number of priests that we presently have, and how can we best serve the people of God.” He explained the Diocese of Youngstown is moving to a new model of pastoral care entitled in solidum, meaning several priests sharing full and joint responsibility for the pastoral care of parishes. “There are 45 diocesan priests in the Diocese of Youngstown. We have 68 parishes, so we have to make sure that we use the resources in a very wise and creative way,” said Zuraw. Zuraw explained the shift comes after years of planning and is driven by a declining population, and changes in church attendance, especially since Covid. He added, recent clergy changes, including a death and an upcoming retirement, also made this the right time to implement the new structure. 3News' Natalie Clydesdale reports: https://www.wkyc.com/article/life/faith/catholic-church-portage-county-ravenna-kent-merge-parishes-saint-katharine-drexel-diocese-youngstown/95-a24509aa-0bca-4578-9d99-0f4caa1b7f67 At 3News, we’re here to share the stories that matter most to you. Share your ideas, thoughts, concerns and engage in conversations about the communities in which we all call home. Follow 3News on Social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wkyc.channel3/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wkyc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wkyc3/ Visit our site: https://www.wkyc.com/ And be sure to download our app here: https://wkyc.com/app