Forming A New Parish

There’s a new parish being born in Evansville – one of several that will come to life across our 12 counties on July 1 as part of the first round of the Diocesan Strategic Plan. This new parish, which brings together the Christ the King and Holy Spirit families, will be the result of enthusiasm and work that is bringing a soul to the new entity.

“It is beautiful to see the people of these communities work together,” Christ the King and Holy Spirit Pastor Father Alex Zentoehfer said. “Their desire to make this work and their enthusiasm for what is possible has really given a soul to what could seem like a business negotiation.”

Last September, Bishop Charles C. Thompson announced parish reorganizations that will result in creation of 10 new parishes through the mergers of 24 existing parishes. Father Zentohoefer has created a Merge Committee with nine subcommittees to work toward the July 1 effective date. Members of both parishes are serving on these groups.

"The Merge Committee includes two parishioners from each parish, Father Zenthoefer, Associate Pastor Fr. Christopher Droste, Deacon John McMullen and me,” said Missy Parkison, Evangelization Coordinator for Christ the King and Holy Spirit. “We are focusing on helping to facilitate the merger process alongside parishioners.”

"Let's face it,” Father Droste said, “change is an inevitable. We will either resign from it as spectators, fight against it as opponents, or embrace it as pilgrims, trusting that we're being led on a journey to something new."

Parkison said each subcommittee includes two or three members from each existing parish, and they are enlisting many other parishioners into the ongoing work. “The passion of the people of Christ the King and Holy Spirit for their parish families, their schools, and Jesus Christ is amazing,” Parkison said. “Change is challenging, and there are many tasks that must be completed to make sure we are merging the parishes responsibly and well. However, the overwhelming message that the work of these people is communicating to the world is that building the Kingdom of God takes the shared, joyful commitment of us all."

Father Zenthoefer already has adjusted Mass times at the two parishes to reflect current staffing and the need for a Spanish Mass. The volunteers also have been working with the priests, deacon and both parish families to establish a name for the new parish.

In addition to the importance of having a name to refer to the new parish, the name must be registered with the state of Indiana so that the two parish schools can continue their collective ministry of educating our young people on their respective campuses. Suggestions for a new name have been collected from the congregations, and the Naming Subcommittee has compiled a list of five names that will be voted on by the congregations. Because church names can only be changed by the Holy See, the parish’s two worship sites will remain Holy Spirit and Christ the King. 

Everyone involved has recognized from the beginning the critical need to make people from both parishes aware of the changes that are coming, both for their information and also to prevent rumors from developing based on incomplete or inaccurate details. A Facebook page has been created to provide updates, and weekly reports on the progress of the merger have been distributed through school news and in the Sunday bulletins.

Additional information will appear in The Message as the merger approaches.