By Katherine Long | Editor
Four of Oswego’s parishes will have new Mass times, beginning this weekend.
The parishes of St. Joseph, St. Mary of the Assumption, St. Paul, and St. Stephen the King, which merged July 1 to form the new parish of Christ the Good Shepherd, have been reopened while Bishop Douglas J. Lucia undertakes a 90-day review of the process that led to their merger.
Pastoral leaders of the Oswego Catholic community announced in June 2018 the parishes would begin a process to form one faith community that would worship on one church campus, citing declining population, participation, and resources, among other factors. Christ the Good Shepherd was selected as the community’s patron in August 2018 and St. Paul Church as its worship site in May 2019. The individual parishes celebrated their final Masses June 29 and 30.
Many voices called for a reversal of the decisions. The St. Mary of the Assumption Preservation Group submitted to Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., in July an appeal asking for a review of the process, according to a report by Oswego’s Palladium-Times. And even before his Aug. 8 ordination and installation as Bishop of Syracuse, Bishop Lucia said, he received communications from members of Oswego’s Catholic community. Bishop Lucia’s decisions to suspend the merger and undertake the review come in response to the appeal.
Weekend Masses, which had been celebrated only at Christ the Good Shepherd (the former St. Paul Church) since July, will now be celebrated in each of the four parish churches, beginning Oct. 19. The Oswego Catholic community will continue to be led by Christ the Good Shepherd pastor Father John Canorro, who told the Sun he will be present for all Masses.
The new Mass schedule is as follows:
Saturday Vigil (beginning Oct. 19)
4:30 p.m.: Christ the Good Shepherd at St. Joseph
6:30 p.m.: CTGS at St. Mary
Sunday (beginning Oct. 20)
8 a.m.: CTGS at St. Stephen
10:30 a.m.: CTGS at St. Paul
(6:30 p.m.: SUNY Oswego Newman Center)
Daily Masses (beginning Oct. 21)
Mondays: 8 a.m. at CTGS at St. Paul
Tuesdays: 7 a.m. at CTGS at St. Mary
Wednesdays: 7 a.m. at CTGS at St. Stephen
Fridays: 12:10 p.m. at CTGS at St. Joseph
