Kankakee churches will merge due to priest shortage

KANKAKEE, Ill. (AP) - A bishop is asking three Catholic churches northeastern Illinois to merge in an effort to make up for a priest shortage.

The request comes from the Joliet Diocese's Bishop Daniel Conlon. It would consolidate the St. Rose of Lima, St. Martin of Tours and St. Teresa parishes in Kankakee. Congregants received the news last week.

Church members tell the (Kanakee) Daily Journal (http://bit.ly/2lscoJi ) they were "disheartened" but not surprised by the announcement.

Two Catholic churches in Kankakee have closed in the last 40 years. A single pastor currently serves all three churches considered for the merger.

Questions remain about what the consolidated church would be called and where it would hold services. The parishes may need to submit a plan as early as July before the church's fiscal year ends.

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Information from: The Daily Journal, http://www.daily-journal.com