In a move unprecedented in Archdiocesan history, late last Summer, the Pastoral Council of St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Forest Hills unanimously voted to enter into discussions with Sacred Heart over a possible combining of the two faith communities. Taking quite seriously Cardinal Law's request that all parishes reflect upon and study together their pastoral needs, the leaders of St. Andrew's realized that such a realignment might prove spiritually advantageous for all concerned.

Their pastor, Rev. Richard Mehm, brought the results of their September 13th vote to Bishop John Boles who acquiesced in their decision. Good friends and leaders in the recently established Greater Boston Interfaith Organization ('GBIO'), Father Mehm and Sacred Heart pastor, Rev. Msgr. Francis Kelley, then met to discuss their initial impressions of the proposed merger and the potential implications such a move might have on their parishes.

With a touch of humor, Msgr. Kelley pointed out to his parishioners, 'Last spring, Cardinal Law notified Sacred Heart that we are not facing any reconfiguration that would lessen our parish. However, no one mentioned any reconfiguration which would increase our parish!'. Undaunted by the prospect, however, the Pastor pressed courageously ahead, calling upon the leaders of Sacred Heart to attend an initial informational meeting with their counterparts from St. Andrew's.

The event took place on Monday, October 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Sacred Heart School Auditorium. Attendance was excellent, especially in light of the fact that the Red Sox were battling the Yankees that same evening in what would turn out to be the final game of their playoff series. Many Sox fans could be seen in attendance at the meeting, rather than at home glued to their TV sets, a testament to the devotion they have to their parishes. It was an emotional, as well as an informative night. The pain of St. Andrew's parishioners could be felt as they discussed the gradual reduction in their membership which had led them to consider this step.

As a point of comparison, the statistics of the two parishes were presented to all those at the meeting. They showed that on average, 250 people attend the weekend Masses at St. Andrew's while at Sacred Heart, that same number is about 1,800. At St. Andrew's, there were eleven baptized, seventeen First Communicants, fourteen Confirmandi, four couples joined in marriage, and twenty-seven funerals held in the period from July of 1998 through June of 1999. In comparison, the same annual statistics for Sacred Heart were 176; 148; 57; 27; and 117, respectively. Of course, everyone knows, however, that mere numbers do not a parish make.

Both parishes have a strong focus on education in common; they boast excellent grammar schools with full enrollments. At the meeting, particular emphasis was placed on the fact that no matter what was decided, the two schools would remain open.

Pointing to the way wild rumors can spread out of control in situations like this one, St. Andrew's principal described a phone call she received from a concerned relative who told her that so and so, who worked with such and such, had heard from yet another person that her school was closing. It was all she could do to reassure her worried relative that there was no truth to the statement.

Later in the evening, Msgr. Kelley referred to that example when stressing the importance of sticking to the facts. 'Sacred Heart School is not closing. St. Andrew's School is not closing', he adamantly affirmed to the delight of his listeners. He added, 'Please do not believe every comment you hear. Check with your parish leadership'.

Since community is at the very heart of parish life, ample time was set aside for those present to get to know one another a little better. Each representative from St. Andrew's was asked to pair up with someone from Sacred Heart. A one-to-one relational meeting then took place, with people sharing a bit about themselves, along with their fears, hopes, and beliefs about the proposed combination. Ample time was also allowed for a subsequent information session where the two pastors ably fielded questions taken from the floor, answering them to the best of their ability. To many of the queries, the honest answer was that nothing had been decided yet, since everything about the possible joining of the parishes was still in the initial stages.

After the meeting, a discussion group from each church was formed to pursue negotiations. Consisting of several leaders from St. Andrew's and Sacred Heart, each committee is chaired by its respective pastor.

So far, the Steering Committee, which consists of the discussion groups from both parishes, has been meeting over the past few months to talk about similarities and differences, explore common ground, and weigh the issues involved in a merger. However, much still remains to be ironed out.

At the close of the October 18th meeting, each person in attendance was asked to describe in one word, his or her impression of what had transpired. Responses were as varied as the people present and included, 'hopeful', 'informative', 'inspiring', 'difficult', 'interesting', 'amazing', and 'thought-provoking'.

The two pastors concluded with their responses: Msgr. Kelley called the meeting 'painful' and Rev. Mehm 'joyful'. At first glance, the two replies seem diametrically opposed.

In a recent conversation, I asked Father Mehm for an explanation as to how each pastor could have reached such a seemingly different conclusion. He explained that when he gave his response, he was not downplaying the difficulties inherent in the merger, stating, 'I know it is hard and very painful for many of our parishioners' and admitting, 'It's also painful for me because as a pastor, this is not normally what you do in a parish. You want it to grow.'

Without that growth though and with only a steady decline at St. Andrew's, it became obvious that other options for a different kind of growth needed to be explored. It was with this in mind that its Pastoral Council reached the courageous and historic decision to consider merging with another parish.

It would be naive to think that a decision like this is made and then implemented without pain. As Father Mehm explained, 'This process really strikes at the heart of people's security and faith and challenges them to see beyond their own borders.'

With understandable pride in their courage for doing so, Father went on to add, 'There were a number of good people who could see the necessity to go beyond the glorious parish we once were and who were willing to take the risk to see something new. That took a real act of faith and St. Andrew's is blessed by people who have great faith.'

Both pastors have been quick to point out that Sacred Heart will also have its own set of challenges to work through in the merger. Welcoming people can be a difficult process and being inclusive of others is not always the easiest thing for people to do. Despite all these potential obstacles, Father Mehm was nonetheless quite sincere when he used the word 'joyful' to describe what had transpired at that October meeting. In our interview, he explained, 'At that meeting I was feeling for the first time in a long time that the parishioners of St. Andrew's can have a joyful future. Nobody came to the meeting filled with anger. Everyone was welcoming. I was joyful because we were beginning something new and substantial for the future.'

Exactly where that future is taking both parishes still remains to be seen. However, great progress has been made in the five months that have passed since that initial gathering. In that time, various subcommittees have also been meeting and have now made their reports on key issues. As a next step, these recommendations will be written down.

After a general meeting between the parishioners of both churches has been held, the recommendations will be presented by Bishop Boles to Cardinal Law. The Cardinal will, in turn, consult with his own committee of presbyters before any final decision is made.

In any new initiative, there is both pain and joy, both crisis and opportunity, often intertwined or at least closely linked. The potential joining of these two great parishes gives everyone involved a good opportunity to put faith into action and to take a perhaps painful first step into what will undoubtedly prove to be a much more joyful future.