Two Halifax Catholic churches could soon merge
Pam Berman | CBC News | Posted: February 9, 2016 4:51 PM | Last Updated: February 9, 2016
Transition team recommends selling Canadian Martyrs Church, keeping St. Thomas Aquinas
Two Catholic congregations in south-end Halifax are considering a complete merger and the sale of one of the church properties.
The Canadian Martyrs Church on Inglis Street and the St. Thomas Aquinas Church on Oxford Street already share services and programs.
But a report from a transition team says shifting to one redeveloped property could save up to $107,000 a year, which would be better spent on the mission of the parish.
The head of the transition team, Father Mark Cherry, is unwilling to comment on the project.
A spokesman for Saint Mary's University, which surrounds Canadian Martyrs on three sides, said university officials are closely watching the situation.
"We'll be interested to see how this proceeds," said Travis Smith. "Things are still in an early stage and the parish has some details to work out."
The recommendation of the transition team is to sell the Canadian Martyrs property to help finance the redevelopment of St. Thomas Aquinas and build a modern parish facility beside the church.
An analysis of the properties posted on the churches' website said the two churches have more than a 1,000 seats, but only need about 60 per cent of them.
The same review concludes both properties are similar in value, but the Canadian Martyrs site appears to be more marketable due to zoning. It also said there's more room for growth at St. Thomas Aquinas.
An update on the transition process in the parish's Feb. 7 newsletter said an environmental assessment has been completed and there are no environmental hazards to worry about.
The transition team expects to talk about the specifics of the redevelopment project at a congregational meeting in May or June.