Mission Statement:
We, the people of St. John XXIII parish, strive to be a welcoming community, prayerfully guided by the Holy Spirit–who seek to become holy, healthy Catholic disciples.
History of the Parish
St. John XXIII Parish was founded on July 1, 2014. It came into existence after a merger of the former St. Mary, Sacred Heart and St. Patrick parishes.
Bishop Joseph Cistone merged the three as part of a diocesan-wide reorganization. The name of the parish was selected from a number of possibilities that parishioners suggested. St. John XXIII was chosen as the parish name because parishioners wanted to sustain the legacy of Vatican II–good liturgical theology, ecumenism, Christian service, priesthood of the faithful, and other topics addressed by the Council and Pope John XXIII.
Some information about our churches:
St. John XXIII Parish encompasses three church sites. They retain the name they have carried since their consecration: St. Mary church in Hemlock, Sacred Heart church in Merrill and St. Patrick church (Ryan). In the merger, each of these church buildings was given a designation as to how they should be used for worship.