St. John – not farewell, transition

Parishioners at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Port Arthur gathered together for one last time March 28 to pray on their parish grounds in the El Vista area of the city.  St. John Parish will be merging with Sacred Heart- St. Mary Parish on Easter Sunday.

Bishop Curtis Guillory, SVD, told the group that this was not a “farewell but a transition.”

Members of Sacred Heart –St. Mary Parish joined in the prayer service.  The merged parishes will be called Sacred Heart Parish.

Following the prayer service, which was held in the hall, the group visited the “Harvey damaged” church taking pictures and reminiscing. The church as well as the entire parish plant took a big blow from Tropical Storm Harvey’s catastrophic flooding.

Membership at St. John Parish has been decreasing over the past decades with population shifts in Port Arthur being affected not only by Tropical Storm Harvey but also Hurricanes Rita and Ike.