New Pastor Assigned To St. Anthony, Holy Martyrs Under 'All Things New'

St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski announced Saturday the closing of 35 parishes and reassignment of 155 priests in a sweeping change to the Catholic church in St. Louis.

Under “All Things New,” the restructuring will consolidate 178 parishes into 134, which will be overseen by close to 90 pastors and 17 religious order priests.

Rozanski said 35 parishes will be subsumed, 15 parishes will be merged to create five new parishes and one parish will be established for the Spanish-speaking community.

There are 155 new priest assignments. 

Locally, Rev. Paul E. Telken of St. Anthony in Sullivan will be granted retirement at a private residence.

Rev. Noah Waldman, the former pastor of St. Martin of Tours Parish in Lemay, has been appointed to succeed Telken. 

He also will be pastor at Holy Martyrs of Japan Parish, with responsibility for St. Gerald Mission in Gerald. 

In a letter from Rozanski to St. Anthony parishioners, Rozanski said the structure will remain unchanged, but that “you appreciate the need for Mass schedules and other aspects of parish life to be adjusted for your new pastor to fulfill his responsibilities to the three parishes.”

In a letter to the parishioners of Holy Martyrs, Rozanski announced that Rev. Timothy Henderson has been assigned as senior association pastor for St. Francis Borgia in Washington and Assumption parish in New Haven.

Changes go into effect Aug. 1.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis spent two years working on All Things New and surveyed 70,000 Catholics. 

Parishioners have until June 12 to appeal the Archbishop’s decision, which must be made in writing and postmarked by that date.

The appeal must be addressed to the Archbishop at 20 Archbishop May Drive, St. Louis, MO 63119.

Emails and phone calls are not acceptable as requests for appeal.