YOUNGSTOWN - The St. Brendan parish held its final Sunday mass before it merges with St. Christine and St. Matthias churches to become the St. Mary Magdalene parish due to declined attendance.

The St. Mary Magdalene parish will meet at the soon-to-be former St. Christine church on S. Schenley Avenue.

Frances Mihalik claims she has been a member of the church since 1958.

"I'm sad that we're closing, it's been like a family to all of us," she said.

Patrick O'Leary, who has been a member of the church since his baptism in 1981, says the community feels a mix of sadness and mourning.

"But at the same time, there's a lot of excitement in getting to be part of a new church," he said.

Eddie Odom claims that the final Sunday mass at the church was one of the largest he had seen outside of Christmas and Easter.

"This is about double or triple the amount we'd see on a normal Sunday," he said.

The St. Brendan's parish was established in 1923, and its church was constructed in 1925.

The St. Brendan and St. Matthias churches will be used as secondary places of worship. They will also act as meeting places for baptisms, weddings, funerals, and feasts.

Rev. John Jerek, pastor of St. Brendan's parish, adds that the parish will sell the St. Brendan and St. Matthias buildings in the future to entities that respect their history as churches.

"It is a time of sorrow, and yet I think most of our people. including me, are rather excited and enthusiastic about the formation of a new parish that brings together new talent, new abilities, new generosity, new outreach and service," he said.

The Catholic Diocese of Youngstown has merged several other parishes across the Mahoning Valley due to a decrease in the number of priests and practicing Catholics.

"While the church is growing in certain parts of the country, like the south and the west, it tends to be diminishing in the northeast and the midwest," said Rev. Jerek.

Bishop of Youngstown David J. Bonnar announced the merger on October 4, with a stated goal to create more vibrant parishes and strengthen communities.

"We have to trust that the front windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror," he said.

The first masses at the St. Mary Magdalene parish are on Thursday, Jan. 1.