Archdiocese considers closing 2 more churches

A cost-cutting plan that would close two Catholic churches and relocate a Latin Mass from Boston to Newton left parishioners of one affected South End church vowing to fight to stay open yesterday, after meetings with church officials detailed significant proposed changes.

Terrence C. Donilon , spokesman for the Archdiocese of Boston, said closed-door meetings were held with parishioners last night at Holy Trinity Church in Boston's South End and at St. Philip Neri in Newton, both of which would close next year should the proposals be implemented.

Donilon said the meetings were intended to let parishioners know about the archdiocese's intentions for parish mergers.

"What we presented to them was a plan, not a decision," Donilon said, adding that an estimate of potential cost savings was not available. "We didn't say this is definitely going to happen."

Under the plan, Holy Trinity's Latin Mass would be moved to Mary Immaculate of Lourdes in Newton Upper Falls, while its English Mass services would consolidate with Cathedral of the Holy Cross, another South End parish.

The real estate and financial assets of Holy Trinity would be merged with the Cathedral.

Mary Immaculate of Lourdes also would absorb parishioners from St. Philip Neri, which would close under the plan. That consolidation would include the church's Korean ministry.

The fate of St. Philip Neri's assets was unclear yesterday.

The latest plans would continue a slew of closings and consolidations of parishes, triggered in part by the church's embarrassing and costly clergy sex abuse scandal.

Since 2004, the archdiocese has shrunk the number of parishes from 357 to 296 and doled out millions of dollars in settlements, all while reeling from declining church membership and a shortage of priests.

Many of the closings triggered around-the-clock vigils, which led church leadership to revisit the strategy and reopen some parishes.

Members said yesterday that no vigils are planned to combat the latest possible changes.

Donilon would not comment yesterday when asked whether the proposed changes are related to the sex abuse cases.

Christine Quagan, media coordinator for the Committee to Preserve Holy Trinity Parish, said many parishioners are concerned about the proposed plans, and they are especially troubled by ambiguous plans for the church's German community.

Donilon said the archdiocese's plan includes appointing a chaplain for area German worshippers.

However, no details on what facility would host German services -- or whether German services would be offered at all -- were announced at the meetings yesterday, Quagan said.

"If it's implemented as planned, it will dig up many communities that are rooted at Holy Trinity," Quagan said of the proposal. "There's a lot of unanswered questions. The consensus of the people is 'Keep us open and keep us together.' "

Nathan Hurst can be reached at nhurst@globe.com.