"I knew it was coming, it was just a matter of time," Annette Englert told The Press.

She wa talking about the recent Diocese of Allentown's announcement that it will consolidate St. Andrew and St. Lawrence Roman Catholic churches. Both are located in North Catasauqua.

Like so many churches across the nation, the St. Andrew and St. Lawrence parishes have not escaped the difficulties of dwindling numbers of worshipers, unable to sustain large church operational budgets.

The Press recently received a news release from the Diocese of Allentown indicating a letter from Bishop John Barres was read at all Masses June 29 and 30 stating, effective July 1, 2014, St. Andrew and St. Lawrence parishes will merge and become St. John Fisher Parish.

St. John Fisher Parish will worship at the former St. Andrew church building, 1239 Third St. The St. Lawrence church building, located at 1003 Second St., will be retained and used for funerals and for Mass on its titular feast day, Aug. 10, according to the news release.

The Rev. Eric Gruber, who has been serving as priest for both churches, will serve as head priest once St. Andrew and St. Lawrence merge into St. John Fisher Parish.

Catasauqua resident Kathy Longenhagen, who attends St. Lawrence, said news of the merger affected her emotionally.

"I feel very sad about it," she said. "I'm so accustomed to going to St. Lawrence and being a member of that parish."

In the letter read to parish members, Barres said the decision to merge the two parishes required a great deal of thought and review.

"This decision has not been made easily or without deliberation. Throughout the process from 2005 until now, hundreds of persons have been involved in gathering and analyzing information, surveying parishioners, and looking at the present and future needs of the Catasauqua parishes," the letter reads.

St. Andrew parishioner Joseph T. Keglovits, in an email to The Press, said word of the parishes of St. Andrew, St. Lawrence and the St. Mary's Church of the Annunciation B.V.M. in Catasauqua merging into one church had been announced by the diocese in 2008, but never enacted. While this potential merger was known to be coming, there are mixed emotions for all parties involved.

"It is still hard to believe that one is closing," he said. "Many people are happy and sad ... sad that St. Lawrence is closing to weekly Masses, but happy that everyone got five years that the church stayed open as compared to other diocese churches that closed in one month's time back in 2008."

According to the diocese news release, since 2008 research conducted by Wallace and Watson Associates, Allentown, revealed it was economically unfeasible to build a new church or renovate one of the existing churches to consolidate the merged parishes.

In an email to The Press, Diocese Secretariat for External Affairs Matt Kerr said committees, composed of priests assigned to a region and two lay people from each parish in the region, presented recommendations on restructuring, using criteria developed by the Diocesan Pastoral Council.

The recommendations were then reviewedby the Diocesan Pastoral Council and the Council of Priests before action wa taken.

"The restructuring plans are part of the Diocesan response to a growing shortage of priests and shifting demographics," said Kerr.

In June 2008, restructuring plans were announced that reduced the number of parishes in the diocese by 47."

The merger will affect each parishioner differently.

While Bill Molchany Sr. of North Catasauqua enjoys being a member of and attending St. Andrew, he believes the church building does not define and control the worship experience.

"I like the service. We like the church," he said of St. Andrew. "Other than that, a church is a church. It doesn't matter where you go."

Kerr noted the quality of the worship will remain the same.

"The worship experience will not change for the parishioners in Catasauqua, although for some, it will take place in a different building," said Kerr.

Kerr also emphasized the merger, which will not take effect until next July, will provide parishioners of both parishes adequate time to work together on different projects, to become acquainted with one another and to prepare for the administrative changes that will occur before the parishes become the St. John Fisher Parish.

Keglovits said there are potential hurdles the two churches and ultimately the merged church will have to face.

"For both churches there will be many changes and perhaps a few challenges," he said. "Combining choirs, organists, social groups, going from each church having their own kitchen to one kitchen with everyone sharing ... it should be interesting."