A Bright Future - Our One Parish is Becoming Two!

06-12-2021News

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted is pleased to announce that Prince of Peace Church will be elevated to the status of parish on the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker – Saturday, May 1, 2021.

The formation of Prince of Peace Parish will be out of the current Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, which had included the church of Prince the Peace. Bishop Olmsted is grateful for the leadership of Fr. David Ostler, the parish staff, and the parishioners who have served the people of this fast growing region, meeting the needs of a diverse demographic.

Fr. David Oster will be named the pastor of the newly established Prince of Peace Parish effective May 1, 2021. He will also remain the pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish until the new pastor, Fr. John Bonavitacola arrives on July 1, 2021.

Fr. Bonavitacola, as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes, will oversee the future development of the Catholic Community north of the 303 that will include the growing Vistancia development.

Please pray for a smooth transition period and for the continuing efforts of evangelization in both parishes.

The Details

Why is Father David going to Prince of Peace? Where will Father Mike be?

After prayer, Bishop Olmsted decided that Prince of Peace would benefit the most from having Father David. Out of obedience, Father David accepted the Bishop's assignment. Bishop Olmsted has also assigned Father Mike to Prince of Peace and, out of obedience, he has accepted the assignment.

Who is Father John Bonavitacola?

Father John has been at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Tempe for 21 years.

Why is this happening?

Bishop Olmsted is insistent on a new church being built in the Vistancia area and it is not possible for one Pastor to run the current Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, which covers 155 square miles. Within that current 155 square mile parish, there are already two large campuses and a need to build another church in one of the fastest growing areas in the state.

How will I let you know which parish I decide?

First, Catholics are free to choose their spiritual home; there is no obligation to attend a church because of the boundaries you technically live in. Second, an email will be sent out via Flocknote on Monday, April 5th, asking you to complete an online form informing us of which parish you will be attending. We ask that this form be completed by Friday, April 23rd. A paper form will be made available for those who do not have computer access.

How will everything be split?

The Finance and Pastoral Council unanimously approved a 50/50 percent split of all liquid assets and a 60(Prince of Peace)/40(Our Lady of Lourdes) percent split of the reserve funds. The 60/40 split was based on income by church, prior to Covid-19. All material goods will be split by the practical needs of each church.

What about the staff?

The current staff of 12 people will be split with five employees staying at Our Lady of Lourdes and seven employees moving to Prince of Peace:

Our Lady of Lourdes Staff

• Kaitlynn Eaton - Director of Sacred Liturgy and Sacred Music and Safe Environment Coordinator
• Whitney Lynch - Director of Pastoral Care
• Zeke Spanelli - Business and Maintenance Manager
• Patty Romero - Parish Secretary
• Richard Stiles - Custodian

Prince of Peace Staff

• Will Wright - Director of Sacred Liturgy, Sacred Music, and Catechesis
• Lisa Kragness - Director of Pastoral Care
• Shelley Barber - HR Manager and Office Manager
• Kristal Ostrowski - Communication Manager and Liturgical Ministries and Safe Environment Coordinator
• Tom Scott - Maintenance Manager
• Carolyn Boni - Gift Shop and Business Manager

Have more questions? Feel free to email us at info@oll-pp.com.