Archdiocese Announces Plans for Manayunk Priests

The future of the Catholic Church in Manayunk is beginning to take shape. Although in that outlook, the archdiocese announced plans for pastors at the two remaining Manayunk parishes.

of parish into and and into , the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said one pastor will stay, while the other three will leave Manayunk making way for a new priest.

Rev. Francis X. McKee will continue as pastor for the Church of the Holy Family Parish. 

At. St. John the Baptist, Rev. Thomas P. Kletzel will become pastor. He most recently served in that role at St. Titus Parish in Norristown.

This isn't the first time Kletzel has worked with newly merged parishes. According to a 2005 Philadelphia Inquirer article, he served as pastor for both Our Lady of the Rosary Parish and Our Lady of Victory as they combined facilities in West Philadelphia. Read that story here.

The remaining three pastors will take on new assignments within the archdiocese.

Rev. James A. Lyons—currently at St. John's—will become parochial administrator, pro tem, at St. Augustine Parish in Bridgeport, Montgomery County.

Rev. Leonard A. Lewandowski—the St. Josaphat pastor—will take over Kletzel's role at St. Titus.

And, Rev. Charles Zlock, priest for both Sts. Lucy and Mary, will become rector at St. Joseph's-in-the-Hills Retreat House in Malvern, Chester County.

Zlock blogged about that move here.

Additionally, the archdiocese announced that Rev. Kevin J. Gallagher, will also be installed at St. John the Baptist. He previously was at St. Philip Neri Parish, in Lafayette Hill.

The moves will take effect July 2. At the closing Sts. Mary's, Lucy's and Josaphat's, last masses are scheduled for July 1.