Seven Allegany County Catholic churches merging with Wellsville's Immaculate Conception

Seven Roman Catholic churches in Allegany County will merge with Immaculate Conception in Wellsville, according to a plan announced by local church leaders this week.

At the same time, a leadership group said St. Mary's in Canaseraga and St. Patrick's in Fillmore are merging with St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Belfast.

The Canaseraga and Fillmore buildings will stay open as secondary worship sites, according to North West Allegany County Churches .

Merging with Immaculate Conception are the churches in Alfred, Almond, Andover, Belmont, Bolivar, Cuba and Scio. Some sites will be permanently closed and sold, while others will remain open and serve as "secondary worship sites."

A statement said leadership teams from the Southern Tier East Vicariate reviewed and approved the “Final Decisions of the Rightsizing and Reshaping of our Family, our Vicariate and our Diocese" at a meeting at Our Lady of the Angels in Cuba. Leadership teams are mainly trustees in the local parishes.

The statement said the decisions came "after many intense and agonizing hours of discussions" and are intended "to create a more vibrant Catholic presence."

The Catholic Communities of South Eastern Allegany County posted the information on its Facebook page.

Immaculate Conception Church is located at 6 Maple Ave. in the Village of Wellsville. Here is what is planned for the churches set to merge with the parish.

St. Jude, Alfred

St. Jude's Chapel on Lower College Drive will merge with Immaculate Conception and be a secondary worship site.

St. Brendan's, Almond

St. Brendan's Oratory, 11 South Main St., will merge with Immaculate Conception and the site will be put up for sale.

Blessed Sacrament, Andover

Blessed Sacrament Church is merging with Immaculate Conception. The 24 Elm St. building and property will be sold.

Holy Family, Belmont

Holy Family will merge with Immaculate Conception and the 5 Milton St. church in Belmont will serve as a secondary worship site.

St. Mary's, Bolivar

St. Mary's Church will merge with Immaculate Conception. The 111 Wellsville St. church in Bolivar will close and the property will be put up for sale.

Our Lady of the Angels, Cuba

Our Lady Angels, 50 South St., is merging with Immaculate Conception and will serve as a secondary worship site.

St. Joseph's Oratory, Scio

St. Joseph's is merging with Immaculate Conception and the 3915 Cottage Bridge Road property will be sold.

This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Seven Allegany County Catholic churches merging with Wellsville's Immaculate Conception