ST. LOUIS — The Vatican has rejected an appeal from parishioners to save St. Lawrence Parish in Lawrence, Missouri. This final decision clears the way for the parish to consolidate with St. Agnes Parish in Bloomsdale.
The closure is part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis’s “All Things New” initiative, which aims to merge or close several parishes. The archdiocese cited declining numbers of priests, lower Mass attendance, and a shift in the Catholic population in St. Louis as reasons for the decision.