Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of the Diocese of Brooklyn has issued a canonical decree on the merger of two Park Slope parishes that became effective March 1.

The decree states that Holy Family parish, 205 14th St., and St. Thomas Aquinas parish, 249 Ninth St., have been merged to become Holy Family-St. Thomas Aquinas parish.  The parish office will be at 249 Ninth St.

Both Holy Family Church and St. Thomas Aquinas Church will serve as worship sites where Sunday Masses will be celebrated, according to the decree.  Father Jesus Cuadros will serve as the pastor.

Bishop DiMarzio said he issued the decree forming the new parish after consulting with the Presbyteral (Priests’) Council, the territorial Episcopal Vicars, clergy, pastoral ministers and other members of the two parishes.

Stating that he has directed the development of a comprehensive pastoral plan for the whole Diocese, the Bishop indicated that certain factors are considered when determine whether parishes will merge.  These include “changes in the spiritual practices among the faithful, the number of available clergy and men and women in consecrated life, as well as concerns regarding temporal matters.”

In earlier decrees issued beginning Jan. 1, 2007, 27 parishes in Brooklyn and Queens were merged into 13.  The number of parishes in the Diocese now stands at 202.