Garden City parishes merge into one

GARDEN CITY — Garden City’s two parishes of St. Dunstan and St. Raphael the Archangel will officially merge and become a new parish June 30. A decree signed by Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron announced the merger on May 27. The new parish will be called St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, and will use the St. Raphael Church site. Closing Masses for each parish will be at 4:30 p.m. June 28 (St. Raphael) and 10 a.m. June 29 (St. Dunstan). A letter from the parishes’ pastor, Fr. Ray Lewandowski, cited declining parish membership and finances as reasons for the merger.

Donation box theft suspect in court

LIVONIA — A man accused of stealing money from a donation box at St. Edith Parish, Livonia, was arraigned June 19 in Detroit. Jeffrey Bentley, 55, of Howell, is accused of using a tool to pry open a donation box at the parish and steal an undisclosed amount of money from inside. Police say the alleged crime was caught on surveillance video. Bentley is also suspected of similar crimes in Oakland County, and is being charged as a fourth-time habitual offender. He was arrested June 3.

Capuchins elect provincial minister

DETROIT — The Capuchin Province of St. Joseph, headquartered in Detroit, announced the election of a new provincial minister and provincial council members June 12. Fr. Michael Sullivan, OFM Cap., pastor of St. Clare Montefalco Parish in Chicago, was elected to serve a three-year term as provincial minister, and newly elected council members include friars Gary Wegner, Jerome Johnson, Steven Kropp and Robert Roemer. Bro. Wegner will serve as provincial vicar. More than 140 friars attended a four-day chapter to elect the province’s governing body.