[Episcopal News Service] The dioceses of Central Pennsylvania and Bethlehem, which are in the process of merging, have announced plans to experiment with a “sibling parish” program, connecting congregations from one diocese with counterparts from the other to help smooth the transition to one diocese by next year.
“Each parish in the Diocese of Bethlehem and the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania will be invited to be matched with a parish in the neighboring diocese for purposes of building relationship, learning about diocesan culture and customs, and increasing fellowship as we come together as One Body,” Central Pennsylvania Bishop Audrey Scanlan and Bethlehem Bishop Kevin Nichols said in a joint statement issued Feb. 11.
Participation is voluntary, though interested congregations are asked to notify their dioceses by March 14. The “sibling parish” matches will be notified in early April.
The Harrisburg-based Diocese of Central Pennsylvania and the neighboring Diocese of Bethlehem voted to reunify in October 2024 at their diocesan conventions. They are following a canonical process known as reunion because the two were once part of the same diocese.
“Our dioceses will enter into 2025 as the ‘Year of Transition,’ during which we will continue to deepen our relationships, align systems and budgets, further develop the Constitution and Canons for a reunified diocese and much more,” the dioceses said in a joint statement released at the time of the votes.
Following that timeline, they expect to reunite on Jan. 1, 2026, as the Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna, named after the river that runs through the center of Pennsylvania.