Detroit — St. Hilary Parish in Redford will celebrate its final Mass at 10 a.m. June 29, closing the parish after 60 years in operation. Parish leaders and administrator Fr. Don Walker met in the spring to discuss the parish’s declining membership and finances, and a request to the archbishop for closure was made, according to a letter Fr. Walker wrote to St. Hilary parishioners. Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron signed a decree officially announcing the closure on May 27.

As of April 30, St. Hilary had just 149 registered families, according to archdiocesan records.

St. Hilary had been clustered with neighboring St. John Bosco and St. Robert Bellarmine parishes under the Together in Faith pastoral plan. The territory of St. Hilary will be merged into St. John Bosco Parish.

A letter signed by Fr. Walker and Sr. Marie Miller, IHM, the parish’s pastoral associate, recalled the many blessings bestowed on St. Hilary over the years.

“At the end of June 2014, we may close and lock the doors of these buildings, but as we walk away, we will be filled with memories of lives nourished here and sent forth with faith and courage,” they said.

A reception will be held for parish members immediately following the June 29 Mass, along with a tour of the school building, which will include pictures and memorabilia on display.