The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester is merging two Sutton parishes. The diocese announced Thursday that St. Mark and St. Anne will merge effective July 1 and the new parish will retain the St. Mark name, and all of St. Anne’s assets and liabilities will be assumed by the combined congregation. The Telegram & Gazette reports that Bishop Robert McManus said one parish serving Sutton is a more effective way of ministering to the needs of the town’s Catholics and is a more responsible way of using diminishing resources, as well as responding more appropriately to present and future financial concerns. The merger is part of an ongoing effort to deal with the dwindling number of priests, declining church membership, and scarce financial resources. The diocese now has 104 parishes. (AP)