YOUNGSTOWN — Bishop David Bonnar of the Diocese of Youngstown will celebrate closing Masses for two Youngstown churches this spring.

Closing Masses are set at 5 p.m. Monday at St. Brendan Church, 2800 Oakwood Ave, Youngstown, and at 5 p.m. May 18 at St. Matthias Church, 915 Cornell St, Youngstown.

In March, Bonnar accepted the recommendation of parish leadership to close both churches.

Diocesan officials said the eventual sale of the church buildings and other buildings on the property would prevent the parish from incurring debt and enable the parish to carry out its apostolic mission.

The Diocesan Presbyteral Council has met to review the progress of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan, which was designed to address the changing demographics of the diocese and the shortage of priests.

Parish leadership from St. Mary Magdalene Parish met with the council to discuss the future of the St. Brendan and St. Matthias church buildings. Bonnar said the diocese has studied the viability of the two parishes for many years, looking at attendance figures, financial sustainability and the number of priests available to serve the parishes.

Over the past few months since the merger, it has become clear that the current structure with three churches is no longer financially sustainable, Bonnar said.

On Feb. 24, the Rev. John Jerek, along with members of the parish and financial councils, wrote a letter requesting the closure of both churches, which Bonnar approved.