Three Episcopal churches in the city are in the process of merging into a single parish.
\nThe Episcopal Church of the Ascension, 160 Rock St., St. Mark\u2019s Episcopal Church, 125 Mason St., and the St. John\u2019s-St. Stephen\u2019s Episcopal Partnership, 711 Middle St., held a covenant-signing worship service Sunday at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension.
\nThe new Episcopal parish will be named the Church of the Holy Spirit, located at 160 Rock St.
\nA fourth Episcopal church, St. Luke\u2019s, 315 Warren St., has decided against joining the merger at this time.
\n\u201cOver the past few years, none of those churches was going particularly well,\u201d\u009d said the Rev. Wallace Gober, who was interim pastor of St. John\u2019s-St. Stephen\u2019s Episcopal Church.
\n\u201cThey were doing okay, but it was the decision of the people that they could do more of the work of the church if they pooled their resources,\u201d\u009d Gober said.<\/p>\n