SHREWSBURY 鈥 After 18 months of waiting, Catholics will soon learn the fate of their priests and parishes in the sweeping reorganization of the Archdiocese of 狐狸视频 called 鈥淎ll Things New.鈥
The changes, expected to include dozens of parish mergers and priest reassignments, will be released Saturday by Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski in a press conference and announced by priests during weekend Mass. More details are expected in early June, including new Mass times and worship sites for consolidated parishes.
Of the 178 parishes across 狐狸视频 city and 10 surrounding counties, about 40 are expected to keep their parish boundaries. The other 140 or so parishes will be combined into groups of two or more parishes that share one pastor.
The number of priests retiring or moving this summer is expected to be much higher than average, in part because of a pause during the 鈥淎ll Things New鈥 process.
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Other cities undergoing similar reorganizations offer keys to the future of parishes in 狐狸视频, including several dioceses that used the same consulting firm, Catholic Leadership Institute.
The process plays out in a similar fashion in each diocese. Parishes are first grouped together to share resources, Mass times and a pastor. New planning committees form to determine the best structure for each group, which could eventually lead to mergers or closures of parishes and schools.聽
鈥 The Diocese of Buffalo (N.Y.) announced a record-high 47 priest reassignments on Wednesday in its 鈥淩oad to Renewal鈥 plan that previously formed 36 鈥渇amilies鈥 of multiple parishes.
鈥 The 鈥淏eacons of Light鈥 plan in Cincinnati last year combined 208 parishes into 57 families of parishes along with 78 priest reassignments. The number of Sunday masses in the archdiocese dropped to 512 from 588 in 2019. Mass attendance increased by 6% from 2021 to 2022, although still down 19% overall from 2019.
鈥 Archbishop Allen Vigneron announced Detroit鈥檚 plan to move all parishes into families on Pentecost Sunday in 2020. There, 216 parishes were grouped into 51 families.
鈥 The Pittsburgh diocese combined 188 parishes into 57 groups in 2018 as part of its 鈥淥n Mission for the Church Alive鈥 strategic plan. In the five years since, most of the groups have merged to form 62 single parishes under new names 鈥渁s part of the ongoing effort designed to help parishes mobilize their resources to prioritize mission over maintenance,鈥 according to the Pittsburgh diocese.
鈥 The 鈥淩enew My Church鈥 downsizing in Chicago started in 2016 and has since seen 344 parishes consolidate into around 200.
鈥 In Boston, the 鈥淒isciples in Mission鈥 pastoral plan was launched in 2012, and implemented with the help of Catholic Leadership Institute. The 288 parishes were organized into 135 parish collaboratives.
鈥淎ll Things New鈥 started in 狐狸视频 in January 2022, when Rozanski announced the 18-month process that would bring 鈥渢he most sweeping changes鈥 in the 200-year history of the Catholic church in 狐狸视频 amid declining numbers of Catholics attending Mass and priests to serve them.
On Saturday, five men will be ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of 狐狸视频, down from聽an average of 18 ordinations a year in the 1960s. The Catholic population in the region has fallen below 500,000 in 2021 for the first time in half a century. Pews are only about one-quarter full on Sundays.
鈥淭he model that fulfilled its mission in growing and evangelizing the Church during the last century has become archaic,鈥 Rozanski wrote in a January 2022 letter to parishioners. 鈥淛esus is calling on us to re-energize and reshape our efforts to share His saving message.鈥
What comes next
Some parishes have already started looking ahead. Parishioners from Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Luke the Evangelist will come together on Monday for the annual 鈥淢ass on the Grass鈥 Memorial Day service at St. Luke鈥檚 field in Richmond Heights.
One parish that is likely to stay independent is making plans for major renovations that were put on hold during the 鈥淎ll Things New鈥 process.
鈥淥ur challenge is not about needing to merge with another parish but to accommodate our prosperity and to address the limitations of our facilities,鈥 reads a letter sent earlier this month to parishioners from the Rev. Matthew O鈥橳oole of St. Peter in Kirkwood.
Plans at St. Peter include four main goals, O鈥橳oole said 鈥 a new parish hall with a commercial kitchen for large events, expansion of school buildings, additional meeting and storage spaces and a new rectory for priest housing.
The plans have been approved by Rozanski and the church is working with BSI Constructors on the plans, O鈥橳oole said.
Meanwhile, plans to fight against 鈥淎ll Things New鈥 are also gaining steam. Dozens of parish groups like Friends of St. Paul plan to appeal any merger to the Vatican. The latest proposal shows St. Paul parish joining with St. Joseph in western St. Charles County, a move the group opposes out of 鈥渃oncern for the preservation of our historic and cultural patrimony,鈥 according to its .
Former state Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, is leading an archdiocesan-wide protest as procurator, or representative, of the laity under church canon law. Onder sent petitions signed by more than 3,100 Catholics from at least 120 parishes to the Vatican earlier this month.
The 鈥淎ll Things New鈥 initiative 鈥渧iolates the legitimate structures of parishes, the rights and obligations of pastors, the rights of the lay faithful and offends the unity of the Church by encouraging parishes to compete for survival and foments mistrust of ecclesiastical authority,鈥 Onder wrote in a May 10 letter to Vatican leaders pleading for Pope Francis to suspend the plan鈥檚 implementation.聽
Still, some parishioners say they are optimistic about the prospect of fuller pews and stronger ministries.聽
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter what building you鈥檙e in, what matters is your faith and growing in that desire to be closer to God and the Mass can help you do that,鈥 said Jennifer Crutchley, a 20-year member of St. John the Beloved Disciple in Imperial, which is likely to be grouped with St. Joseph in Imperial.
鈥淭he real work begins after Pentecost Sunday,鈥 Crutchley said. 鈥淚t needs to be the entire community pulling together. I鈥檓 hopeful that when the dust settles we can all come out stronger on the other end.鈥
Originally posted Wednesday, May 24.
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