By Colette M. Jenkins
Beacon Journal religion writer
Published on Saturday, May 29, 2010
YOUNGSTOWN: The Catholic Diocese of Youngstown will have 25 fewer parishes in the next two years.
The reduction is part of a diocesan restructuring plan announced Friday by Bishop George V. Murry.
''I believe this plan represents the most realistic and compassionate way of shaping a new and vibrant future for the diocese of Youngstown,'' said Murry during a morning press conference.
The plan, which deviates little from the proposed plan released by the diocese in February, is being implemented to address declining enrollment and parish revenues, changing demographics and fewer men in the priesthood. It is similar to reconfiguration plans being undertaken in Catholic dioceses throughout the country and state. Youngstown (which includes Portage, Stark, Columbiana, Mahoning, Trumbull and Ashtabula counties) is the last diocese in Ohio to implement such a plan.
The Cleveland diocese, which includes Summit County, is nearing the end of the implementation of its plan. The final local merger is scheduled for July 4, when St. Bernard and St. Mary become the new St. Bernard-St. Mary parish at the St. Bernard site in downtown Akron. Both churches will have closing Masses on June 27.
In Youngstown, all parishes fall within three categories —
single units, collaborative units or merged units.
Merged units require two or more existing parishes to join together to create a new parish with a common pastor, staff and set of councils (pastoral and financial). The parish community can maintain multiple churches or worship sites.
Collaborative units are a grouping of two or more parishes that are served by one or more priests. The parishes maintain their separate identities and share staff resources and programming.
Single units will remain intact but are encouraged to look at ways to collaborate with neighboring parishes.
The diocese began developing the plan in the fall of 2008. The process included input from parish teams and clergy. In addition, each parish completed a statistical audit and an evaluation of parish life and ministry. A plan for the restructuring of diocesan schools continues.
Once the reconfiguration plan is implemented, the diocese will go from 112 parishes to 87. Diocesan officials expect registered Catholics to be able to find a parish within 15 miles or 25 minutes of their home.
The final plan differs from the proposal in four instances, one in Trumbull County and three in Stark County. The Stark changes are in three collaborative units — St. Ann in Sebring and St. Joseph in Alliance; Regina Coeli in Alliance and St. Joseph in Maximo; and Sacred Heart of Mary in Harrisburg and St. Louis in Louisville.
Currently, there are 97 active priests serving 112 parishes and two missions in the diocese. The majority of them are older than 60, and 35 will reach retirement age by 2014, leaving 62 of the current priests. With the 14 seminarians studying for the priesthood in the diocese, the total number will increase to only 76.
''The plan is intended to reduce the number of parishes to a point where they can be managed by fewer priests, and strengthen those parishes to be even more effective in preaching the Gospel, caring for the poor, evangelizing our neighborhoods and promoting vocations,'' Murry said. ''In other words, I see this plan as infusing new life in the Church in northeastern Ohio.''
As in other parts of the Midwest and Northeast areas of the country, the Catholic population has dropped, in large part due to people moving to find work. The number of registered Catholics in the Youngstown diocese dropped from 256,071 in 2000 to 201,857 in 2009 and the population has shifted from the cities to the suburbs. Diocesan officials also cite a decline in the importance of Catholic identity in young adults as a factor in declining enrollment.
Now that the final plan is in place, parishioners in collaborative and merged units are being asked to come together to explore the best ways to do ministry and work together more effectively.
In the end, the final decision of which parishes will close (as a result of mergers) and what happens to closed properties rests with the bishop. Murry said the diocese will provide assistance to parishes and priests as the process of collaborating or merging is discerned.
''This is the end of Phase 1. There are still many details that need to be resolved, such as what name a new, merged parish will have, how many worship sites will be required, where those worship sites will be and which priests will minister to which communities,'' Murry said. ''Those and other questions will be discussed and answered on the parish level during the next two years.''
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.
