Changes coming to the Diocese of Saginaw, MI

[Karl_M]

They’re doing all sorts of moving around in Saginaw, MI.

Among the changes

Fr. Fitzpatrick (Resurrection-Standish), Fr. Marceau (St. Helen-Saginaw), Fr. Streichardt (St. Cyril-Bannister), and Deacon Al Oliver (St. Brigid-Midland) are all retiring.

Fr. Deland is moving to St. Agnes to replace Fr. Pashak, who passed away unexpectedly in December.

Fr. Ron Wagner will be pastor of St. Helen and St. Andrew, and I assume he will remain Vicar for Priests (which alone is a full-time job).
-Fr. Dan Roa will handle St. Helen, St. Andrew, and Holy Family.

Some of the changes get a bit complicated, there is a link below detailing them all.

Bishop Cistone has a nice video explaining the changes, including the troubling fact that there will be fifty-seven priests to serve 109 churches in 2012! Big reliance on retired priests for help.

He also has to mentally prepare people for the possibility of closing/merging parishes. He doesn’t say it directly, but you know that he is trying to get people ready for it. We’re at the point where we’re running out of other viable options.

Pray for vocations, people!

dioceseofsaginaw.blogspot.com/2011/04/pastoral-assignments.html

 

[Brendan]

I know a few of the guys studying at Sacred Heart for Sagniaw. You’ve got some great men in formation there that you can be proud of.

But you are correct, there needs to be more.

Praying here

 

[angelsdefendus]

As a former parishioner in the Archdiocese of Detroit, I thought that it was on the REBOUND so to speak in terms of orthodoxy and revitalization.

But after being away for almost 2 years and knowing some folks in the Diocese of Saginaw, I really think they are “moving up in the ‘powerrankings’” if you will. Bishop Cistone is really doing a great job, while dealing with a lot of challenges.

The challenges will continue to come, but I really do pray for that diocese and hope that good things continue to come.

 

[Karl_M]

Bishop Cistone talks with local media outlets in the wake of his statments concerning the number of priests vs. the number of parishes:

Part 1:
youtube.com/watch?v=P9AKAGrvI_o&feature=player_detailpage

Part 2:
youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=hiobIRPxwWs

He’s got a rough job ahead of him, folks. Some serious and possibly painful choices need to be made sooner rather than later. If memory serves me correctly, 1992 was the last time there were any parish closings in the Saginaw Diocese and it went over like a lead balloon.

Keep praying up a storm for us.

 

[Crumpy]

My expectations were running high when Bishop Carlson took over. I felt his presence in the diocese more than any other bishop. He seemed to grasp the vocations problem, in a way that the new bishop doesn’t seem to.

B. Cistone was at ground zero in the Philadelphia sex coverup scandal, working alongside the Msgr. who was recently indicted by the grand jury. This bothers me quite a bit. He even stated that he was going to lay low for a year or so before getting started (or whatever it was he mumbled about).

I wouldn’t say that what’s happening to the diocese of Saginaw are “changes” but rather “consequences” of decades of neglect.

The priests of the diocese complained to Bishop Untener even back when HE became bishop, and in 25 years he ordained, what, 2 priests? I’ve heard it said he didn’t want to ordain any more men to the priesthood until he could ordain women, too Well, we don’t need to hold our breath for THAT anymore, do we.

Cistone said there was a financial crisis here as well, but hasn’t elaborated that yet, either.