Closing of Parishes in Saginaw: Bishop Joseph Cistone

[Crumpy]

Sadly, the Bishop’s father has just passed away (Dec 2011). May he RIP.

I read the Bishop’s pastoral letter and I am very disappointed with it.

The letter has all this extraneous stuff in it. Like, couched in some flowery religious language, Cistone says he didn’t choose to come to Saginaw. Yes, we understand, he was much more comfortable in his big-city life in Philadelphia. So, what’s his point? I think he could have declined to come here.

So, even though he was an ordained bishop, he could not express any priorities when he got here. Oh, then later, he realized that his priority was evangelization. Isn’t that “job one” in the Church, anyway?

Why is he bemoaning that for two generations, Catholics haven’t been properly catechized and don’t understand the basics of the faith?

Is he surprised that with all the changes that occur in the Church, especially the needless changes by dissident priests and bishops, AND the priestly sex scandals, that many Catholics have been alienated to the point that they don’t attend Mass? Is it any wonder?

He avoids all those scandals and problems created by dissident and liberal priests and bishops, and now he says that it’s OUR job to evangelize. With all the bad press that the priests and bishops have created, how are WE supposed to evangelize, with all that baggage in tow? Nice going, there, priests and bishops.

I saw the list of the working committee and I don’t like it.

It seems that Bishop Cistone is simply distancing himself from the parishes and from the decision making process, by delegating it all to them. Yes, delegating it some of the people who have run the diocese into the ground, in the first place.

There’s barely a mention that the lay people at large will be consulted about the closures, or about anything else. The fact that the letter was finalized, the committee was formed, and a plan was developed – without the involvement of lay people at large – indicates the same old pattern of ruling from the top, that has characterized “leadership” since Vatican II.

I don’t like the process that will be used for parish closure.

The Bishop isn’t going to be involved until the committee submits recommendations to him? What? HE’S the main teacher in the diocese, why is he not involved in the committee whose goal is to promote evangelization?

What? Instead of working slowly and carefully with the parish closures on a case-by-case basis, they’re going to close a bunch of parishes all at once, with a stroke of a pen?

As I say, I don’t like the letter, the committee, or the plan.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

Is there a link to a news story or press release?

 

[stinkcat_14]

mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2011/12/saginaw_bishop_cistone_announc.html

 

[Dale_M]

A link to the pastoral letter would be best, but I can not locate the one mentioned in the first post.

This news article mentions some of the need for planning, presumably which will include church closings and parish mergers.

The Reid Group, a consulting firm that specializes in parish planning, will aid the diocese. Cistone will name a planning commission comprised of priests, deacons, pastoral administrators, religious sisters and lay people to make recommendations

The parish faces a challenge with a diminishing number of priests, administrators and resources. Five priests from other diocese are serving as pastors.

“There are 105 parishes and four additional churches within the diocese,” he said. “This year, 17 pastoral administrators are serving our diocese. However, as regards sacramental ministry, only 54 active diocesan priests are assigned to 109 churches. In addition, 22 active and senior priests, of various ages and health conditions, also provide sacramental ministry to our parishes. We are deeply indebted to our senior priests, realizing the pastoral and precarious driving obligations they assume.”

mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2011/09/saginaw_diocese_to_assess_chur.html

 

[Crumpy]

mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2011/12/saginaw_bishop_cistone_announc.html

The parish planning guide is available online at www.saginaw.org

If you work through the several documents that are linked there, you will see what the plan for closing the parishes is.

Basically, there’s just a lot of busywork to decide what the strengths of each parish is. That’s supposed to make everybody “think” about the parish closures and what is 'best" under the circumstances.

There’s a diagram there about the process, and any opposition to the closures already has a pigeonhole called “hurt feelings.” So, all the negative comments (perhaps like mine) will be stuffed under “hurt feelings.”

My “point” is expressed by Isaiah:

“The LORD enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people:
It is YOU who have ruined my vineyard…What do you mean by crushing my people…?”
Isaiah 3:14-15 (NIV).

Many priests and bishops have caused huge scandal in the Church and what damage they haven’t done, the liberal and dissident priests took care of. That’s why 3/4 of the people of this diocese don’t attend Mass.

I think the Bishop and his committee need to figure out how to recover from all this damage, and I don’t think they can do it by ignoring it in the first place.

 

[Neil_Anthony]

It sounds to me like the good bishop has a solid understanding of what went wrong, a plan to address the problem, at the same time as he closes parishes. He sounds like a true apostle to me. I hope his plan includes a new approach to dissenters and murmurers within the flock.