The Great Crunch-Down: Church Consolidation

[Captain_America]

Instead of growing the church, compact it.

Parish Consolidation sounds “reasonable,” but looking long-term, not a real vision for the church.

Is this a large general effort of the U.S. Bishops?

 

[jwinch2]

Instead of growing the church, compact it.

Parish Consolidation sounds “reasonable,” but looking long-term, not a real vision for the church.

Is this a large general effort of the U.S. Bishops?

There are places where it is reasonable. For example, I have seen places where there are parishes on every other corner but the masses are only about 60% full at any of them. It is painful to consider but it probably makes sense to consolidate or at least, spread priests around between parishes. On the other hand, in other diocese, you have very large parishes which deal with a huge geographical area and a small amount of priests to work with.

 

[puzzleannie]

Instead of growing the church, compact it.

Parish Consolidation sounds “reasonable,” but looking long-term, not a real vision for the church.

Is this a large general effort of the U.S. Bishops?

let me guess you are from Boston? Cleveland? Detroit? another diocese facing parish closings and consolidations?

the plan is proposed where it has been for the practical and immediate needs of the Church in a particular diocese, or portion of a diocese, in no way as a universal plan for the Church to accomplish some “vision”

what I find most interesting is the Catholics so affected who are much more unhappy at the prospect of merging with another parish, than with outright closing of their own parish. they would rather move to a parish 15 minutes away than encourage and welcome fellow Catholics in a consolidation. If that consolidation means welcoming Catholics who regularly worship in another vernacular language, the acrimony rises to a state not seen since the REformation.

 

[AntalKalnoky]

Instead of growing the church, compact it.

Parish Consolidation sounds “reasonable,” but looking long-term, not a real vision for the church.

Is this a large general effort of the U.S. Bishops?

Demographics change; populations move. That is the Occassional reason for consolidation of Parishes. I belong to a new one of 10 years, now Mega-Church in the 3 years the Church Building has been built/Consecrated. Our Membership has tripled in that 3 years to over 12,000. We were formed from the largest Catholic Parish in Virginia. The Traditional Arlington Virginia Diocese has been growing 20% a Decade, since formed a few decades age. We are the Virginia suburb of Washington DC.