Don’t come to Massachusetts then…
I’ll pray for your parishes.
It sounds like you could be here in our Toledo diocese. A neighboring parish is scheduled to close, and they have really been having a time there. The bishop went there to hear some ideas, and was treated very disrespectfully, as was his assistant. The whole thing has pitted parish against parish, each trying to prove their case to stay open. Also, there has been some nasty letters in the local paper bashing the bishop, and all the problems of the church. No final decision is supposed to come until March. I hope it gets here soon. We can’t stand much more of this. Is every state having these problems, or just Ohio and Michigan? Lets pray for each other.
Here in Superior Diocese in NW Wisconsin we have had parish clusters for more than five years. We have zero problems with sexual abuse by our priests, but some of them serve up to three parishes. Very few parishes, if any, have been closed, but we essentially have circuit riding priests. Some parishes have Pastoral Administrators to handle the paper work/
but as an encouragement that it is not like this everywhere, let me say that the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis is adding parishes… and, we have 14 men being ordained to the priesthood next spring!
So, get thee to our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament and pray!