What are Clustered Parishes?

[cccw2009]

In my parish’s bulletin this week, it was announced that my parish will be clustered with another parish sometime in the furture. What exactly does this mean? What will happen? Will there be any changes at all with the Mass schedules or the like? I’m curious about this because the parish that we will cluster with is the one I thought about registering with later sometime this year.

 

[LPS]

In my parish’s bulletin this week, it was announced that my parish will be clustered with another parish sometime in the furture. What exactly does this mean? What will happen? Will there be any changes at all with the Mass schedules or the like? I’m curious about this because the parish that we will cluster with is the one I thought about registering with later sometime this year.

I grew up in a clustered parish; this is common in rural areas. Basically, one priest serves several churches. It can mean a change in your mass schedule - one cluster near me holds a Saturday night mass in one town, an early Sunday morning mass in another town, and a later-morning mass in the third town.

In the cluster where I grew up, all churches in the cluster joined to provide catechism classes but other things were kept separate - each had its own building care committee, for instance. I think that kind of thing varies.

 

[puzzleannie]

In my parish’s bulletin this week, it was announced that my parish will be clustered with another parish sometime in the furture. What exactly does this mean? What will happen? Will there be any changes at all with the Mass schedules or the like? I’m curious about this because the parish that we will cluster with is the one I thought about registering with later sometime this year.

the article should have explained what it means in your diocese
look for the diocesan newspaper or website for a fuller explanation, and ask the priest to explain from the pulpit of all parishes involved what it will mean

in general it usually means several parishes will share a pastor, there will be some lay pastoral assistants or administrators appointed to take care of day to day business of the parish, while the priest(s) will focus more on sacramental life of the community. Resources, including facilities, may be shared, and services at each parish, not only Mass and confessions but CCD-RE-PSR, adult education and so forth may be staggered and coordinated to make best use of time and resources, so overhead such as utilities, and staff salaries, are cut down.

I am sure you will be hearing more in the near future of what it will mean in practical terms for your family.