FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK by Fr. Terry Kerner
This weekend around the Archdiocese you are hearing the same message about the needed restructuring for ALL parishes. This is a two-year effort that involves all 900,000 practicing Catholics in our 212 parishes. We need to realize that 66 parishes have less than 300 souls and with an average of 177 people attending mass. Seventy-six parishes have between 301 — 600 registered members with weekly mass attendance at 443 people. There are 37 with 601 — 1,000 parishioners, seeing an average of 781 people in church on a weekend. Thirty-four parishes have over one thousand souls for an average of 1,442 attending mass on weekends. It is evident that too many parishes are caring for too few parishioners. Realignment and combining of parishes will be addressed.
The urgency of restructuring is also apparent with fewer priests caring for our parishes. In 2024 most active priests were 50 + years old. Eighteen percent were over 70 years old. Only 39% were younger than age 49. In 2029 projections for active priests in parish ministry will decline to 163 and by 2034 that number drops to 134 priests.
The data is sobering but not defeating. Throughout history, the Church has continually responded to societal changes that affect structures and church priorities. The Archdiocesan Restructuring will bring concerns to all of us and present many questions. The data brings into sharp relief some of the challenges we face as an Archdiocese, including fewer priests to care for our parishes, declining Mass attendance, and a surplus of aging church building that require more financial resources than we have. At the same time, we are trusted to seek the most pastoral and realistic way of dealing with the realities of the day. We can be thankful that the Holy Spirit, with our humble request, will inspire and guide our journey over the next two years.
In this season of thanksgiving, we can be genuinely grateful for what we have had in the past and for what we will come to celebrate in the future.
