Toledo Diocese recommends closing or merging 33 parishes in northwest Ohio
9/17/2004The Toledo diocese recommended closing or realigning 33 of its 157 parishes today, following a two-year internal study by its six-member Parish Futures Task Force.
The changes became necessary because of the dwindling number of diocesan priests and changes in church and regional demographics, Bishop Leonard Blair said in a news conference at the Catholic Center this morning.
The bishop plans to meet with parishioners starting in October for consultations and will make his decision on the recommendations by March 1.
As painful as change can sometimes be, this is not about gloom and doom, Bishop Blair said, and I am confident that we will succeed with God s help.
Here is a list of recommended closings and mergers:
Parishes to be closed and merged with another parish
(Location, Church: Recommendation)
Blakeslee, St. Joseph: merge with Edgerton or Montpelier
Cecil, Immaculate Conception: merge with Antwerp
Cuba, St. Isidore: merge with Kalida
Fremont, St. Casimir: merge with St. Ann
Hamler, St. Paul: merge with Holgate and/or Deshler
Junction, St. Mary: merge with Antwerp and/or Defiance
Kansas, St. James: merge with Millersville and/or Liberty
North Creek, St. Joseph: merge with New Bavaria
Toledo, Holy Rosary: merge with St. Stephen
Toledo, St. Anthony: merge with St. Hyacinth, church may become a shrine
Toledo, St. Agnes: merge with St. Catherine
Toledo, St. Francis de Sales: merge with St. Patrick Historic, church may become a shrine
Toledo, St. James: merge with Immaculate Conception
Toledo, St. Louis: merge with Good Shepherd and/or St. Thomas Aquinas
Toledo, St. Mary of the Assumption: merge with Rosary Cathedral
Toledo, St. Stanislaus: merge with St. Hyacinth
Toledo, St. Vincent de Paul: merge with St. Michael the Archangel
Parishes to be created
New Riegel: (From) St. Peter, Alvada; St. Nicholas, Frenchtown; St. Boniface, New Riegel
Upper Sandusky: St. Mary, Kirby; St. Joseph, Salem; St. Peter, Upper Sandusky
Marywood: St. Sebastian, Bismarck; Assumption, Reed; St. Michael, Marywood
Attica: St. Aloysius, Republic; St. Stephen, St. Stephen; SS. Peter and Paul, Attica.
Crawford County: St. Bernard, New Washington; Mother of Sorrows, New Auburn
Seneca County: St. Andrew, Liberty; St. Patrick, Bascom
Southwest Lucas County: Site to be determined
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