Toledo Catholic Dioceses to twin some parishes in 3-year reorganization
1/24/2011Parishioners across the Toledo Catholic Diocese were informed at Masses over the weekend of a three-year reorganization plan that is to begin July 1.
Most of the changes involve twinning parishes or clustering them in a way that a priest will be assigned to more than one parish, said Jason Shanks, leader of the Evangelization and Parish Life Secretariat and director of the Office of Pastoral Planning for the diocese.
Among the changes planned over the next three years: one priest will be assigned as pastor of St. Clement parish and St. Catherine of Siena parish in Toledo; Sacred Heart, St. Stephen, and St. Thomas Aquinas parishes in Toledo are to develop a plan for the three parishes to have single pastoral team with one pastor for three parishes; Holy Trinity parish in Assumption is to be twinned with St. Richard in Swanton; Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Bono and St. Ignatius parish in Oregon are to be twinned with a parish manager in Bono; and the president of Kateri Catholic School is to serve as pastor of St. Jerome parish in Walbridge with a parish manager.
Mr. Shanks said that among the factors considered in determining which parishes would be affected were fewer priests, parish financial viability, mass attendance, population trends, location, facility size, cultural diversity, and a parish's ability to remain intact and stable. The diocese expects to have 12 fewer priests by 2013 due to expected retirements, clergy health, and other factors