Archdiocese Releases List Of Parish Closures, Mergers

By Jordan Otero Sisson
Hartford Courant
May 7, 2017

http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-hartford-archdiocese-pastoral-plan-announced-20170506-story.html

As Roman Catholics across the Archdiocese of Hartford learned the fate of their parishes this weekend, Archbishop Leonard P. Blair acknowledged that there might be more changes for parishes throughout Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties in the future.

"I can't stand before you here today and say that with this plan, the next 10 years now we don't have to do anything," Blair said. "That would be irresponsible on my part and simply not the case. I can tell you that what we are doing today goes a long way to providing stability in the assignment of priests and in the life of these parishes."

Throughout two years of pastoral planning, Blair and other church leaders have categorized the sweeping changes as necessary, in the wake of a decline in the number of priests, fewer Catholic households, lower church attendance, and financial struggles that come with maintaining aging infrastructure.

He said the 127 newly formed parishes — down from 212 — will have to complete their own evaluations in the coming months and determine a more specific plan for the future.

"If the diminishment [sic] of church practice continues the way it is in our society – and I daresay that this is not just a Catholic challenge, but in many respects for religion – then we have to ... be prepared to deal with things further down the line," Blair said.

Still, Blair emphasized that the new structure will usher in a new era of Catholicism in Connecticut.

"It's not just about trying to close buildings that we can't afford or buildings that are only half used, but to reinvigorate the community, to reinvigorate priests and people alike," Blair said.

"To try to hold onto something, a structure, a skeleton that no longer corresponds to the realities of today ultimately can be discouraging and diminishing," he said. "The point is to try to revitalize the mission."

Twenty-six of those buildings will close under the new plan, meaning that regularly scheduled Masses will not be celebrated there but the building could still be utilized for other parish events.

In addition to location changes, worshippers may, in some cases, see a new face at the altar. The plan calls for more than 40 priests to be reassigned.

The mergers involving 144 parishes will primarily involve unions of between two and six parish communities to form 59 new parishes. Sixty-eight parishes will remain unchanged.

The changes will be effective as of June 29.

The Rev. James Shanley, who has led the archdiocesan pastoral planning process, said the new combined parishes will determine what happens to closed church buildings under their jurisdiction, as well as any parochial schools within the new boundaries.

If a building is to be sold, the money will "follow the people" of that parish to their new one, Shanley said.

The archdiocese currently oversees 212 parishes in Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties. New Haven County was the hardest hit with 16 of the 26 scheduled closures. Four church buildings in Waterbury will no longer hold regularly scheduled Masses. In Hamden, there were three church closures and two closures each in West Haven, Meriden and Naugatuck.

Recommendations were originally expected early this year, but an announcement was delayed to accommodate further meetings with deaneries and local parish representatives.

Now that parishes have been established, they will create their own strategic pastoral plans based on the needs of the communities they serve. These localized plans will include a statement of mission, a three-year vision, guiding principles, strategic pastoral objectives, strategic goals and action plans, and a timeline of incremental milestones, according to the website.

Over the past five months, some parishes and parochial schools announced their own reorganizational plans ahead of the archdiocese's decision.