Sixteen parishes in the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois, will be reconfigured into seven parishes, with five churches closing, in order to optimize the diocese's resources for its future and evangelization, the diocese announced Jan. 25.
The decision impacts parishes in and around the
Less priestly vocations. Shrinking Catholic populations. An influx of immigrants bringing with them different religious traditions. Aging church structures that need cost-prohibitive repairs. These are just a few of the reasons parishes around the country are facing mergers or closures. Recently, the
A proposed merger between the Diocese of Steubenville and the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, will undergo further discussions on the diocesan level after a survey of parishioners showed "disappointment and even fear" over the proposal, said Steubenville Bishop Jeffrey M. Monforton.
He made
The recent announcement of a potential merger of the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, into the Diocese of Columbus might come as something of an understandable surprise, writes the Our Sunday Visitor Editorial Board. It would be the first such merger of dioceses
Heroic trust in the Holy Spirit and a firm resolve to move forward "on mission" are at the heart of the Archdiocese of Detroit's transition to "families of parishes," Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron said Nov. 22 in a new pastoral note.
Released on