January 9, 2004 - Letter from Archbishop Seán Patrick O'Malley on
Parish Reconfiguration
(PDF version for printing)
My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
May the Grace and Peace of our Incarnate Lord Jesus Christ be with
each and every one of you throughout the New Year!
During my recent Advent meeting with most of the priests serving
in the Archdiocese of Boston, I informed them that I would soon write
to all of the faithful of the Archdiocese about the process of reconfiguration.
As I now fulfill that commitment, I invite your careful consideration
of this letter.
In the course of the last twenty years or so, the number of parishes
in the Archdiocese of Boston has decreased from 404 in 1985 to 357
at present. During much of these past two decades, the so-called “Boston
plan” sought to develop recommendations at the cluster level
for parish reconfigurations. Pastoral planning at the parish and
cluster levels properly has had, as its main focus, fulfilling the
mission of the Church.
Today, for a variety of reasons, such planning for mission is more
crucial than ever. Among these reasons are:
-
Changes in demographics: people have moved; they are having
fewer children; there are fewer regular churchgoers;
-
The priest
shortage: we need more than the forty (40) Boston seminarians we
have right now. All of us, clergy and faithful, need to identify
and invite young men to consider a vocation to the priesthood,
as we foster environments in our homes and in our parishes that encourage
all our people, young and old, to respond faithfully and generously
to the call of God in their lives;
-
Financial difficulties faced
by many parishes: exacerbated, no doubt, by the sexual abuse scandal,
many parishes have been struggling
for years, if not decades, with overwhelming fiscal challenges, including
the inability to meet all their financial responsibilities;
-
The
current poor state of many of our buildings: as a snapshot of
the dimensions of this reality, a recent review of all parish property
in the City of Boston, comprising roughly 1/7 of all the buildings
in the Archdiocese, determined that to bring these buildings
within
Boston proper up to an acceptable standard of usability would
cost approximately $104 million.
Pastoral planning for mission must be addressed without further
delay. The reallocation of resources, reconfiguration, is urgently
needed and must move from the mode of planning and conversation to
that of action and implementation. The groundwork has been laid in
the past two decades. Much discussion has already occurred. Now is
the time for decisive action.
Together, we must work to rebuild our Church. My conviction – a
conviction I hope and pray that you share – is that the work
of rebuilding our Church entails a serious, committed effort throughout
the Archdiocese to realize a Church that will be better able to fulfill
the mission entrusted to Her by the Lord in response to the needs
of the faithful. This vision means that much collaboration and cooperation
has to take place as we move into the next phase of reconfiguration.
As this part of the process begins, please know that:
-
Reconfiguration will involve a substantial number of parishes
throughout the entire Archdiocese;
-
No parishes have been designated
for closure. The number of parishes to be closed has not yet been
determined;
-
Reconfiguration will involve not merely those parishes
unable to pay their bills.
The Most Reverend Richard G. Lennon, Moderator of the Curia, has
accepted my request to oversee the reconfiguration process and serve
as Chair of a Central Committee, comprised of lay faithful and clergy
from each of the five regions of the Archdiocese, along with a few
members of the Archdiocesan staff. I look forward to working with
and receiving counsel from this committee as decisions are made in
the reconfiguration process.
Not only will the regional bishops, vicars, pastors and other clergy
be involved and asked to give their input, but also I expect that
lay pastoral staff, parish pastoral council and parish finance council
members will also be involved in the conversations and recommendations.
Moreover, I want to ensure that there is sufficient opportunity for
parishioners to be heard – this process must truly be the work
of the whole Church. All of these conversations, involving so broad
a spectrum of people, will enrich the reconfiguration process and
strengthen our Archdiocesan effort to rebuild our Church. As we come
together for these conversations, it is imperative that all come
with an open mind rather than a self-interested plan to save a particular
parish. The reconfiguration will only work if everyone involved is
committed to serve the whole Catholic family of the Archdiocese of
Boston.
Every parish in the Archdiocese, except those in Lawrence and Lowell
who are already well into the process, will begin conversations about
reconfiguration later this month. Bishop Lennon will soon communicate
a more specific and detailed timeline.
Past experience has shown that it will be painful to close parishes.
We must be sensitive to that reality and help each other in the grieving
process as a number of our parishes close. However, even in the midst
of mourning, we must challenge each other to make the sacrifices
necessary to ensure that the parishes that do emerge will be stronger,
more able to respond to peoples’ needs, and better staffed
with more resources for ministry. The painful sacrifices of reconfiguration
must lead to stronger Catholic parishes better equipped to carry
on the work of evangelization, to reach our young people, to serve
our senior citizens and our poor, to perform the corporal and spiritual
works of mercy and to pass on the faith to future generations. We
must accept the challenge to make great sacrifices to achieve an
even greater good. The future of our Church’s ministry in the
Archdiocese depends on God’s grace and our willingness to make
the sacrifices necessary for reconfiguration.
Thank you for your attention to so lengthy a letter. Thank you
for being faithful to Christ and His Church here in the Archdiocese
of Boston. Please join with me and with our sisters and brothers
in Christ as we shoulder the cross of reconfiguration and accept
the challenge to rebuild our Church.
I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ, who is Emmanuel, God with us,
may continue to smile upon all of us who together make up the Church
of Boston and bless us with His gifts of Joy, Hope and Peace, as
I entrust our effort to rebuild our Church to the powerful intercession
and protection of His Blessed Mother. I remain
Devotedly yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Seán Patrick O’Malley, OFM Cap
Archbishop of Boston
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