Across our Archdiocese, we have now reached an important and difficult stage in our Pastoral Planning Process. A draft plan has been presented identifying parishes that may be recommended for closure or for other changes, such as becoming a mission or an oratory. This draft emerged from the plans and recommendations submitted by parishes within each deanery. In the next phase of this process, deanery gatherings will take place to review the draft plan, offer feedback, and possibly propose adjustments as our discernment continues.
As we move through this stage of planning, we are reminded of the realities we face regarding the availability of priests for parish assignments, the expense of the maintenance of parish buildings, changing demographics, shifting patterns of parish participation, and the need to ensure that our parishes remain spiritually vibrant and capable of carrying the Church’s mission into the future.
I understand that these discussions and possible changes may raise deep concerns about how your personal faith journey and your community connections will be affected. More deeply still, I recognize that every parish closure touches something sacred in the lives of faithful people. Parish churches are not simply buildings. They hold memories of baptisms, weddings, funerals, first communions, confirmations, ordinary Sundays, and countless moments of grace. They become woven into the rhythms of our lives and into the story of our faith.
Many people know the pain of letting go of a family home after the death of parents or loved ones. Such places hold memories, identity, and love. Parish churches often carry those same deep connections. Because of this, I am not asking anyone to deny grief. Indeed, something significant that marked a part of our lives may be changing or even lost, and that grief is real.
“My dear friends in Christ, while I do not ask that grief be denied, I wholeheartedly ask that grief be placed within the deeper reality of Christ’s promises of resurrection.”
At the same time, our faith reminds us that grief is never the final word for those who place their trust in Jesus Christ. Our hope is not rooted in optimism or in pretending that loss does not hurt. Our hope is rooted in the risen Lord, who remains faithful to His Church even in moments of uncertainty, transition, and sorrow.
My dear friends in Christ, while I do not ask that grief be denied, I wholeheartedly ask that grief be placed within the deeper reality of Christ’s promises of resurrection. These promises speak not only of the final victory over death, but also of a living hope that sustains Christians in the painful moments of the present. We grieve, but we grieve as people who believe that Christ continues to walk with His people.
We bring our grief to prayer, to shared memories, and most especially to the celebration of the Eucharist, where the risen Jesus Christ walks with us just as He walked with the disciples on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection. In their confusion and disappointment, the disciples came to recognize that the Lord had not abandoned them. So too, Jesus Christ remains near to us now, reminding us that His presence and His promises endure even in times of painful change.
Guided by the Holy Spirit, we continue together this work of discernment in this process. Final decisions regarding our Pastoral Planning process will come later in this journey. When those decisions are made, it is appropriate that we mourn what has been lost. Yet we must not surrender to despair, because resurrection hope is not only a future promise, but a present reality. Even amid uncertainty and upheaval, we hold firmly to this truth: Jesus Christ remains with His Church. He continues to guide us, sustain us, and lead us forward in hope.
May the Holy Spirit grant us wisdom, peace, and trust in the days ahead. And may Christ, who conquered death and walks beside His people always, strengthen us with the enduring hope of His Resurrection.
Comfort My People — Pastoral Planning Process
Across our Archdiocese, we have now reached an important and difficult stage in our Pastoral Planning Process. A draft plan has been presented identifying parishes that may be recommended for closure or for other changes, such as becoming a mission or an oratory. This draft emerged from the plans and recommendations submitted by parishes within each deanery. In the next phase of this process, deanery gatherings will take place to review the draft plan, offer feedback, and possibly propose adjustments as our discernment continues.
As we move through this stage of planning, we are reminded of the realities we face regarding the availability of priests for parish assignments, the expense of the maintenance of parish buildings, changing demographics, shifting patterns of parish participation, and the need to ensure that our parishes remain spiritually vibrant and capable of carrying the Church’s mission into the future.
I understand that these discussions and possible changes may raise deep concerns about how your personal faith journey and your community connections will be affected. More deeply still, I recognize that every parish closure touches something sacred in the lives of faithful people. Parish churches are not simply buildings. They hold memories of baptisms, weddings, funerals, first communions, confirmations, ordinary Sundays, and countless moments of grace. They become woven into the rhythms of our lives and into the story of our faith.
Many people know the pain of letting go of a family home after the death of parents or loved ones. Such places hold memories, identity, and love. Parish churches often carry those same deep connections. Because of this, I am not asking anyone to deny grief. Indeed, something significant that marked a part of our lives may be changing or even lost, and that grief is real.
At the same time, our faith reminds us that grief is never the final word for those who place their trust in Jesus Christ. Our hope is not rooted in optimism or in pretending that loss does not hurt. Our hope is rooted in the risen Lord, who remains faithful to His Church even in moments of uncertainty, transition, and sorrow.
My dear friends in Christ, while I do not ask that grief be denied, I wholeheartedly ask that grief be placed within the deeper reality of Christ’s promises of resurrection. These promises speak not only of the final victory over death, but also of a living hope that sustains Christians in the painful moments of the present. We grieve, but we grieve as people who believe that Christ continues to walk with His people.
We bring our grief to prayer, to shared memories, and most especially to the celebration of the Eucharist, where the risen Jesus Christ walks with us just as He walked with the disciples on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection. In their confusion and disappointment, the disciples came to recognize that the Lord had not abandoned them. So too, Jesus Christ remains near to us now, reminding us that His presence and His promises endure even in times of painful change.
Guided by the Holy Spirit, we continue together this work of discernment in this process. Final decisions regarding our Pastoral Planning process will come later in this journey. When those decisions are made, it is appropriate that we mourn what has been lost. Yet we must not surrender to despair, because resurrection hope is not only a future promise, but a present reality. Even amid uncertainty and upheaval, we hold firmly to this truth: Jesus Christ remains with His Church. He continues to guide us, sustain us, and lead us forward in hope.
May the Holy Spirit grant us wisdom, peace, and trust in the days ahead. And may Christ, who conquered death and walks beside His people always, strengthen us with the enduring hope of His Resurrection.
Trappists will host a ‘Come and See’ weekend in September