Faced with the realities of demographic shifts, fewer priests and changing attitudes of Catholic people, the six-county Catholic Diocese of Youngstown began developing a pastoral plan for parishes and schools in the fall of 2008. After many months of meetings seeking input from parishioners and clergy on parish and county levels, and after consultation with the diocesan Presbyteral Council and Deans, the process has moved forward to a plan for parish reconfiguration. That plan is expected to be announced in May by Bishop George V. Murry, S.J., bishop of Youngstown.

“We need to take the necessary steps today which will enable us to provide a strong and lasting Catholic presence in each of our six counties,” said Monsignor John Zuraw, Vicar for Administration, who leads the parish study.

Over the last year and a half, parish teams have participated in a process that provided ownership over the restructuring decision. Each parish completed a parish statistical audit in the fall of 2008, and a self-evaluation form on parish life and ministry in May, 2009. The aim of these two evaluative tools was to lead the parish to see realistically where they are presently and how they need to move into the future.

Demographics

The Catholic population in the Diocese of Youngstown and elsewhere in the country is shifting in three ways: (1) from concentrated areas of Catholics in cities to less concentrated and more religiously diverse areas of the suburbs; (2) from more historically Catholic areas of the Northeast and upper Midwest to the Sunbelt states of the Southeast and Southwest; and (3) from outside the United States to more U.S. urban centers of the Southeast and Southwest. In the Diocese of Youngstown, in the year 2000, there were 256,071 registered Catholics. In 2009 the number was 201,857.

Availability of Priests

In the United States there are fewer priests in active ministry but there are more Catholics. In the year 1900 there were approximately 12,000 priests serving ten million Catholics. By the year 2000 there were 46,000 active priests ministering to over 60 million Catholics. In 2009, 67 million Catholics were served by 41,406 active priests.

In the Diocese of Youngstown there are 97 activeiocesan priests serving 112 parishes and two missions. Thirty-six priests could possibly retire in the next five years (see sidebar below). There are currently 14 seminarians studying for priesthood for the Diocese of Youngstown.

Changing Expectations

One of the most problematic trends among young adults is the decline in the perceived importance of being Catholic. Studies show that the salience of Catholic identity has steadily waned. In contrast, older generations emphasized the importance of practicing their faith by attending Mass, confession, praying the rosary and respecting holy days of obligation. Post Vatican II Catholics have a limited commitment to the institutional Church and many live as self-defined Catholics without depending on the Church for the normative authority to do so.

Determining Factors

Several guiding principles are the determining factors for parish reconfiguration:

(1) The reconfiguration of the diocese will be a creative response to the fewer number of priests, the demographic/ population shift and the needs of Catholics today.

(2) Full sacramental ministry, pastoral care and Christian formation will be available to all Catholic people within 15 miles or 25 minutes from their homes.

(3) Competent pastoral ministers (priests, deacons, religious, commissioned and certified persons) will provide sacramental ministry, pastoral care and Christian formation.

(4) All parishes and institutions of the diocese will continue to manifest a special concern for the needs of the poor and marginalized.

(5) All parishes will continue to reach out to the alienated, the inactive and unchurched.

(6) Every parish must have a functioning parish council and finance council; and must be financially stable and solvent. The parish council and finance council will participate in a formal and regular assessment of the communal, spiritual, sacramental and formational programs using an evaluative tool provided by the diocese.

(7) The reconfiguration of the diocese will respect the age, numbers, talents, abilities and limitations of the priest.

(8) The reconfiguration of the diocese will be congruent with civil and canon (Church) law.

Parish Reconfiguration

A parish will either remain as a separate, single unit or will become a collaborative unit or a merged unit. A collaborative unit will be a grouping of two or more parishes served by one or more priests; retain separate identities (the buildings, pastoral council, finance council and day-to-day administration); share staff, resources and programming. A merged unit is a parish joined with two or more parishes to form a single new or consolidated parish, creating one new parish. The new parish will have one pastoral council and one finance council; one staff at a central location; and multiple churches/worship sites.

On Wednesday, Feb. 24, each deanery met to review a draft of the parish plan. This draft was prepared after much consultation and has been reviewed by the Executive Committee on Parish Planning, the Presbyteral Council and the Deans.

If a parish judges the proposed plan to be un-workable, the participants, under the direction of their pastor, should provide the reasons and any new information in writing to the Dean. The written record of response is to be made no later than Monday, March 15, 2010.

The initial process included planning for reorganization of parishes and diocesan schools.   The school planning process continues.­­       

Age of Diocesan Priests in Diocese of Youngstown
n 4 priests – age 75 and above
n 10 priests – in their early 70s
n 45 priests – in their 60s
n 21 priests – in their 50s
n 11 priests – in their 40s
n 5 priests – in their 30s
n 1 priest – in his late 20s

Proposed Parish Reconfiguration

The Proposed Parish Draft, issued Feb. 24, would reconfigure the diocese in the following way:            

ASHTABULA COUNTY

Single unit parishes – Geneva Assumption (725 parish-reported households); Conneaut St. Mary/St. Frances Cabrini (927).

Collaborative unit (one pastor, two parishes) – Andover Our Lady of Victory with Kinsman St. Patrick (total of 342 households);

Collaborative unit (one pastor, two parishes) – Jefferson St. Joseph with Sheffield St. Andrew (total of 490 households);

Collaborative unit (one pastor, two parishes) – Orwell St. Mary with Rock Creek Sacred Heart (total of 592 households).

Merged unit (one pastor/ parochial vicar/ ministerial team; one parish; two worship sites; with Hispanic community to be ministered to within this structure) – Ashtabula St. Joseph; Ashtabula Our Lady of Miracles Mission; Ashtabula Mother of Sorrows and Ashtabula Our Lady of Mount Carmel (total of 2,797 households).

Note: The Ashtabula County Deanery currently has 7 priests; the proposed number is 7.

COLUMBIANA COUNTY

Collaborative unit (one pastor, two parishes) – Columbiana St. Jude with East Palestine Our Lady of Lourdes (total of 937 parish-reported households);

Collaborative unit (one pastor, two parishes) – Salem St. Paul with Leetonia St. Patrick (total of 1,600 households).

Merged unit (one pastor, three parishes) – Lisbon St. George (with West Point St. Agatha Mission merging into St. George); Summitville St. John and Dungannon St. Philip Neri (total of 398 households). Members of Salineville St. Patrick, whose parish was suppressed in November 2009, are already members of Summitville St. John.

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site) – East Liverpool St. Aloysius; Wellsville Immaculate Conception; East Liverpool St. Ann (total of 1,085 households).

Note: The Columbiana County Deanery currently has 8 priests; the proposed number is 4.

MAHONING COUNTY (South)

Single unit parishes – Austintown Immaculate Heart of Mary (1,580 parish-reported households); Austintown St. Joseph (1,957); Boardman St. Charles (3,092); Boardman St. Luke (963); Canfield St. Michael (1,750); New Middletown St. Paul the Apostle (950); Poland Holy Family (2,075); Youngstown St. Christine (2,528); Youngtown St. Dominic (1,055).

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, two worship sites, creation of a pastoral team, and Hispanic community to be ministered to within this structure) – Campbell St. Elizabeth; Campbell St. John the Baptist; Campbell St. Joseph the Provider; Campbell St. Lucy and Campbell St. Rose of Lima (total of 1,539 households);

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site) – Youngstown SS. Cyril & Methodius; Youngstown Holy Name and Youngstown St. Matthias (total of 1,421 households);

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site, with pastor to have additional responsibilities) – Youngstown St. Casimir and Youngstown St. Stanislaus (total of 415 households);

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site) – Youngstown St. Anthony and Youngstown Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (total of 1,356 households);

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site) – Youngstown St. Stephen of Hungary; Youngstown Our Lady of Hungary and Youngstown SS. Peter & Paul (total of 649 households).

MAHONING COUNTY (North)

Single unit parishes – Youngstown St. Columba Cathedal (669 parish-reported households); Lowellville Holy Rosary (620); Youngstown St. Edward (460); Youngstown St. Brendan (824); Youngstown St. Patrick (685).

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site) – Struthers St. Nicholas and Struthers Holy Trinity (total of 2,177 households);

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site) – Youngstown Immaculate Conception and Youngstown Sacred Heart (total of 690 households);

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, two worship sites) – Lake Milton St. Catherine and North Jackson St. James (total of 464 households);

Note: The Mahoning County deaneries (south and north combined) currently have 30 priests (pastors and parochial vicars combined); the proposed number is 25. (Numbers do not include St. Dominic Parish, which is run by the Dominican order.)

PORTAGE COUNTY

Single unit parishes – Aurora Our Lady of Perpetual Help (1,478 parish-reported households); Mantua St. Joseph (1,050); Streetsboro St. Joan of Arc (975); Ravenna Immaculate Conception (982); Kent St. Patrick (1,080); University Parish Newman Center, Kent (number of Catholic students 215).

Collaborative unit (one pastor, two parishes) – Randolph St. Joseph with Rootstown St. Peter of the Fields (total of 1,281 households);

Collaborative unit (one pastor, two parishes) – Garrettsville St. Ambrose with Windham St. Michael (total of 462 households).

Note: The Portage County Deanery currently has 10 priests; the proposed number is 8.

STARK COUNTY

Single unit parishes – Canal Fulton SS. Philip & James (683 parish-reported households); Canton St. Joan of Arc (1, 642); Canton St. Joseph (1,194); Canton St. Michael (2,594); Middlebranch Little Flower (1,108); Waynesburg St. James (325); North Canton St. Paul (2,843); Uniontown Holy Spirit (560); Massillon St. Mary (1,765); Massillon St. Joseph (1,106); Massillon St. Barbara (900); Louisville St. Louis (1,067)

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, two worship sites, with one additional priest with added responsibilities) – Alliance St. Joseph; Alliance Regina Coeli and Sebring St. Ann (total of 1,398 households);

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, two worship sites) – Brewster St. Therese and Navarre St. Clement (total of 491 households);

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site) – Canton St. Peter and Canton St. Benedict (total of 1,506 households);  

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site, with Hispanic community ministered to within this structure) – Canton All Saints and Canton St. Anthony (total of 933 households);

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site) – Canton St. Mary’s Immaculate Conception and Canton St. John (total of 1,263 households);

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site) – Harrisburg Sacred Heart of Mary and Maximo St. Joseph (total of 592 households);

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site) – Canton Our Lady of Peace and Canton St. Paul (total of 1,004 households)

Note: The Stark County Deanery currently has 27 priests; the proposed number is 23.

TRUMBULL COUNTY

Single unit parishes – Champion St. William (570 parish-reported households); Cortland St. Robert (960); Hubbard St. Patrick (2,100); Newton Falls St. Mary and St. Joseph (512); Vienna Queen of the Holy Rosary (218); Warren Blessed Sacrament (1,321); Niles Our Lady of Mount Carmel (1,677).

Collaborative unit (one pastor, two parishes) – Niles St. Stephen with Mineral Ridge St. Mary (1,247 total households);

Collaborative unit (one pastor/ one parochial vicar/ ministerial team; two parishes) – Girard St. Rose with McDonald Our Lady of Perpetual Help (total of 2,883 households).

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site) – Masury St. Bernadette and Vienna St. Vincent de Paul (total of 690 households);  

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site) – Warren St. James and Warren SS. Cyril & Methodius (total of 1,087 households);

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site) – Warren St. Mary and Warren St. Joseph (total of 1,272 households).

Merged unit (one pastor, one parish, one worship site) – Warren St. Pius X and Warren Christ Our King (total of 714 households).

Note: The Trumbull County Deanery currently has 17 priests; the proposed number is 13. (Numbers do not include Vienna Queen of the Holy Rosary, which is run by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.)