FAQ #1 Why are parishes closing?

The following has been provided by the Boston Archdiocese to answer this question

20 REASONS FOR RECONFIGURATION It may help to have on hand the variety of reasons behind reconfiguration. These are included to offer you the resource:

1. Archbishop Sean O'Malley, the Archbishop of Boston, has called for a reconfiguration of the Archdiocese. This process is about serving ALL the people of the Archdiocese as a whole. We are one Community as part of the Body of Christ. Planning for the Future Mission of the Church demands Sacrifice and Hard Decisions As Shepherd and Leader, he calls the priests and people of the Archdiocese to assist him in this process in order to achieve the mission and goals of the Church.

2. The reconfiguration process cannot be understood in the vacuum of a local parish. We must see the greater picture, the responsibility of the Church of Boston to serve all the people in the most effective way possible. We have grown up with a narrow definition of "church" which usually means "parish." But as members of the Body of Christ, the Church, we all have a responsibility far beyond the borders of our parish. We have a responsibility for all the poor, needy and hurting. A parish must see themselves as part of a whole, not only the Universal Church, but in their connectedness to the Archdiocese and its efforts.

3. In the course of the last twenty years, the number of parishes in the Archdiocese has decreased from 404 in 1985 to 357.

4. Sunday Eucharist is celebrated in over 26 languages every Sunday. The Archdiocese must address the needs of the Ethnic communities within the Archdiocese, helping them to be an integral and equal participant in the Mission of the Church. This takes a lot of organization, time, effort and financial resources placed in the context of our total mission.

5. Consolidation of resources will help to build vibrant, fully participating parishes with people offering their time, talent and treasure for the good of the church and parish. We need strong parishes with a vibrant faithful willing to come together in prayer and service. Demography and Statistics

6. There are over 2 million Catholics registered in the Archdiocese, yet the recent October tally of "church-goers" indicates that less than 20% attend Sunday liturgy on a regular basis.

7. Due to the response of the clergy sex abuse crisis and to the way in which the accusations were handled, many parishes in the Archdiocese have seen a decrease in participation and in contributions. This is especially significant because the Offertory Collection is the principal source of income for the parish. Parishes are struggling to maintain staffs and programs with ever increasing debt. It cannot continue.

8. We are over-churched in the Archdiocese. Parishes established in close proximity to other parishes (especially in the cities) historically were built to fulfill a need to better serve the people. Masses were increased not for convenience, but of necessity because of the huge numbers of people attending on a weekly basis. In the light of dwindling participation, the reverse process is necessary in order to continue to best serve all the people of the Archdiocese.

9. Poor attendance at a liturgy tends to encourage less emphasis on the work and effort needed to celebrate liturgy well. Often in a parish, the "early Mass" has no music, and tends to be quicker than others. As financial, priest and staff resources necessarily decrease, there is less service offered. The costs of maintaining multiple programs, services, liturgies, professional and support staff in parish is becoming prohibitive.

10.The sacramental index of Baptisms, Confirmations, Weddings and Funerals has decreased significantly in the past twenty years. This is especially true in the inner cities, but is also true in the suburbs. Parish programs are redundant in many areas and the consolidation of resources can provide for programs that are more effective.

11.The Priests Who Serve: The median age of active priests in the Archdiocese is 59. That median is expected to rise into the 60s quickly in the coming five years.

12.The Archdiocese relied on the excellent service of Religious Orders throughout the Archdiocese, but with the age median increasing in the Orders, many are leaving parishes placing further burden on the Boston priests to serve its people.

13.From 1995-2003, the number of active priests that have retired, been permanently disabled or died is 290. The number of men ordained is 82.

14.With the age increasing, the ability and energy of the priests is affected. One cannot expect an aging priest to continue to increase his daily work with increased administrative and ministerial pressures. In many parishes, priests do double duty. The people of a parish should be encouraging priests to stay healthy, take adequate time away and balance their life in terms of mind, body and spirit.

15.The Vocation crisis is real. We need more priests. Prayer and an aggressive campaign are necessary. Families must be willing to encourage the priesthood for then- sons. Financial Realities and Responsible Stewardship

16.The Archdiocese has a $35,000,000 debt to the Knights of Columbus, incurred over the past year to supplement the Administrative, Charitable and Pastoral needs and services of the Church to its people.

17.Due to the lack of adequate resources, the Deferred Maintenance of buildings throughout the Archdiocese is exorbitant. In the city of Boston alone, a recent survey concluded that to bring the buildings up to an acceptable repair, the cost is in excess of $ 104,000,000. To bring these buildings up to "code" could increase that amount by another $50,000,000.00.

18.Whether its members have been informed or not, many parishes of the Archdiocese have been in a financial crisis for many years. Pastors have been unable to pay bills and are increasingly behind in obligatory payments to insurance and loan funds. The Revolving Loan Fund of the Archdiocese is owed significant monies because parishes are not meeting their regular financial obligations. The Lay Health Insurance and Pension Funds of the Archdiocese are owed almost $3,000,000.00. In many cases, there is no foreseeable ability to pay or recoup these funds due to decreasing parish incomes.

19.Many of the parish schools of the Archdiocese suffer the same financial losses. Many schools run at a significant deficit each year. Some are hundreds or thousands of dollars in debt. To establish a balanced budget would mean increasing tuition to parents by thousands of dollars, not hundreds. Moreover, many schools do not have the enrollment necessary to minimally run a school.

20.The Archdiocese is committed to supporting parishes in poor neighborhoods. These necessary subsidies exert a greater pressure to raise funds for its administrative operation in order to serve the poor, sick and needy. All funds for the administrative costs and services of the Archdiocese come from the generous contribution of the people of the parishes of Boston.