Bishop Announces Final Decisions on Parish Restructurings

[N.B. The Scranton diocese is the home of the St. Thomas More Society, the Anglican Use community of Scranton under the leadership of Fr. Eric Bergman. The Society worships at St. Anthony of Padua church, and the offices of the society are in the former rectory of St. Clare parish, which parish hosted the Society in it first years.]

Bishop Joseph F. Martino [of Scranton, PA] has announced his final decisions on parish restructurings.
The plan, which was communicated through a recorded message from the Bishop that was played at all Masses the weekend of January 31 - February 1, affects every parish in the 11-county Diocese in some way. Implementation will begin in July.
The plan is the fruit of Called to Holiness and Mission: Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Scranton, the project designed to foster the spiritual and pastoral renewal of the Diocese, starting with the Diocese’s most basic unit, the parish. It also intends to respond to demographic changes, diminishing financial resources, and the need to assign priests in a more effective way to serve the faithful.

Final Decisions for the Northern Pastoral Region

CLUSTER # 5 – the parishes of St. Peter’s Cathedral, Scranton; Immaculate Conception, Scranton; Holy Family, Scranton; St. Paul, Scranton; St. Clare, Scranton; Christ the King, Dunmore; St. Thomas More Society, Scranton:
* The creation of a Partnership among all the parishes in the cluster no later than July 2009.
* Holy Family, Scranton and St. Peter’s Cathedral, Scranton, will link no later than July 2009. Holy
Family, Scranton and St. Peter’s Cathedral, Scranton will consolidate no later than July 2010, at the St. Peter’s Cathedral site. Holy Family Church building will close no later than July 2010.
* Immaculate Conception, Scranton and Christ the King, Dunmore will consolidate no later than July 2010 at the Immaculate Conception site. Christ the King Church building will close no later than July 2010.
* St. Paul, Scranton and St. Clare, Scranton will consolidate no later than July 2010 at the St. Paul site. There will be an additional worship site (the possibility of one weekend Mass with occasional funerals and weddings) at St. Clare, due to its current use by and relationship with the school. This will be reviewed within two years, based on geography, attendance, fiscal realities and the availability of priests.

CLUSTER # 14 – the parishes of Holy Rosary, Scranton; St. Joseph, Scranton; St. Anthony of Padua, Scranton and the St. Thomas More Society, Scranton:
* Holy Rosary, Scranton, St. Joseph, Scranton and St. Anthony of Padua, Scranton will consolidate no later than July 2011 at the Holy Rosary site. The St. Thomas More Society will maintain its current relationship with St. Anthony of Padua, Scranton until such time as the future consolidation takes place. St. Joseph and St. Anthony of Padua Church buildings will close no later than July 2011.

Read the full announcement from Bishop Martino at the DIocese of Scranton web site.