Archdiocesan committee releases parish staffing recommendations
Study proposes that St. Bernadette Church in Indianapolis become a chapel by 2012
By Greg Otolski
An archdiocesan strategic planning committee has recommended that St. Bernadette Church in the Indianapolis East Deanery become a chapel as part of an effort by the archdiocese to respond to a declining number of priests over the next seven years.
Several other parishes could see a reduction in the number of priests assigned to them during the same period.
The strategic planning committee discussed the recommendations on June 22-23 with priests, parish life coordinators and parish lay leaders in the Indianapolis East, Bloomington, Indianapolis South, Tell City, Batesville and Connersville deaneries who took part in a two-year study of future staffing of parishes.
The committee discussed staffing recommendations with leaders in the Terre Haute, Indianapolis North, Indianapolis West, New Albany and Seymour deaneries on June 15-16.
Those recommendations included changing the status of three parish churches in the Terre Haute Deanery—Holy Rosary in Seelyville, St. Joseph in Universal and St. Leonard of Port Maurice in West Terre Haute—to chapels. (Details of recommendations from the June 15-16 meetings were reported in the June 17 Criterion and can be found online at www.CriterionOnline.com.)
The main challenge the archdiocese faces in the immediate future is determining how a declining number of priests in active ministry can best minister to a growing Catholic population in central and southern Indiana.
About 700 pastors, parish life coordinators and parish lay leaders took part in 33 meetings—three meetings in each of the 11 deaneries—from October 2002 to October 2004 to discuss the best way for the archdiocese’s 150 parishes to share a declining number of priests in the immediate future.
There are currently 124 diocesan and religious order priests staffing parishes, but that number is projected to decline to 97 priests by 2012. During this same period, the number of Catholics in the archdiocese is projected to increase nearly 14 percent to 267,000 people from 234,574.
With fewer priests in the future, several parishes likely will have to form clusters to share a pastor and other resources.
Changing the status of a parish church to a chapel means that no regular weekend or weekday Masses would be celebrated at the church. The church would still be maintained and used for special sacramental celebrations, such as baptisms, weddings and funerals.
In determining how many priests would be needed to serve each deanery, the staffing committee looked at the projected number of Catholics per deanery and established what percentage they would be of the total archdiocesan population in 2012. Each deanery was then allotted an equivalent percentage of the projected number of priests available in 2012. The goal was to have one priest for every 1,000 households.
The future parish staffing committee’s report is regarded by the archdiocese as a resource guide for making staffing decisions in the future. It suggests what the Archdiocese of Indianapolis might do between now and 2012. In no way do the report and its recommendations constitute a “master plan” that can’t be changed.
Following are the parish staffing recommendations:
Bloomington Deanery
Current (2004): nine priests are serving the deanery
By 2012: seven priests serving the deanery
• From two priests to one priest serving St. John the Apostle Parish, Bloomington, and St. Jude the Apostle Parish, Spencer
• From two priests to one priest serving St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Bloomington
(Note: St. Paul Catholic Center on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington will be staffed by Dominican friars beginning on July 1, 2005.)
Indianapolis South Deanery
Current (2004): 17 priests are serving the deanery
By 2012: 17 priests serving the deanery (with a further reduction to 14 priests, if priests are needed elsewhere)
• From three priests to two priests at Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish, Greenwood (already implemented)
• From two priests to one priest at Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish (already implemented)
• From two priests to one priest at St. Barnabas Parish
Tell City Deanery
Current (2004): five priests are serving the deanery
By 2012: two priests serving the deanery
With the exception of St. Joseph Parish, Crawford County, all parishes in this deanery are served by Benedictine monks of Saint Meinrad Archabbey. Recommendations for future staffing are deferred to the discretion of, and collaboration with, the archabbot.
Batesville Deanery
Current (2004): 15 priests are serving the deanery
By 2012: 10 priests serving the deanery
• From two priests to one priest serving St. Louis Parish, Batesville (being implemented
• From two priests to one priest and one parish life coordinator serving St. Joseph Parish, Shelbyville and St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Shelby County
• From two priests to one priest and one parish life coordinator serving St. Lawrence Parish, Lawrenceburg, and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Aurora.
• From two priests to one priest serving St. John the Baptist Parish, Osgood; St. Magdalen Parish, New Marion; St. Maurice Parish, Napoleon; Immaculate Conception Parish, Millhousen; and St. Denis Parish, Jennings County
• From two priests to one priest serving Holy Family Parish, Oldenburg, and St. Peter Parish, Franklin County
Connersville Deanery
Current (2004): seven priests are serving the deanery
By 2012: five priests serving the deanery
• From two priests to one priest serving St. Gabriel Parish, Connersville, and St. Bridget Parish, Liberty
• From two priests to one priest and one deacon serving the Richmond Catholic Community (Holy Family, St. Andrew, and St. Mary parishes) with a reduction in the number of Masses
Indianapolis East Deanery
Current (2004): 14 priests are serving the deanery
By 2012: 10 priests serving the deanery
• From three priests to two priests serving St. Simon the Apostle Parish and St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Fortville
• Cluster St. Philip Neri and Holy Cross parishes (two priests to one priest)
• Cluster SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral and St. Mary parishes (two priests to one priest)
• Cluster St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower) and Our Lady of Lourdes parishes (two priests to one priest)
• St. Bernadette Parish to become a chapel
The strategic planning committee report continues the work begun in 1989 when a Future Parish Staffing Committee of the Priests’ Personnel Board was appointed by the late Indianapolis Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara. †