FAQ
- Aren't things fine the way they are?
- Is my parish church going to close?
- What deanery is my parish in?
- Why not just ordain married men and women priests?
- Why these two deaneries first?
- What does the evaluation of each parish include?
- Does this have anything to do with Catholic schools?
-
Aren't things fine the way they are?
Right now, things are okay; however, projections for 5 or 10 years from now do not look as positive.
We are facing several challenges:
1. Declining number of priests available to serve. One small illustration of this point is that approximately 1/3rd of our parishes in the diocese have a pastor 65 years of age or older.2. Shifting in local demographics. We have a much more diverse community geographically, ethnically, and financially than we used to have, and this presents numerous challenges to effective ministry which this planning process is designed to address.
3. Stewardship of our resources. The Church is responsible to get the most "bang for the buck" from the contributions that are made. It is a great responsibility for us as Catholic Christians to use the gifts that we have been given wisely, and this includes in the administration of the Church.
-
Is my parish church going to close?
Probably not. While that is one of the options being considered by the teams at the parish, deanery, and diocesan levels, it is not a very likely option. Our situation is very different than dioceses in the northern part of the country, in which parish consolidation and closing was found to be necessary.
-
What deanery is my parish in?
You can find out what deanery your parish is located in by visiting the Diocese of St. Petersburg website's directory.
-
Why not just ordain married men and women priests?
Neither of these two issues are going to be taken up in the context of this discussion as they would not yield fruitful results.
Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have both written on and addressed the topic of ordination of women expressing that it is non-negotiable because it is simply something beyond the authority of the Church.
Regarding the subject of married men ordained as priests, there are already married men ordained as priests. They were ordained as ministers in other Christian faiths and after converting to Catholicism received a dispensation to be eligible for the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
-
Why these two deaneries first?
These deaneries were recommended by the Presbyteral Council and, upon that recommendation, selected by Bishop Lynch to be the first ones to deploy this process.
-
What does the evaluation of each parish include?
The evaluation is not just of the parish as an isolated entity. It is better understood as gathering information about the parish, deanery, and the communities they serve. It begins with an assessment of the local demographics including historical trends and future projections, evaluation of the parish census, identifying parish programs, evaluating the financial position of the parish, reviewing the state of the physical facilities of the parish campus, gathering data from parishoners through survey and "town-hall" style meetings, as well as through the involvement of core groups of individuals at both the parish and deanery level.
-
Does this have anything to do with Catholic schools?
No, this process is looking specifically at parish life. There is another process which is currently ongoing and is doing similar work in evaluating and planning for the continued success of Catholic schools in the diocese.
