Catholics face, embrace changes
The times are changing. And so are the priests.
Beginning Oct. 15, new interim Mass and confession schedules will go into effect for the 57 groupings of parishes across the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh as its On Mission for the Church Alive revitalization effort takes effect.
The weekend and weekday schedules take effect the same day clergy teams of priests and deacons begin their assignments in new parishes and institutions.
Bishop David Zubik placed the diocese's 188 parishes into 57 groupings that eventually will become new, multisite parishes, to help promote vibrant faith and healthy growth in every parish, said Bob DeWitt, diocese spokesman for On Mission for the Church Alive.
“About two-thirds of the priests are moving to different groupings,” said DeWitt.
The interim Mass schedules were developed to best meet the needs of all parish groupings and were largely based on six considerations:
Adherence to canonical guidelines of a maximum of three weekend Masses per priest assigned to a grouping
To provide priests with adequate travel time between churches
Attendance trends for current Mass schedules
Seating capacity of churches
Religious education schedules
Pastoral needs of parishes.
For example, the Butler/Center/Lyndora/Meridian grouping includes SS. Andrew, Paul, Michael and Peter churches in Butler and St. Fidelis in Meridian.
DeWitt said the church groupings are divided into three categories.
The category is a timeline that will guide the grouping toward merger in an appropriate length of time.
Ideally, groupings in Category A will complete this process by the end of 2020. Those in Category B will have until the end of 2021. Groupings in Category C will have until the end of 2023.
The Butler/Center/Lyndora grouping is in Category B and will have until 2021 to merge.
The Chicora, Cabot and Northern Butler County grouping also has a 2021 merger deadline.
The Cranberry Township grouping has until 2023.
During this time, DeWitt said, the groupings will study and make a recommendation about which buildings will best serve the parishes. A sampling of feedback from local Catholics in attendance at the recent St. Michael Italian Festival is regretful but understanding.
Linda Rottman of Butler Township is a longtime member of St. Michael.She said members of the parish are upset that St. Michael was losing its 8:30 a.m. Sunday Mass.“They'll have to go to 8 a.m. Mass at St. Paul or 8:30 a.m. Mass at St. Fidelis,” said Rottman.She said she and her husband, Larry, are minsters of hospitality for St. Michael. They greet parishioners, take up collection and pass out bulletins.“We chose to stay and attend the 4 p.m. (Saturday) Mass (at St. Michael),” she said.“Change is hard for everybody, but there is nothing permanent in life except change,” said Rottman. “Everybody is sad we don't have a Sunday morning Mass.”But, she added, “This is only temporary until February. Then they are going to re-evaluate the Masses they have now and it may change.”Judith A. Zaludek of Butler, also a parishoner at St. Michael, said she will go to any church and Mass that needs her services as a Eucharistic minister.“I go to help the priest serve the distribution of Communion,” she said.St. Michael parishioner Jim Nocera of Butler is also a Eucharistic minister taking Communion to those in the hospital.He and his wife, Pat, have deep roots in the parish.Pat, a lifelong St. Michael member, has been one of the coordinators for the Blessed Chapel at St. Michael for 25 years and worked in the church office in the past.Jim went to St. Paul School as a youngster and mentioned church officials back then asked members living closer to other churches to attend them, which is how he ended up at St. Michael.“It's understandable,” Pat Nocera said, noting “people moving out of the area, quitting the church and the priest shortage.”“The city parishes have been doing things together for years,” Jim Nocera said. “I am gratefully that we will have Mass, priests and sacraments,” Pat Nocera said, adding other countries don't have these opportunities.The diocese stated the goal of On Mission for The Church Alive! is to offer a deeper relationship with Jesus and the Catholic Church to practicing and inactive Catholics, as well as those who have never been baptized.All are invited to envision how parishes, schools and ministries can best respond to changes in their communities.Since 2000, Mass attendance has decreased more than 40 percent, sacramental participation is down 40 percent to 50 percent, and the number of diocesan priests available for active ministry is expected to decline from about 200 today to 112 in seven years.For complete lists of parish groupings, clergy assignments and interim Mass schedules, visit http://OnMissionChurchAlive.org.
