SEATTLE — The Seattle Archdiocese announced Monday which parishes will be combined under a plan that has been taking shape since last year.
The archdiocese announced the move last year, spurred by a decline in attendance, baptisms, and catholic weddings, combined with a predicted decline in Catholic pastors over the next decade.
The list of final parish "families" - which is two or more parishes under the leadership of one pastor - came after a year of consulting with the archdiocese's Presbyteral Council, the Partners in the Gospel Oversight Committee, priests, deacons, parish and school staff, lay leaders and the public, according to a press release. The Archbishop of Seattle the Most Reverend Paul D. Etienne extended his gratitude to the "thousands of people who engaged in the consultation process" by providing input, sharing new ideas and "praying for this renewal effort."
The parish families will go into effect on July 1 under the leadership of a pastor and one or more parochial vicars. Pastor and parochial vicar assignments will be announced in the spring.
Once parishes are combined into families, they will decide together how to share resources like staff, ministries and outreach and "grow into one canonical parish" over three years.
Parish families were chosen based on size, geography, cultural and ethnic makeup, financial health, school presence, and other considerations.
"My hope is that parish families will benefit from the shared gifts of people, time, finances, talents and more so that we, as partners in the Gospel, can truly renew parish life," Etienne wrote. "We need every member of the Church to share their God-given gifts to build up the Body of Christ."