[Magdalen] "Failing" parishes--Canada vs. USA

[Judy Fleener]

There were 4 RC parishes within walking distance where I live now in
downtown Muskegon.  They were ethnic parishes.  The German parish closed
several years ago and all the buildings torn down.  At one time all these
parishes had elementary schools and 3 had high schools.  There was an
attempt to make the French parish into an Hispanic parish but that did not
work and it is slated to be torn down.  A huge RC church was built in a
suburban area.  It was designed by Marcel Breuer and is named our lady of
the concrete., really St. Francis de Sales.

Our diocese has closed on parish in the last 20 years, that one being in
Muskegon.  They had maybe 6 or 8 people in attendance and their single
benefactor died.  The closing was not handled well by the diocese, it was
the choice of the congregation.

On Tue, Nov 24, 2015 at 4:29 PM, Jim Guthrie <jguthrie at pipeline.com> wrote:

> From: Raewynne Whiteley
>
> Re yoking parishes, my observation is that it is doomed to failure, because
>> it tends to prioritize building over ministry - they keep the buildings
>> and
>> the administrative structures, but expect a single priest to serve 2 or
>>
>
> I dunno about that. How many years has our friend (and former listsib)
> Abby Murphy been at the yoked parishes of St Elisabeth's Floral park and St
> Thomas Bellerose?  I think that's worked our ok, has it not?
>
> Suzanne was among three priests assigned to five yoked parishes for
> awhile. One priest was assigned to all administrative duties -- including
> all five vestry meetings. But at least two of the parishes grew a bit and
> went off on their own. Perren Hayes took one of the parishes that left the
> yoke but that didn’t work out well -- an unhappy fit.
>
> Cheers,
> Jim
>



-- 
Judy Fleener, ObJN
Western Michigan