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	Closure of 15 Churches Nears By Bruce Nolan The Times-Picayune July 4, 2008 http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1215148810127890.xml&coll=1 The Archdiocese of New Orleans said Thursday it will announce at midmonth the formal closure of 15 Catholic parishes -- none of them the embattled communities publicly resisting their demise under a new reorganization plan. All of the affected parishes, which weren't named, have completed an internal process in which their representatives have discussed leadership issues with neighboring parishes receiving them in mergers or other arrangements, said archdiocesan spokeswoman Sarah Comiskey. She said there is no mistaking the completion of that process; those about to be closed by official decree are fully prepared for the transition and in a sense already know who they are, she said. Comiskey stressed that parishes strongly resisting closure -- specifically St. Henry, Our Lady of Good Counsel and Blessed Sacrament -- are not among those being suppressed in the upcoming announcements. Comiskey said the formal documents closing the 15, called decrees of suppression, are being prepared now. She said pastors will announce the closures to affected parishioners beginning with the Saturday Masses of July 12. After Hurricane Katrina, the relatively few parishioners remaining in some hard-hit communities, many with wrecked churches, were asked to worship in neighboring parishes until a permanent reorganization could be fashioned. Their parishes remained open, but only on paper. Comiskey said most of the first wave of closures affect those storm-damaged parishes. But two of the 15 will be former parishes reduced to mission status, and two others will be parishes that remained open after Katrina but were selected for closure in the reorganization, she said. All have gone through the merger transition process, she said. The announcements will implement about half of Archbishop Alfred Hughes' controversial post-storm reorganization plan. Under that reorganization 33 parishes were identified for closure, either to be merged with neighbors, downgraded to missions or in other arrangements. The plan also reopened three parishes and called for eight parishes to share four pastors. Bruce Nolan can be reached at bnolan@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3344.
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