BishopAccountability.org
	Diocese Announces Three Year Reorganization Plan Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo January 24, 2011 http://www.toledodiocese.org/ [media release] [parish reorganization plan] A three year parish reorganization plan that will affect 13 parishes throughout the diocese this year and potentially 20 parishes in years 2012 and 2013 is set to begin on July 1, 2011. Jason Shanks, leader of the Evangelization and Parish Life Secretariat and director of the Office of Pastoral Planning, said the majority of the reorganization involves twinning parishes or clustering them in a way that one priest is assigned to more than one parish. Assignments of parish managers and pastoral leaders are also included in the new plan. Shanks added that in addition to fewer priests, parish financial viability, mass attendance, population trends, location, facility size, cultural diversity and how a parish could remain intact and stable were considered in the reorganization. Using a combination of projections from the 2005 diocesan Faith and Futures study, the number of expected retirements, clergy health and other factors, the estimates of six fewer priests in 2011 and a total shortage of 12 priests by 2013 are accurate. “We need to reorganize ourselves to have 12 fewer priests and maintain a community life with a sacramental presence” Shanks said.
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