Boston, Newark archdioceses to close parishes

National Catholic Reporter, June 4, 2004

In what he called "a necessary reorganization for us to be positioned for the challenges of the future," Boston Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley announced the closing of 70 of the 357 parishes in the archdiocese. Another five parishes are scheduled to continue as worship sites and five new parishes are to be created, he said.

Meanwhile, a panel appointed by Newark, N.J., Archbishop John J. Myers has recommended that as many as 25 parishes in the Newark archdiocese should be closed in the next two years.

The recommendations, proposed by a panel of 14 clergy and lay people, single out churches that have not met a series of critical benchmarks including membership, baptisms and community involvement, church officials say.

At a May 25 news conference, O'Malley said the archdiocesan reconfiguration was "in no way connected" with the $85 million legal settlement with victims of clergy sexual abuse. He said the settlement was financed by the sale of the former archbishop's residence and surrounding land in Brighton.

"No money from the future sale of parish assets will be used to pay for the settlement," he said. "What these funds will do is allow us to financially support as needed the parishes and schools that do remain in the archdiocese as well as to recapitalize our pension and medical funds."

Among the factors leading to the closings were "changes in population, the movement of people from the cities to the suburbs [and] the decrease in the number of active Catholics," O'Malley said

"At this time, over one-third of our parishes are operating in the red; the deterioration of our parish buildings and churches and the aging clergy have forced us to make the hard decisions that we have announced today," he added.

Newark archdiocese officials say the changes there are overdue and caused mainly by shifts in church membership. Most affected parishes were thriving ethnic enclaves in the early 20th century but lost members over the years when city dwellers moved to the suburbs.

The Newark archdiocese is also facing a financial crunch that led to a $3.5 million budget deficit in 2003 and 44 layoffs.