Church Closings

By Mark Guydish mguydish@timesleader.com
Education Reporter
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WILKES-BARRE – When all is said and done, Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino’s “Called to Holiness and Mission” project will close 39 Luzerne County churches and make 12 others “Additional sites of worship” or leave them open pending further review.

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The fate of churches is complex. A few are set to close this summer, but many others are required to link or partner with nearby churches while remaining open. In all, 21 changes are set to take place this year. Some – like the closings – are more dramatic than others, such as the partnerships many parishes must form. Those churches retain their own pastors but share programs and resources. Linked parishes, on the other hand, share the same pastor.

In many cases those that are linked this year face consolidation – with one or more of the churches involved closing – somewhere down the road.

Only three churches are to be closed by July this year. The bulk of the closings – at least 24 – must occur by July 2010, though it could happen sooner. All changes occur by July 2012, but Martino’s final decision leaves the fate of some churches up in the air, saying the situation will be reviewed later and more changes could result.