The merger of a parish and/or closure of a church affects not only the parishioners past and present, and the fate of buildings, but touches deeply the heart and soul of its Pastor and pastoral staff. Some recommendations are:
- The people of a merging parish should be listened to and shown empathy and compassion. They need to remember and reminisce, grieve and heal.
Be patient, honest, and sensitive. Some parishioners may be in a state of denial or anger over a merger or closing. Much of their anxiety stems from fear: fear of the unknown; fear of the loss of status/control and the influence many of them exercised in various ways in their parish; and fear of rejection by the receiving parish. They are asked to “let go” of the known and familiar for an uncertain future.
- Talk about the merger/closing as a reality in both private conversations and in public (homilies, social events). Be honest and keep to ensure all are informed as best they can be, admitting a lack of knowledge if that is the case, and making a good faith effort to obtain answers. The Renewal Office exists to assist in these matters.
- The attitude of parish leadership is paramount and infectious. Make every effort to be positive—don’t play the blame game.
- Counter any attitudes of defeat or failure. To some parishioners, merger of a parish or closing of a church means that somehow they failed, and consequently they could be discouraged and disheartened.
In exploring the reality of a merger, this new community derives its strength from the gifts and charisms of the former communities. This new combination, with the commitment of the faithful will give birth to new gifts and deeper faith.
- As information becomes available, communication to the parish(es) involved is key. Information may posted (via bulletin, pulpit announcements, social media, websites, etc.); parish “town hall meetings” to share developments and allow sufficient time for feedback and reaction are just a few suggestions.
- Parish councils, pillar groups and parish organizations/ministries will need to meet and all be included in dialogue to allow their concerns to be heard and to seek to address them appropriately.
- Even if disagreement exists with the final decision of merging/closing of a parish(es) in the Family of Parishes, please refrain from disseminating personal opinions to staff and parishioners. The parishioners and staff are looking to their clergy and lay leaders for guidance during this time of transition.
- If the parish is merging with another:
- Utilize the Pillar groups that have been formed during the Road to Renewal. At this point, people from the Family should already have been working together to address the pastoral needs and concerns of the Family of Parishes. To these groups, a transition team should be formed and added. A transition team might include a staff person and three to five parishioners from each parish depending on the number of parishes involved in the merger. Members of the transition team should be selected by the Pastor. They should be parishioners who are supportive of the merger and who understand it to be a way of building a stronger and more vibrant parish. The transition team members do not represent their former parish, but the new entity.
- The transition team, in dialogue with the Renewal Office, should work on a timeline for implementation. This would involve the final liturgical celebration for each site, closure dates for any sites not to be used, and an official date for the parish merger and/or church closure.
- Schedule joint opportunities for worship and celebrations (such as Thanksgiving, Penance Services, special Prayer Services, Holy Week, etc.) within the Family of Parishes to build community.
- Consider exchanging choir/music groups on various Sundays.
- Facilitate the integration of parish ministries and organizations by having joint meetings of the officers and/or joint meetings of the membership on an alternating basis, and the participation of both groups in any social, religious, or fundraising activity.
- Integrate your Faith Formation program(s) as soon as possible within the Family of Parishes. Collaborate with the merging parish(es) on sacramental programs.
- Plan a liturgical celebration of the parish in accord with the following section on “Liturgical Guidelines Ritualizing the Closing of a Worship Site.”
- With the assistance of Catholic Charities, invite a grief counselor to address the parish on the topic of grief and mourning for the loss of a parish community. Let the counselor explain processes, and lead them through the states of denial, anger, bargaining, and hopelessness towards a sense of hope and acceptance.
- If more than one worship site will be used, the Liturgy Pillar will be tasked with developing a schedule for Masses and other activities. Devotions that have been very meaningful to the merging parish should be incorporated into the life of the receiving parish. All current ministries, especially liturgical ministries, should be evaluated and new ministries should be considered.
- If the merging parish hosted a parochial or regional school, think of how items from that school might be memorialized in the receiving parish or elsewhere within the Family of Parishes. For school inventory, see the Department of Catholic Schools “School Closing Procedures.”