Each of these sub-teams have met and the results of their efforts, with the approval of the full team, various Pastoral Councils and people of the various parishes are listed below. The Configuration Sub-Team looked ahead to a time when there will be fewer than four priests available in the planning group. There are fourteen Masses currently being celebrated in these nine locations. No church closings are recommended during the remaining years of this plan. We envision Masses being reduced in our planning group based on the availability of priests over the next five years.
Diocesan policy states that each assigned priest can celebrate three liturgies per weekend.
The number of Masses will be reduced to comply with diocesan policy by January 2003. We will devote our best efforts to creating a Mass schedule that will sustain the spiritual life of the communities and that will take these factors into account. This would be a step toward the future when a priest or priests with fewer Masses might go to a nearby parish to celebrate the Eucharist. Currently the priests in this group do substitute for each other during time-off and vacations, and support each other within the group. Many parishes in the diocese have benefited from the ministry of Permanent Deacons and lay ministers.