The Roman Catholic Diocese of London is trimming staff, saving money and opening a new training centre in a second-phase reorganization.Staff jobs are being cut from 22 to 12 to complement parish restructuring and the creation of a new St. Peter's Institute for Catholic Formation, the diocese's director of administration said yesterday.
Faced with aging priests, costly older buildings and a diverse Catholic population of 622,000, the diocese has reduced its number of parish buildings from 153 to 123 through closures, mergers and the creation of six new parishes in the past year.
"We've made significant changes in our parishes and now we're looking at what we can do to make them more vibrant," Larry Brennan said.
The staff moves will save about $400,000 a year and allow the diocese to redirect resources to the new institute and a new pastoral plan, he said.
The institute is key to serving future needs of the diocese's remaining parishes.
"Spiritual renewal and enhanced training of lay leaders were identified as priorities during a diocesan-wide consultation," said Brennan.
Empowering the laity was one of the goals of the Second Vatican Council and it's part of the diocesan pastoral plan, said Rev. William McGrattan, rector of St. Peter's Seminary.
The formation institute will be based at the seminary, he said, but will also operate training centres in Windsor, Sarnia, Woodstock and maybe Stratford, he said.
It will be responsible for a four-year weekend training program for deacons and a three-year certificate program for laity, said McGrattan.
About two dozen deacons have already completed the program, he said.
About 60 candidates for the priesthood are studying at St. Peter's, 11 destined to serve in the diocese, said McGrattan.
"The situation with our vocations is stable," he said.
The seminary has room for another 30 candidates, he said.
In a letter last month, Bishop Ronald Fabbro said the diocese is seeking to make the best use of its personnel and financial resources in the midst of a rapidly changing world "to build upon our rich 150-year heritage of faith."
"This will result in limited job losses, an outcome we very much regret," he said.
Every effort will be made to place staff members in positions created under the new structure, Brennan said.
Early retirement packages, buyouts and career counselling will be offered to departing employees, he said.
In last month's letter, Fabbro said the diocese has faced financial pressures from "a significant contribution" to the pope's last World Youth Day in Canada, the restoration of St. Peter's cathedral in London and sexual abuse lawsuits.
Supporting the victims of abuse is a matter of "justice and compassion," he said.
The diocese covers the counties of Middlesex, Elgin, Essex, Huron, Lambton, Norfolk, Oxford, Perth and Chatham-Kent. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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