As many as 20 Roman Catholic churches may close in Southern
Illinois in a restructuring effort to consolidate parishes.
"As we give thanks for the past we must plan for the future,
taking into account the realities of the present," the Rev. Edward
Braxton, bishop of the Diocese of Belleville, recently wrote in a
letter
to parishioners in his diocese, which spans 28 counties.
"A number
of factors indicate that we need to consolidate some of our
parishes if we hope to have strong and vital Catholic communities
in the years to come. I know how much you love the church and your parish. I am
confident that this love will sustain and guide all of us as we
undertake this important process."
Braxton said in the letter that 70,000 active Catholics in the
diocese attend 117 parishes.
Some of the churches are vibrant, but
he said others are small, close together and face "very serious
financial challenges."
Braxton said he hasn't decided which parishes will close.
The
restructuring plan is still under consultation.
A spokesman for the diocese reportedly said that the
recent $6.3 million payout to a priest sex abuse victim did not
motivate the consolidation plan.
"Some of you have told me that our diocese should have begun the
process of parish restructuring a long time ago," Braxton said in
the letter.