Photo Caption: Members of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Chatsworth, one of the parishes to be merged in directives announced by Bishop Jenky, receive Communion during Mass on Sept. 23.

Following the most extensive, diocese-wide consultation process in the history of the Diocese of Peoria, Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, has “enthusiastically endorsed” recommendations of the yearlong “Growing in Faith Together” study that will impact every parish and mission.

In a letter printed here and distributed at all parish Masses last weekend, Bishop Jenky cites changing demographics in both urban and rural communities that make it “necessary for the sake of the Gospel and for the spiritual vitality of the diocese that there be significant pastoral reorganization.”

While many parishes will be “linked” and all will be “partnered” with neighboring parishes to enhance effectiveness, plans for a series of parish mergers were also announced. The mergers, listed below, will take effect over the next three years.

Among the mergers will be two that will result in new parishes with new names by July 1, 2013. In Spring Valley, the parishes of St. Anthony’s, Immaculate Conception, and Sts. Peter and Paul will unite at the St. Anthony’s site. Meanwhile, four parishes and missions in Livingston County — Sts. Peter and Paul, Chatsworth; St. James, Forrest; St. John’s, Fairbury; and St. Rose, Strawn — will form one faith community at the Fairbury site.

CHURCH BUILDINGS
Bishop Jenky emphasized that bringing together these and other parishes to enhance pastoral care “does not necessarily mean closing church buildings.” This month’s announcements included no such plans. In fact, Bishop Jenky said the sharing of resources resulting from the mergers might make it financially feasible to continue to keep open even the churches most at risk financially for possible weekend Masses or occasional funerals and weddings. Continuing evaluations on the local level will be made regarding future use and structural integrity of the churches no longer in full use.

Official decrees for all planned mergers, citing reasons and benefits, are published in full in the Sept. 30 print issue of The Catholic Post.
A listing of the linked and partnered parishes, as well as a summary of the reasoning and goals, is found here.

Decrees affecting each parish were distributed along with Bishop Jenky’s at last weekend’s Masses.

WORKING MORE CLOSELY
Bishop Jenky said that as the church moves forward, it is clear that “the pastoral challenges of an entire region must become an essential priority rather than just the needs of an individual parish.” He predicted many benefits would result from coordinated planning and better sharing of resources.

“The Catholic Church fundamentally exists to evangelize,” said Bishop Jenky, “and if we all worked more closely together we could bring back many who have fallen away, bring to Christ many who do not yet know the Lord, and enhance the effectiveness of all our ministries.”

YEAR OF CONSULTATION
Last weekend’s announcements capped more than 16 months of planning and a year of spirited consultation between parish leaders, cluster core teams, the Diocesan Planning Commission, and the Presbyteral Council.

Bishop Jenky announced the major planning initiative, called “Growing in Faith Together,” in the July 24, 2011 issue of The Catholic Post. Msgr. Paul Showalter, vicar general, was named diocesan project coordinator and the services of The Reid Group — a Seattle-based consulting firm that has assisted other dioceses with similar studies — were enlisted to facilitate the process.

Parishes were divided into “clusters” and asked to evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses. Over the course of several months, parish and cluster core teams were selected, trained and began suggesting courses for the future from three cooperative models suggested by The Reid Group: mergers, linked parishes, and partnerships.

Their best suggestions were evaluated in a series of give-and-take sessions with the Diocesan Planning Commission before Bishop Jenky took their final recommendations to the Presbyteral Council in early August.

Bishop Jenky emphasized that The Reid Group as well as diocesan offices will assist with the implementation phase of the directives announced last weekend.

Following is a llist of parish mergers approved by Bishop Jenky. The mergers are to take effect by July 1 of the year shown.

REGION 1:
St. Peter’s, Peoria, into St. Bernard’s, Peoria (2013)
St. Patrick’s, Camp Grove, into St. Dominic’s, Wyoming (2013)
Sacre Coeur, Creve Coeur, into St. Joseph’s, Pekin (2015)

REGION 2:
Immaculate Conception, Bongard, into St. Thomas, Philo (2013)
Sts. Peter and Paul, Chatsworth; St. James, Forrest; St. John’s, Fairbury; and St. Rose, Strawn, into a new parish with new name (2013)

REGION 3:
St. Thomas More, Dalzell, into Holy Trinity, Cherry (2015)
St. Anthony’s, Spring Valley; Immaculate Conception, Spring Valley; Sts. Peter and Paul, Spring Valley, into a new parish with new name (2013)
St. Mary’s, Naplate, into St. Francis of Assisi, Ottawa (2013)
Sacred Heart, Rutland, into St. Ann’s, Toluca (2013)
St. Joseph’s, Henry, and St. Mary’s, Henry, into a new parish with new name (2014)

REGION 4:
St. Patrick’s, Sheffield, and Sacred Heart, Annawan, into a new parish with new name (2014)
St. Francis of Assisi, Kewanee, into St. Mary’s, Kewanee (2013)
St. Mary’s, Keithsburg, into St. Catherine’s, Aledo (2013)
St. Joseph’s, Rock Island, into St. Pius X, Rock Island (2012)
St. Theresa’s, Alexis, and St. Andrew’s, Oquawka, into Immaculate Conception, Monmouth (2013)