From the Archive - Looking to the Future - Meeting 5th Dec 2010

Post date: Mar 11, 2015 10:36:9 AM

The following was printed on the back of the bulletin in December 2010 for ALL parishioners to read/comment.

It reflects the information gathered at a "local" deanery meeting at St Wilfrid, Blyth on 5th December 2010.

Parishioners from the following parishes were invited:

Morpeth, Bedlington, Ashington & Newbiggin, Blyth, Cowpen, Annisford, Cramlington, New Hartley

St John the Baptist Church - Looking to the Future as of 5^th Dec 2010

The current state of your church and diocese is given briefly below:

The current age profile of our Diocesan Priests (excluding religious orders and priests on loan) is as follows:

These figures exclude the Bishop and those in specialised ministries (5).

These are working priests based in the parish (but often with extra jobs).

Projected figures for 2020 are as follows:

This is nearly a 36% reduction.

Assumptions:

- Priests working over 80 remain the same

- Priests in special ministries remain the same

- 3/5 of priests over 70 are retired (present figures)

- 6 new priests will be ordained over the next 10 years (we hope)

74 priests will therefore be responsible for 181 parishes unless something changes.

Approximately 2.5 parishes each – this requires all the administration of a small business.

The age profile of our Deanery is at present:

It is unlikely we will maintain this manpower for long, and all will be 10 years older, with more parishes to run.

Present Parishes are:

Average mass attendance is taken form 2009 statistics (see Northern Catholic Calendar 2010).

Probably Outcome:

The likelihood is, we will go down to 4 priests over the next 10 years.

We currently have 9 mass centres.

Our population centres are large, and doing two parishes at a distance would be a heavy workload (especially funerals).

Questions to Ponder/Answer

1) Which parishes would you see amalgamating?

2) Which ones would be the administration centres?

3) Which buildings would cease to operate?

4) When should a building close (what are the issues)?

a. Eg: numbers, state of building, does it have a school, does it have a cemetery, finance?