Save Our Parish Community, Change Vatican Policy

FutureChurch supports parishioners in saving their parish communities.

This FutureChurch initiative, designed to provide Catholics with tools to defend their parish homes, has contributed to a highly significant change in Vatican policy.

The project provides educational and organizing resources to faith communities discerning an appropriate response to diocesan decisions to close or merge their vibrant, solvent, and apostolically effective parish. It also educates about effective diocesan processes inviting parishioner involvement in deciding the future of their parish.

FutureChurch’s Save Our Parish Community initiative helped Catholics from 36 U.S. parishes in eight dioceses win their appeals, including thirteen in Cleveland, OH; nine in Allentown, PA; four in Springfield, MA; and one each in Camden, NJ, Buffalo NY, Kansas City, KS and Grand Rapids, MI. We have also worked closely with Peter Borré and Boston’s Council of Parishes, the courageous group that first resisted unjust church closings in Boston and then proceeded to assist Catholics in other cities. Along with Sr. Kate, Borré’s high profile media work and networking in Rome were important factors in catalyzing change.

As is true of all of FutureChurch’s grassroots initiatives, everything depends on faithful Catholics taking responsible action to address church injustices that cry out for redress.