Group seeks alternatives to deanery plan

The Gathering of the Laity is asking parishioners to attend meetings and give input on a plan to consolidate Catholic churches and schools in North County.

"We hope that if we all speak as one, we will be heard," said Kitty Gray, a member of the St. Dismas parish and part of the Gathering of the Laity.

Perhaps it is irrational but when I hear things like this, I immediately think of the situation occurring in the Boston Archdiocese with some people engaged in "sit-ins", refusing to leave churches slated to be closed. Meetings have been held for quite some time, during which "input" could have been offered - now that the proposal has been submitted, more comments are being requested from parishioners to be shared with their pastors.

The Gathering of the Laity was formed to give alternatives and a response to the proposal. The group met with parishioners from several northeast deanery churches Sept. 22. The group would like parishioners to share their ideas during an Oct. 5 Gathering of the Laity meeting.

A statement printed in the Gathering of the Laity's meeting read: "We want the Task Force to plan for success — and success depends upon the creation and implementation of a plan designed to stem the tide of our Deanery's shrinking Catholic population. There are too many Catholics living, working and raising their families in the Deanery to accept any other approach."

In recent years (decades), there has been an exodus from the area westward into St. Charles county. Many wish that things would have remained constant - and that we in the archdiocese might have been spared this cross. But that is not the way it is.

We should hope and pray that all of the faithfuul and the group, "Gathering of the Laity", while expressing its suggestions for improvement and its intention for the success of the Task Force, will, in the end, submit to the difficult decision that Archbishop Burke must make.

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