NEW ORLEANS (CNS) -- Confirming decisions he had announced in April in a post-Katrina realignment plan for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes signed letters July 3 closing 18 parishes and either merging them with others or changing their status to mission churches....
Archbishop Hughes signed the letters of suppression following a facilitation process in which parishioners were invited to town hall meetings to express their feelings and concerns about the closures and mergers. Each parish selected a leadership team that made recommendations to Archbishop Hughes.
The decisions, announced at parishes July 11-12, involve 11 clusters of parishes. Archbishop Hughes also said four pairs of parishes would each share a pastor....
It's sad to see this occur, and it must be disheartening, not only for the faithful of the closed parishes, but also for any bishop who has to make such difficult decisions. Many of us have gone through similar trials in recent years and offer our prayers of support.
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