THE CHANGING FACE OF THE DIOCESAN CHURCH

By Sr. Jennifer Votraw,
Director, Office of Planning

In 1998 our diocese had 92 pastors residing in parishes, with 28 parishes sharing a pastor.  for a total of 120 parishes, 11 oratories and 26 missions (smaller, incorporated parishes sharing a pastor).  After implementing a planning process initiated in 1998 and with extensive consultation and parish/pastor involvement, Bishop Barbarito approved a restructuring plan submitted by the Diocesan Planning Committee in 2003.  Now, in 2008 after working from that plan for the past five years, Bishop Cunningham oversees 67 pastors residing in parishes, for a total of 105 parishes, 10 missions, 23 oratories and 13 worship sites.

The following is a list of definitions of terms used in reconfigurations.

Mission:          small, incorporated parish and sharing a pastor

Oratory:         Parish dissolved and church site no longer has regular celebration of the
                        Eucharist. Parishioners of that parish may be buried there and a special
                        Mass may be celebrated on that church’s name day.

Worship Site: Parish has been merged with a neighboring parish, but Church site, as part of the new corporation, remains open for regular celebration of the Eucharist

Linked:           Two or more parishes sharing a single pastor

Merged:          Two or more parish corporations becoming part of a new corporation with
                        a name reflecting that new entity.

Following is a look at the parish changes to date. Please note that some linkages, such as Lyon Mountain and Standish have occurred before this current planning cycle. The Planning process is on-going, and changes will continue as priests retire, etc.

ADIRONDACK DEANERY

Bloomingdale and Lake Clear linked with Saranac Lake, with Gabriels a mission of Bloomingdale and Paul Smith an oratory of Lake Clear.

Lake Placid linked with Keene

St. Alphonsus, Tupper Lake linked with Holy Name, Tupper Lake

CLINTON DEANERY

Altona linked with Sciota, with an oratory at Jericho

AuSable Forks merged with Black Brook, now a worship site, with a mission at Wilmington.

Rouses Point linked with Coopersville

Dannemora linked with Redford

John the Baptist Keeseville merged with Immaculate Conception Keeseville, now a worship site.

Lyon Mountain with a mission at Standish

Mooers linked with Mooers Forks

Morrisonville merged with Treadwells Mill, now a worship site

Peru with an oratory at West Peru

Plattsburgh, St. Mary’s linked with OLV,

St. John’s linked with John the XXIII

ESSEX DEANERY

Ticonderoga linked with Crown Point

Elizabethtown linked with Westport

Port Henry linked with Mineville

Schroon Lake linked with Olmsteadville with oratories at North Hudson and Irishtown.

Willsboro merged with Essex, now a worship site

FRANKLIN DEANERY

Fort Covington, Bombay and Hogansburg linked

Brushton linked with North Bangor; W. Bangor closed

Chateauguay merged with Burke, now a worship site, with an oratory at Brainardsville

Constable merged with Westville, now a worship site, with an oratory at Trout River

St. Regis Falls linked with Hopkinton with an oratory at Santa Clara

Three Malone parishes and Chasm Falls linked with one another, with Lake Titus and Owls Head as oratories

HAMILTON/HERKIMER DEANERY

Indian Lake linked with a mission at Blue Mountain Lake

Old Forge linked with Inlet with a seasonal oratory at Raquette Lake

Lake Pleasant linked with Wells

Long Lake linked with Newcomb

JEFFERSON DEANERY

Adams linked with Henderson

Alexandria Bay merged with Redwood, now a worship site

Black River linked with Deferiet

Brownville merged with Dexter, church building closed at Dexter and linked with Sackets Harbor

Cape Vincent merged with Chaumont and Rosiere, both now worship sites

Carthage linked with Copenhagen; New Boston now closed

Clayton linked with LaFargeville

Evans Mills linked with missions of Theresa and Philadelphia with an oratory at Antwerp

LEWIS DEANERY

Constableville linked with West Leyden with an oratory at Fish Creek

Copenhagen linked with Carthage

Lowville linked with Glenfield and Houseville with an oratory at Greig

Harrisville linked with Star Lake with oratories at Natural Bridge and Lake Bonaparte

Port Leyden linked with a mission at Lyons Falls

ST. LAWRENCE

Brasher Falls linked with North Lawrence

Canton merged with Newman Parish, with oratories at Pyrites and DeKalb Junction

Colton linked with South Colton and Parishville

Gouverneur linked with Edwards with an oratory at Russell

Morristown  merged with Hammond and Rossie, now worship sites ,with oratory at Brier Hill

Heuvelton linked with Lisbon

Hopkinton linked with St. Regis Falls with an oratory at Santa Clara

Madrid linked with Waddington

Massena (SH) linked with Louisville

Massena (SM) merged with Massena (SJ) now a worship site

Potsdam merged with Newman parish, now a ministry of St. Mary’s

Star Lake linked with Harrisville with oratories at Fine and Newton Falls