Priest shortage forces diocese to revise assignments
Facing the challenges of a continuing clergy shortage with more accurate data on local parishes, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg is announcing its most extensive list of transfers since Bishop Anthony G. Bosco took office. Nearly 30 percent of the diocese’s active priests will serve in new assignments beginning July 23.
“This is the longest list of transfers I’ve made in 15 years,’ said Bishop Bosco. “It’s aimed at better utilization of clergy.’
Bishop Bosco transferred 28 of the diocese’s active priests. Altogether, 95 active priests serve 185,000 Catholics in 103 parishes in the diocese, which includes Fayette, Westmoreland, Armstrong and Indiana counties.
The 103 includes the creation of a new parish called Christ, Prince of Peace, that is being erected July 23 in Ford City, Armstrong County, following the suppression of three parishes.
Angela Burrows, director of Infomedia for the diocese, said the change in Ford City took place after a recommendation by a subcommittee. She noted the Ford City population was declining and it became difficult for one priest to serve three parishes.
“The mergers are still very difficult for the people to accept,’ acknowledged Bishop Bosco. “They see it as a death but it is a birth of a new vital parish.’
What is easier for people to accept is the partnering of parishes, which is two or three parishes that share a priest. This has been going on for some time in the Greensburg Diocese. Four Fayette County churches will be affected by partnering in these recent reassignments.
“Partner parishes people feel pretty good about because the parish still exists and they have a priest,’ said the bishop.
While the priest is referred to as the pastor of one parish and administrator of another, Bishop Bosco said, “For all practical purposes, there is no difference between the duties and responsibilities. It’s just the title.’
He explained canon law will allow a priest to be named pastor of only one parish.
Locally, four parishes will receive new pastors as part of the reassignments.
They include St. Mary (Nativity) Church in Uniontown where the Rev. Micah E. Kozoil will become the new pastor. Monsignor Andrew A. Chupela retired as pastor of St. Mary in May and the Rev. Kenneth G. Zaccagnini, pastor of St. Therese Church in Uniontown, began serving as administrator until the new pastor begins his duties. Rev. Kozoil has been serving as pastor of the church of the Resurrection in Northern Indiana County.
Church of the Madonna of Czestochowa in Cardale and St. Albert in Palmer have been served by the Rev. Ronald J. Rutkowski, who is taking a six-month leave of absence for health reasons. Church of the Madonna will now be served by the Rev. Steven R. Bugay, who becomes administrator of the parish. Rev. Bugay will continue serving as pastor of Holy Rosary Church in Republic. St. Albert will be served by the Rev. Donald P. Trexler, who becomes administrator of the parish.
Rev. Trexler will also become the new pastor of St. Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, in Leckrone. He is replacing the Rev. Andrew M. Kawecki who becomes pastor of the Church of the Resurrection Parish in Northern Indiana County.
Contacted by the Herald-Standard, Rev. Bugay said, “There will have to be a change in the Mass schedule at both places.’
He said the schedule is still being worked on for Holy Rosary and Church of the Madonna, but it will be announced in the parishes during weekend Masses July 20-21. The change will go into effect the weekend of July 27-28.
Officials could not be reached to report whether there will be any changes in the Mass schedule for Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Albert.
The partnering of St. Mary and St. Albert as well as Holy Rosary and Church of the Madonna are part of six new partnering combinations in the Greensburg Diocese. The other combinations include: St. Louis and St. Francis in Indiana County; Ascension in Jeannette and St. Boniface in Penn, Westmoreland County; Visitation Parish, St. Pius X and Transfiguration parishes in Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County; and St. John the Baptist de La Salle Church in Delmont and St. Mary Parish in Export, Westmoreland County.
With these latest reassignments, the bishop received help from the diocese’s Office of Pastoral Life, which offered more accurate information on the parishes, such as actual congregation size.
For example, the bishop said in the past a parish might report its congregation included 500 households and when a new pastor took a census, he discovered there were actually 350. Information is also available on the size of the households. For example, does the household just contain one member, such as a widow or widower?
In addition, the diocese’s regional councils gave input to the bishop. The councils, composed of laity and clergy, presented recommendations on Mass schedules, partnering of parishes and what to do if fewer clergy were available to serve in that area.
And fewer clergy are available. The diocese, using figures from December 2001, estimated the number of active priests will decline to 63 in 10 years and could number 35 to 40 in 20 years. Burrows said that allows factors such as retirement at age 75 as well as early retirements and a certain number of ordinations. Half the priests in the diocese are older than 55. One in 10 is older than 70.
Bishop Bosco acknowledged that Fayette County has provided many men who have accepted the call to the priesthood in the Diocese of Greensburg.
But he noted, “What people have to realize is that when a man is ordained in the diocese, he becomes a priest for all four counties. He promises to serve where needed.’
Among the reassignments, the bishop made a special appointment for the Rev. Thaddeus J. Kaczmarek, a Uniontown native whose home parish is St. Joseph. Rev. Kaczmarek is being appointed to a new position as episcopal vicar for Region 7 in North Hutingdon-Irwin, Westmoreland County.
Burrows explained Rev. Kaczmarek will function as a mini-vicar general who reports to Bishop Bosco and the Rev. Roger A. Statnick, vicar general. Rev. Kaczmarek will oversee regional projects, including the building of a new pastoral center, which will house the Queen of Angels School. Bishop Bosco said this assignment will last at least six months and then be reviewed.
In conjunction with the reassignments, Bishop Bosco is issuing a decree to allow the start of vigil Masses for Sundays and holy days of obligation in the diocese to be changed to 4 p.m., due to the diminishing number of clergy and additional pastoral responsibilities many have assumed.
The change becomes effective on July 27. Currently, the earliest vigil Mass in the diocese may start at 5 p.m. Churches who want to change their vigil Mass schedule must submit a request for change in Mass times. Saturday wedding Masses may not begin at 4 p.m. or later.
“Practical reason dictated it even though many partner parishes are close,’ said Bishop Bosco.
In addition to the transfers, the recent announcements includes priests who will not be available for parish work: Rev. Rutkowski’s six-months leave of absence for health reasons, the retirement of Monsignor Nicholas A. Mitolo as pastor of Ascension Parish in Jeannette (He had previously served as pastor of St. Rita in Connellsville.), and the resignation by the Rev. Robert E. Moslener as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Yatesboro and administrator of Sacred Heart parish in Sagamore.