Merger Updates
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Merger Update 5: Homily and Merger Update
Beloved in Christ,
Happy Independence Day, fellow Americans. This July 4th, our great nation is 244 years since independence. We pray for the continued sustenance of our democracy; for our elected leaders who are to continue to be humane and selfless; for our appointed justices and judges who are to continue to be committed to the growth of our democracy and defense of human right and freedom; for sane and sober citizens who seek the cause of freedom, justice and development through civilized methods and peaceful means; and for a church in our land that remains the prophetic voice of the voiceless, the marginalized and the deprived in our motherland.
This Sunday, I would like to speak a little on the merger of the two CCC parishes you’ve heard about already. The merger of our CCC parishes will happen sometime in the not distant future. This merger will be the natural culmination and consolidation of all our collaborative efforts in the last seven years.
Jesus says in the Gospel: “...my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” The merger of our two parishes will not eliminate the yoke and burden we bear as Christians for Christ; but it can lesson the yoke and burden of priests shortage, dwindling finances, and aging facilities as we move into the future.
Seven meetings have been held. 52 comments and 15 submissions have been received. Last Thursday, a preliminary vote on the merger of the CCC parishes was taken by the councils. 24 members voted in favor of a merger; 1 abstained, and there was not a single “No” vote.
The parishes will be merging in order to sustain the mission of Christ, ensure the survival of our faith, and harmonize productively all the ministries that are superabundant in the CCC communities.
Best of our facilities that will serve the merger long into the future will be retained; all others may be monetized, most probably, through leasing in order to consolidate the merger financially.
After the summer break (in the fall), the councils will continue the merger discussions. Then, the following questions will be looked into:- Should the merger take on a new name or retain one of the existing parish names?
- Should a new church be built for the merger or should the merger adopt one of the existing churches?
Have a safe and renewing summer as we “hit the pause button” through the summer break.
God’s Peace & Bles-sings to all!
Fr. JT.
Administrator -
Merger Update 4: Why Would a Merger of Parishes be Considered?
Beloved Parishioners,
From RCAB Q&A number 2:
Q- Why would a merger of parishes be considered?
A - "Typically, a merger is proposed after years of collaborative activity by parishes. When the parish communities have a history of sharing staff and programs, it is possible to view the merger as a natural culmination of all their previous efforts”.
The Merger discussions and consultations have been ongoing: The Administrator has met with the Deacons and with the Staff. The Cranberry Pastoral Council and Finance Council have met two times. The Cranberry Pastoral Council and Finance Council have met with a group of 25 key parishioners from the CCC’s three churches. The Administrator has also met with the Finance Council to have a deeper evaluation of the current financial reports, and an assessment of the current financial situation in relation to a merger. In line with the CCC annual practice, the financial reports will be made available to three churches shortly for parishioners to take a look.
As at date, I have received from parishioners 45 comments and 17 submissions.
I want to thank all who have participated in the discussions so far through these meetings, and/or by sending in comments or submissions through the dedicated platforms.
Some concerns and issues have been raised. Some recommendations have been suggested. The overriding consensus, however, has been that the current structure is unsustainable, and that there is need for some form of readjustment in the Cranberry Catholic Collaborative Parishes. It is also to be noted that many parishioners have expressed fears over the possibility of loosing their churches and communities. Despite this fear, the requests have been to ensure a proper groundwork is done so that much is not lost in the process at the end of the road. Many of the concerns expressed would be interested in the “How” of a possible merger.
As we continue to receive and evaluate responses and comments from parishioners, the CPC and Finance Council will now shift attention to the step two of the discussions: the “How” of a possible merger.
Peace & Blessings!
Fr. JT.
Administrator -
Merger Update 3: Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a parish merger? In a “merger”, two or three parishes are merged/brought together into one new parish. A merger may be considered if a parish’s vitality, viability or sustainability comes into question or is becoming a growing issue of concern. Efforts toward a merger must always be undertaken for the purpose of strengthening the mission of the Church and the good of the Collaborative. When a merger of parishes takes place, there will be one pastoral council and only one finance council. The finances of the parishes are no longer separate but are combined into one.
- Why would a merger of parishes be considered?
Typically, a merger is proposed after years of collaborative activity by parishes. When the parish communities have a history of sharing staff and programs, it is possible to view the merger as a natural culmination of all their previous efforts.
- How does the decision to merge get made and who should be involved in the decision making?
In general, the process of a merger involves the following steps:
One. The Pastor consults with the Pastoral and Finance Councils giving them information about the parishes so that they understand the circumstances that have led up to the discussion about why a merger should be considered.
Two: Once the councils have had time to review the information, they need to meet to discuss and come to a consensus about whether the parishes should move forward with the merger.
Three: After a consensus to move forward is reached, a communication plan is developed to engage the broader parish community about the possible decision to merge.
Four: Having heard from the broader parish community, the pastor makes the decision whether to move forward with the process.
Five: The decision to merge is then presented to the Cardinal by the pastor at a Presbyteral Council meeting.
Six: The Cardinal then consults with the Presbyteral council before making his decision.
Seven: Having completed the process of consultation which included the pastor, the councils, the parishioners and the Presbyteral Council, the Cardinal makes the final decision about moving forward with the merger.
Eight: A decree is then issued to establish a new parish with a new name. (see #6)
- Who can start the discussion about merging parishes? The pastor can raise the topic of a merger for discussion and consideration with the finance councils and pastoral council of the parishes. As leaders in the parish, the pastor consults with them for their experience and support. It is essential that sufficient information be provided to the councils so that they understand the circumstances that led up to the discussion about why a merger should be considered.
- Does the Archdiocese offer direction and guidance during the process of a merger?
Yes, during the period between the initial presentation to the councils and the follow-up meeting with parishioners, there can be several opportunities for consultation with offices within the Pastoral Center (Pastoral Planning, Parish Services and Canonical Affairs) to maintain open lines of communication with the pastor. Pastoral Center staff will be available to respond to any questions or issues that get raised.
- What will happen to the names of our parishes once we merge?
There will be a change to the name of the parish, however, the names of the churches do not change. (ex. Transfiguration Parish at St. Thomas Church).
- Who decides on the new name of our parishes?
The pastor in consultation with the councils and parishioners submits three possible names for the merged parish, indicating their first choice. Those three names are then sent to Cardinal Sean and he will decide from the suggested names. Usually he chooses the name that was listed as “first” on the list of parish names.
- How long does the process of a merger take?
From the beginning discussions to the actual merger to be completed it can take up to a year to complete. The length of the process is dependent on the vitality, viability and sustainability factors within the parishes.
Mergers and the Cranberry Catholic Collaborative- Who would be merging?
For the CCC, the merge would be between the parishes of Sacred Heart (which includes St. Rose of Lima) and Sts. Martha and Mary.
- Didn’t we merge when we became the Cranberry Catholic Collaborative?
No. While the two parishes share a pastor/administrator, staff, and resources they remain as separate entities. Finances, sacramental recording, and parishioner databases have remained separate.
- What is a parish merger? In a “merger”, two or three parishes are merged/brought together into one new parish. A merger may be considered if a parish’s vitality, viability or sustainability comes into question or is becoming a growing issue of concern. Efforts toward a merger must always be undertaken for the purpose of strengthening the mission of the Church and the good of the Collaborative. When a merger of parishes takes place, there will be one pastoral council and only one finance council. The finances of the parishes are no longer separate but are combined into one.
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Merger Update 2
Beloved Parishioners,
Since March 2020, discussions/consultations have been going on about the possible merger of the two Cranberry Parishes of Sacred Heart Parish in Middleboro and Saints Martha & Mary Parish in Lakeville.
In my merger update 1, I have tried to explain what the merger is all about, why the merger, and the possible implications of the merger. The information is out there on our CCC Website and other social media platforms for parishioners to access.
I state again that parishioners are expected to contribute to the discussions. Nothing is hidden about it. Parishioners can use the dedicated Gmail account on our website to present a submission; and can use the “Comment Column” on our website to make a comment. We also have the bulletin and the “Merger Update Column” on our website where the Administrator gives updates from time to time on the progress in the discussions. This merger update column has in it what the merger is all about (which also appeared in the bulletin).
Until date, I have received comments from 23 parishioners and submissions from 10 parishioners; and I have replied to each and everyone of them. Their concerns, suggestions and ideas are being brought along into the discussions.
I urge parishioners to check out these sources of giving and receiving information on the merger discussion from time to time.
Peace & Bles+sings!
Fr. JT.
Administrator
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Update 1: A MERGER MAY BE COMING TO THE CRANBERRY PARISHES
May 20, 2020
Beloved Parishioners,
It has been in the air recently that a Merger may be coming to the Cranberry Catholic Collaborative Parishes. Meetings, discussions, consultations about this are ongoing with Staff, CPC/Finance Council, Parishioners, etc to discuss this phenomenon of a Merger and all the possibilities that may come with it.
The ideas/suggestions/contributions of parishioners will be immensely valuable in this process of conversation as we chart the way forward “in order to survive.”
We have three steps to climb in the discussions/consultations:
Step 1: the “Why” of the Merger.
Step 2: the “How” of the Merger.
Step 3: the “WHEN” of the Merger
WHY?
Three major reasons are advanced:
- Declining finances
- Priests shortage
- Big Staff and maintenance of Facilities in multiple locations.
We shall explain in subsequent statements, with fact and figures/numbers, how each of these is a real issue. The common underlying motive or philosophy is “Survival”, “in order to survive.”
A dedicated Feedback Gmail account has been created for all Parishioners. To give Parishioners opportunity to be part of the process and to throw their thoughts into the discussions/consultation, we have created a dedicated Gmail Account: CCCFuture@cranberrycatholicevangelization.org
We also have created on the CCC website (CranberryCatholic.org) a “COMMENT PAGE” where parishioners can send in comments. We also created a “MERGER UPDATE PAGE” [this page] from where the Administrator will disseminate Merger updates. These are available to all so we can receive submissions/feedback from parishioners, especially those who may not have been captured in the group discussions. The aim is to receive them and make them part of the discussions.
After discussions/consultations, the Administrator will be expected to make a recommendation to the Cardinal. It will be left completely to the Cardinal to take a decision.
CURRENT MERGERS:
Salem Parishes have already merged; Lynn parishes have already voted to merge; Lynnfield parishes have voted to merge; Dorchester-Mattapan voted to merge; Neponset parishes also have voted to merge. Billerica, Newton, and others are discussing as we are doing.
Be assured we are not in any hurry about this, and that a thorough discussion will be done before the next steps.
I encourage all to put the issue out there, discuss it among yourselves, get us feedback, send your ideas through the dedicated Gmail account and the Comment column on the CCC website.
Peace & Bles+sings!
Fr. JT.
Administrator