Parish Cluster

The Times, They Are A-Changing:
Responding to Changing Realities: Entering into Clustering

Written by Rev. Tony Schuerger, pastor, Community of St. Malach/St. Malachi, Cleveland.

Note: This is the fourth of a series on “the big picture” of the changing realities and emerging trends facing the Diocese of Cleveland and what is required of us to deal with the challenges we face.

“In every age, the church carries the responsibility of reading the signs of the times and in interpreting them in the light of the Gospel, if it is to carry out its task.” (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, #4)

The “signs of the times” are evident in the Diocese of Cleveland: a flat/shrinking population base with continued out-migration from the cities/inner-ring suburbs to outlying areas; fewer priests and an aging priest population; parishes struggling with challenges of growth/decline, fewer Catholics attending Sunday Mass and many parishes struggling with financial challenges.

Clearly, the “signs of the times” require us to act, if we are to carry out our mission as Church.

The way our diocese is doing this is by clustering parishes and calling the parishes in the cluster to come together and collaborate to create a future together. Each parish will be represented by the pastor, a member of the pastoral staff, a representative from Parish Council, a representative of Finance Council, and a person chosen “at-large.” During the next year, these representatives of each parish will meet together as the Cluster Planning and Coordination Team to create a plan for the future of pastoral care and ministry for these communities.

One might ask, “How is this different from the kind of strategic planning process that any business might do when faced with downsizing or a need to restructure?”

“Keep your Church alert in faith to the signs of the times and eager to accept the challenge of the Gospel.” (Eucharistic Prayer for Various Needs and Occasions, III)

What makes what we are being called to do different from the kind of strategic planning process that a business or a non-profit agency does is that we are being called to be “alert in faith” to the challenges and opportunities we face. Although we will be entering into a planning process and will be called to use all the wisdom and best practices of the planning process, for us as Catholics this is primarily a journey of faith. The key question that we are called to pray and reflect on is:

At this time, what is God asking of us as a church?

The great feast of Pentecost celebrates the gift of the Spirit, given freely and abundantly “to guide you to all truth.” (John 16: 13) We are called to believe and to trust that the Spirit will continue to guide us as a church, if we are open, willing to listen, and to follow as the Spirit leads.