Two years in, Seattle’s parish reorganization brings unity for some, disconnect for others
The Archdiocese of Seattle is consolidating 136 parishes into 60 ‘parish families’ — one of dozens of U.S. dioceses restructuring amid declining attendance and priesthood numbers.
By Harper Haase | FāVS News Reporter
Two years into a sweeping reorganization of Seattle-area parishes, Archbishop Paul D. Etienne marked the milestone in a July 1 letter, calling the changes necessary — even as some priests describe a widening gap between the archdiocese and the people in the pews.
The Archdiocese of Seattle is not the first to do this: Restructuring efforts have been happening across the United States, with 13 dioceses currently in the process and 54 dioceses creating plans.
Though these changes have only been made in the past 10 years, vicar general for the archdiocese and pastor of three parishes in Seattle, the Rev. Gary Lazzeroni, says talks of reorganization began in the 1980s with hopes to revitalize parish life.
“It flows out of all the work done at the second Vatican Council in the early 1960s that we’re still unpacking,” says Lazzeroni. “The church of the 21st century is really a church being called on mission.”
The reorganization of the Catholic Church adapts to the 21st century not only with modernization and consolidation of infrastructure, but also with ideals and beliefs. The church is guided by the workings of Pope Francis and now Pope Leo, and the following passage:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-21)
“To convince people that if they don’t do X, Y and Z they are going to hell is not the way to attract people to the good news of the risen Christ. The way to attract people is to be the loving presence of Christ in the world — to be with people who are poor or marginalized for any reason,” Lazzeroni said.
The One Parish Plan outlines five distinct stages:
- Organizing and kickoff
- Who are we?
- Who do we want to become?
- How do we get there?
- What should we be called?
Lazzeroni’s parish family has had seamless transitions through stages, but not all parishes have experienced the same ease.
The Archdiocese of Seattle has provided numerous support resources for parishes including regional community gatherings, live Q&A meetings, face-to-face time with various members of the archdiocesan team and videos and online materials. Despite these resources, some parishes are still feeling a disconnect between the archdiocese and the parishioners themselves.
The Rev. Bryan Ochs, pastor for three parishes in the Nisqually Basin family, explains that parishioners have had a hard time understanding the larger needs of the Catholic church when their own churches feel less connected.
“The biggest challenge has been getting to know people when I’m not able to be present every weekend with them,” Ochs explains. “The archdiocese is doing a great job of supporting, but there are still blind spots.”
Rather than consolidation into parish families bringing them closer, Ochs has found it hard to make time for all three parishes.
The Rev. Michael Barbarossa, who is part of seven churches, four parishes and three missions in Gray’s Harbor County, reports that for him, consolidation has felt necessary for a long time. For his congregations, it has created a much more connected parish life. There had been a high turnover rate for pastors in the parish family, so having someone with a minimum six-year term made it easier to build connections with parishioners.
“It will make [pastors] weekends much more manageable and will free us up to have more time available for other weekend ministries. Even though it will be very painful for parishioners to go through changes in Mass times and even the reductions of offerings in some places, it is something, from a priestly standpoint, that will allow me to do the core parts of priestly ministry a little better,” he said.
He also explained, “My biggest hope is being able to draw on more volunteers — having skilled people who can train people at other locations and help bring each other together.”
He experienced this sense of community at Our Lady Guadalupe’s recent feast for Hispanic communities. While previous years presented a struggle to find an events team for smaller fiesta sites, they can now have a core team from the larger parish to support at every location.
Barbarossa’s parish family is nearing the final stages of Partners in the Gospel, and he looks forward to what is to come, he said.
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