"We are either going to be agents of change or victims of change."
These were the words of Bishop Lawrence Persico in relation to potential changes coming for the Catholic Erie Diocese, which is the largest diocese in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Last night in Clearfield, Persico led a pastoral meeting to address pastors and parish leaders about the need for pastoral planning.
"The purpose of it was to be more educational than anything else," Persico said. "We have fewer Catholics and fewer priests."
Not to mention fewer attendees.
In 1990, the average headcount of Sunday mass in the diocese was at 120,000 attendees.
In 2022. It was under 27,000.
The number of parishes from those same years dropped from 127 to 94, likewise for the number of active priests, which went from 210 to 99.
"We have an older demographic," Persico said. "Others got used to the fact of not going to church, and they don't bother anymore."
Consolidation is not only plausible but most likely inevitable.
"So we have to right-size all of this to make sure that we are getting the people involved and creating vibrant parishes," Persico said. "But when you can combine them, that makes them stronger."
VIDEO CORRECTION: *Lawrence* Persico