Priests to cut costs by sharing presbytery

BY CHRISTINA WHITE
A BLUEPRINT for the future of one of England's Catholic heartlands has recommended that all the priests serving town centre parishes should live together in a single presbytery.
The six central parishes of Preston, Lancashire, have published the results of a major study of the Church in the town and the way forward in a time of declining resources and fewer vocations.
A key recommendation is that the priests of the area should live together — combining resources and releasing underused presbyteries for parish and community use.
In contrast to many other restructuring programmes, the draft report stresses that there is "no intention" to close any church buildings or any parish communities.
The report stipulates that every church should have one Sunday Mass and '"probably" a Mass on weekdays. In one or two parishes there may be two Sunday Masses but this "should be the exception".
The report, entitled Reorganising for Mission, involves the parishes of St Augustine's, English Martyrs, St Ignatius, St Joseph's, St Walburge's and St Wilfrid's.
The document will now be sent out for consultation. A final draft will be presented to the Bishop of Lancaster, Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue, after Easter next year.