On the pastoral reorganization of the Northeast County Deanery

Submitted on May 24, 2007

Send to friendDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Introduction 1.Our Lord Jesus Christ never ceases to provide for the Church, His beloved Bride, all that she needs to carry out His mission in the world.After His Resurrection, our Lord Jesus ascended to the right hand of the God the Father not to abandon us but to remain with us always through the Sending of the Holy Spirit.During the 40 wonderful days between His Resurrection and His Ascension, our Risen Lord showed us that He is with us always in the Church, until He returns in glory on the Last Day.As He was about to ascend to the Father, our Lord commissioned the Apostles to bring His teaching, His Sacraments and His Shepherd’s care and direction to the whole world.From the moment of His Ascension and the Sending of the Holy Spirit — two inseparable events — Christ has accompanied and sustained the Church at all times, so that she may faithfully and fully carry out her divine mission.The Gospel clearly testifies to this truth: "So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it.Amen" (Mark16:19-20). We experience the truth of the Gospel in the Church’s teaching; her life of prayer and devotion, and the Sacraments; and her governance by pastors who are sacramentally configured to Christ the Head and Shepherd of the flock. 2.As members of the Church, members of Christ’s Mystical Body, it is our responsibility to employ Christ’s manifold gifts, so that the Church’s mission may extend to all, as fully as possible.In the Second Letter of Peter, our Lord speaks to us about our responsibility as stewards of His gifts: "As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.To him belong glory and dominion for ever and ever.Amen" (1 Peter 4:10-11). Christ the King must reign in our minds and hearts, so that we employ every gift which is ours in the Church for the glory of God and the service of our brothers and sisters.The Church, therefore, must constantly examine herself regarding stewardship.She must always keep in mind her missionary mandate, received from the Lord Himself, so that she may never squander God’s gifts which are given into our hands for the good of all. 3.Throughout her history, the Church in the Archdiocese of St. Louis has responded to the spiritual needs of her members by practicing good stewardship of God’s manifold gifts of grace.At various times, growth in Catholic population, especially through immigration, and changes in Catholic population in the various portions of the Archdiocese have necessitated the reorganization of the pastoral care of the faithful, so that all of the faithful may be served as fully as possible.In providing for the pastoral needs of the faithful, in the best possible manner, the Archdiocese prepares the faithful to carry out, with their pastors, the work of evangelization. 4.The goal of pastoral reorganization is always the strongest possible presence of the Church in the local community, in order that all may be attracted to Christ and to His Mystical Body, the Church.At times, new parishes have been created.At other times, parishes have been united with one another or parishes have been closed.The practical decisions regarding the pastoral organization of each portion of the archdiocese belong to the archbishop, but he must rely on the help of the priests, his chief co-workers and also of all the faithful.The decisions are never easy because they affect directly the lives of the faithful.Only with the help of much prayer, careful study and wide consultation, can such decisions be made. 5.As your archbishop, I write to you now regarding the reorganization of the pastoral care of the Northeast County Deanery which has experienced over the past 50 years great changes in Catholic population.I write to all the faithful of the archdiocese, because, in the Church, what affects one member affects all (1 Corinthians 12:26).The faithful of the Northeast County Deanery are very much in the thoughts and prayers of us all, as they take up the challenge of a new organization of the pastoral care in the Deanery. 6.I place the reorganization of the pastoral life in the Northeast County Deanery in the context of the consistent study of the organization of the parishes and deaneries in the archdiocese, which good stewardship of God’s manifold gifts requires.Soon, I will make the final decisions regarding the pastoral reorganization of the South City Deanery.Study and consultation regarding the organization of the pastoral life in the North City Deanery is under way.Such study and consultation will be consistently undertaken in every portion of the Archdiocese for the sake of the mission of Christ. Parish: family of families 7.It is in the Christian home that we first meet Christ.In the home, we receive our first lessons in Christian doctrine; we first pray to God and are introduced to the devotional and sacramental life of the Church; and we are formed in the obedience which overcomes sinfulness and unites us more perfectly to Christ and one another in doing the Father’s will.Rightly, the Christian home is called "the little Church," ecclesiola, or "domestic Church," the "Church in the home" (Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen gentium, Nov. 21, 1964, No.11b).From the home is born the desire to join with other Catholic households in the community, in order to live more fully the richness of the Christian life.Our Holy Father has aptly described the parish as a "family of families" and as "the fundamental unit in the daily life of the Diocese" (Pope John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores gregis, "On the Bishop, Servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the Hope of the World," Oct. 16, 2003, No. 45b).At the same time, the parish exists, first of all, to foster the life of Christ in the home, that is, to provide the sound teaching, sacramental life and pastoral guidance which are at the foundation of Christian family life. 8.It is the duty of the pastors of the Church, especially the diocesan bishop, to establish the parishes needed for the flock in his pastoral care.In doing so, he relies upon the assistance of the priests, consecrated persons and the lay faithful.The diocesan bishop, likewise, must decide when parishes should be closed or united to one another, in order to strengthen the life of the Church in a particular portion of the diocese. 9.Catholics, naturally, regard their parish as a second home, their spiritual home in which the grace of Christ comes to family members at all times and, in a special way, at those times of new beginnings, transitions and crisis, for example, baptism and First Holy Communion, marriage and Christian burial.When a change occurs in our parish life, it naturally causes us concern for the life of faith in our homes and in the homes of our fellow parishioners.If the change means the closing of a parish church or school, there is sadness over the loss of the place in which so many graces have come into our lives and at which the most significant times for family members have been celebrated. Care of the elderly 10.The Northeast County Deanery has a special richness of elder members of the Church.In the Church, as our Holy Father has most recently reminded us in his Letter for Lent 2005, the elderly are treasured for their wisdom and for the prayers and sacrifices which they offer daily for the whole Church, especially the young.At the Presentation of the Lord, it was the elderly Simeon and the 84-year-old Anna who spoke for God, recognizing the Savior in the midst of His people and announcing the great mystery of His Redemptive Incarnation (Luke 2:22-39).Our care of the elderly not only brings security and comfort to them, but their witness of faith and prayer enriches us immeasurably. 11.In the reorganization of the parishes in the deanery, I ask that a renewed attention be given to those "advanced in years" in the community, so that they may participate fully in parish life.The changes announced here will be particularly painful for some of the elderly because of loss of a familiar parish community and a greater distance from their parish church.We must do everything possible to assist our elderly to remain active members of our parish communities. The parish school 12.The Catholic school is a privileged and most important part of the Church’s mission.Families coming together in a parish have a primary and direct concern for the Catholic education of the children and young people.Children and young people depend upon the adults in the parish to hand on to them, with integrity and generosity, the greatest treasure which we have received from God, namely, our Catholic faith and practice.At the same time, the adult members of the parish recognize in the children and young people the hope of the future for the Church and our society. Every sacrifice should be made, therefore, to prepare our children, through a sound Catholic education, to be strong members of the Church and good citizens. 13.While parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children in the Catholic faith, they look to their parish and the whole archdiocese to assist them, especially in a culture which is so completely secularized.The Church, for her part, has found the best means by which she can assist parents in the Catholic upbringing of their children is the Catholic school.For that reason, the diocesan bishop is obliged, by universal Church law, to provide Catholic schools for the families in his pastoral care (canon 802, paragraph 1).The Catholic school provides a complete education for children. They are instructed in the academic subjects and trained in various skills, as in other schools, but all within the context of our life in Christ.In other words, children acquire knowledge and develop skills in order to place them at the service of God and their neighbor.Christ is truly the First Teacher in the Catholic school, and the education imparted in the Catholic school aims always, first of all, at developing the Christian character of our children and young people. 14.It is my desire that a Catholic school be available to all the families of the deanery.The reorganization of the pastoral care of the deanery involves the closing of some school buildings and the unification of some Catholic schools.I ask every parish in the deanery to commit itself ever more generously to the Catholic schools.In a particular way, I ask the parishes to be strong in their support of Trinity Catholic High School, so that it may serve all of the families in the Northeast County Deanery. 15.For the children who are not enrolled in the Catholic schools, the parish, with the help of parents and catechists, provides the Parish School of Religion.It is essential that all parishes in each region of the deanery work together so that the limited time available to the Parish School of Religion may assist our children and young people to grow in their Catholic faith and its practice. Parish and local community 16.The Church is deeply conscious of her responsibilities in the local community.The truth and love of Christ are given to us in the Church, in order that we may bring that same truth and love to others in the world.The reorganization of pastoral life, therefore, is always directed to a stronger and more effective presence of the Church in the local community. 17.Of special concern to the Church is the elimination of every expression or form of racism.In the reorganization of the pastoral care of the Northeast County Deanery, I call upon all parishes to educate parishioners anew about the grave evil of racism and to lead parishioners to do all that they can to foster unity in the local community.In a particular way, as I did when I visited the Northeast County Deanery for the first time, I ask the parishioners to recommit themselves to remaining in their local communities and making them strong. 18.With Christ, the Church has a preferential love of the poor.With the pastoral reorganization of the deanery, it is my hope that the Church will address with new enthusiasm and new energy her care of the homeless and the materially poor, and of those who suffer from the phenomenon we call "urban sprawl."I ask that the St. Vincent de Paul Society work to establish strong and active conferences in every part of the deanery.Every effort must be made, so that the services of Catholic Charities of the archdiocese be available to every individual and household of the deanery. 19.The reorganization of the pastoral care of the Northeast County Deanery is inspired by a strong commitment to the local communities in which the parishes of the deanery are located.The fact that there will be fewer parishes in the deanery does not mean that the Church is withdrawing, in some way, from the deanery.Rather, it is striving to use its resources to be an ever more effective part of the local civic community. For that reason, in making the decisions which I announce by this pastoral letter, I have been in communication with the local civic authorities and have taken to heart their concerns and suggestions. 20.I thank the civic authorities of the Northeast County Deanery for their keen interest in the pastoral reorganization of the deanery and for their willingness to assist me in every fitting way.I pledge to continue to work with them for the good of each of the civic communities within the Northeast County Deanery. Strategic planning task force 21.In announcing the details of the pastoral reorganization of the Northeast County Deanery, I hasten to express my deepest gratitude to the Father John A. Brockland, the local dean, and the Northeast County Deanery Strategic Planning Task Force.Over more than 18 months, they have studied carefully the pastoral life in the Northeast County Deanery and have consulted widely with the parish priests, the faithful of the parishes, the personnel of the Catholic schools, and officials of the Archdiocesan Curia.Father Brockland, the task force and those whom they have consulted have given countless hours of selfless service for the good of the Church in the Archdiocese.May God reward them. 22. On Dec. 15, 2004, the task force presented to me the "best set of recommendations," a 94-page document which reflects the depth of the study and consultation which the members of the task force have undertaken over almost two years. Having studied thoroughly the "recommendations," I have accepted them.They are, as the title of the document states, the best recommendations at the present for the pastoral reorganization of the Northeast County Deanery.Everyone involved, including myself, is aware that they express prudential judgments, carefully studied and weighed but certainly subject to human error.Conscious of my own limitations and trusting in the unfailing help of Christ the Good Shepherd, I accept the "best set of recommendations" in its totality. Implementation of the reorganization 23.Because of the importance of the parish and parish school to individuals and families, and to the whole archdiocese, the changes which I announce today are made only after an almost two-year study.In announcing the reorganization of the pastoral life in the Northeast County Deanery, I am deeply conscious of the suffering which change in parish and school life will necessarily bring to many individuals and families.At the same time, I ask those who will suffer some change in the reorganization of the Northeast County Deanery, to accept the suffering out of love of Christ and His Church, trusting that your suffering offered with His own for our salvation, will bring a blessing to your homes, to the deanery and to the archdiocese. 24. Be assured that I ask you to accept the changes in the pastoral life of the Northeast County Deanery for the good of the Church.At the same time, I assure you of my prayers and support, and the prayers and support of all the faithful of the archdiocese. 25.The changes announced below will take effect on July 1, 2005.During the time until then, the work of implementation of the changes will take place.I ask all of the faithful to be generous in patience and in assistance to your parish priests during the coming months. 26.To provide for the ongoing study of the pastoral care of the Northeast County Deanery, I am establishing a Deanery Pastoral Council to assist the local dean in carrying out his pastoral responsibility for the deanery.In the coming weeks, I will issue archdiocesan norms for deanery pastoral councils, so that a consultative body on the deanery level will help me consistently in addressing the pastoral care and direction of all of the faithful in the deanery. New parishes and schools 27.Four new parishes are to be established to serve the four major portions of the deanery, effective July 1, 2005.During the coming months, the pastors of the parishes which will unite to form the four new parishes will lead parishioners in coming together as a new "family of families."During the same time, they will consult with the faithful regarding the patron under whose protection and care the parish is to be placed. 28. At the same time, new Catholic schools are to be established to serve the families of the new parishes. 29.For what pertains to the Parish School of Religion, I ask that the "best set of recommendations" be the guide. Northeast region 30.The Northeast Region of the Deanery, called the Spanish Lake Area, will have a new parish comprised of the membership and territory of Saint Aloysius Parish, Our Lady of Loretto Parish, and the part of Transfiguration Parish, which is east of Highway 367. The parish church for the new parish will be the present Our Lady of Loretto Church. 31.The territory of Transfiguration Parish, which is west of Highway 367, is to be joined to St. Angela Merici Parish. 32.Regarding Catholic schools, a new inter-parish Catholic elementary school is to be established to serve the northeast and southeast regions of the deanery.It is to serve the children of both the new parish in the northeast region and the new parish in the southeast region of the deanery.It is to be supported by the new parishes in proportion to the number of students from each parish enrolled in the school.The new school will be located at the site of the present St. John Neumann School. 33.In establishing the new school, I have asked the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who have given long-standing and committed service to the Catholic elementary schools in these regions, to continue their service at the new school.At the same time, I thank the provincial superior to the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for missioning Sisters of her congregation to teach in the Catholic schools of the Northeast County Deanery.In these days, when fewer and fewer religious Sisters are able to be sent to our Catholic schools, I am especially grateful for the witness and apostolate of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Southeast region 34.The southeast region, which includes Bellefontaine Neighbors, Riverview and Jennings, will have a new parish comprised of the membership and territory of Corpus Christi Parish, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish, St. Jerome Parish, St. Pius X Parish and the territory of St. Christopher Parish which is south of Highway I-270. The site of the parish is to be the present St. Jerome Church. 35. The territory of St. Christopher Parish, which is north of Highway I-270, is to be joined to St. Angela Merici Parish. Current parishioners of St. Christopher Parish who presently live south of Highway I-270 are invited to join their fellow parishioners at St. Angela Merici Parish.Any new families who take up residence in the territory south of Highway I-270 would be directed to membership at the new parish in the Southeast Region. 36.Regarding Catholic schools, Pope John Paul II school is to be closed and its students are to be enrolled the new inter-parish school at the present site of St. John Neumann School. 37.Corpus Christi School is to be closed.The families presently using Corpus Christi School are to be assisted in enrolling their children at the new school or at another Catholic school which is closer to their home. Southwest region 38. The Southwest Region — Ferguson, Hazelwood, Berkeley, Dellwood, Calverton Park and Kinloch — will have a new parish comprised of the membership and territory of Good Shepherd Parish, St. Bartholomew Parish, St. Sebastian Parish, Sts. John and James Parish, the part of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, which is south of I-270, and the part of North American Martyrs Parish, which is south of I-270.The parish church for the new parish will be the present Good Shepherd Church.The priest’s residence is to be at the present Sts. John and James Rectory. 39.The territory of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, which is north of Highway I-270, is to be joined to the new parish in the Northwest Region.The territory of North American Martyrs Parish which is north of I-270 is to be joined to Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Florissant.The current parishioners of Our Lady of Fatima Parish who presently live south of I-270 are invited to join their fellow parishioners at the new parish in the northwest region.The current parishioners of North American Martyrs Parish who presently live south of I-270 are invited to join their fellow parishioners at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Florissant.Any new families who take up residence in the territory south of I-270 would be directed to membership at the new parish in the southwest region. 40. Regarding Catholic schools, the parish school will be located at the present Sts. John and James School.The present Sts. John and James Church is to become the chapel of the school. 41.Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in the southwest region is to continue as a personal parish for the faithful of Hispanic origin or language. Other faithful in the area may also be members of the parish, engaging fully in the life of the parish and giving particular support to the service of our Hispanic brothers and sisters in the deanery and the archdiocese, who receive instruction in the faith; pray and worship; and have pastoral direction for their lives at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. 42.Our Lady of Guadalupe School will continue to serve families of diverse cultures, and to be a privileged instrument of evangelization in the whole area.With the closing of Corpus Christi School, Our Lady of Guadalupe School will have the special responsibility to welcome and assist the enrollment of the children who have enrolled in Corpus Christi School.In confirming the mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe School, I ask the faithful to continue in your generous support of this school which serves so many children who otherwise would not be able to receive a Catholic-school education. Northwest region 43.Seven parishes will serve the northwest region of the deanery, namely, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, St. Angela Merici Parish, St. Ferdinand Parish, St. Martin de Porres, St. Norbert Parish, St. Sabina Parish and a new parish to be comprised of the membership and territory of St. Dismas Parish, St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, and that part of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, which is north of I-270. 44.The parish church for the new parish will be the present St. Dismas Church.The rectory and the parish offices will also be located at the present site of St. Dismas Church. 45.The parish school of the new parish is to be located at the present St. Thomas Apostle School.The present St. Thomas the Apostle church is to become the chapel of the school. 46.The membership and territory of Our Lady of Mercy Parish are to be united to St. Martin de Porres Parish. 47.The territory of North American Martyrs Parish, which is north of I-270, to be united to Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish. 48.The territory of that part of St. Christopher Parish, which is north of I-270, is to be united with St. Angela Merici Parish. 49.Regarding Catholic schools, six Catholic elementary schools will serve the Northwest Region: Sacred Heart of Jesus School, St. Angela Merici School, St. Ferdinand School, St. Norbert School, St. Sabina School and the school of the new parish (see No. 41 above). 50.The Archdiocesan Office of Special Education Learning Center is to be relocated at the new parish, under the same terms with which it has operated at its present site. Conclusion 51.At every time and in every place, the Church faces the challenge of how to carry out her mission, the mission of Christ, as effectively as possible.She — we, her members — must constantly examine our conscience with regard to our stewardship of God’s gifts for His glory and the service of His holy people.The decisions which have been reached, after a careful study of the stewardship of the Church’s resources in the Northeast County Deanery, have been made to ensure a continued strong and effective presence of the Church in this treasured portion of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. 52.I urge all of the faithful of the Northeast County Deanery to accept the decisions with the generous obedience of Christ who does the Father’s will in all things. Our obedient response to the needs of the Church in our time and place, notwithstanding the sometimes painful personal sacrifice which it entails, will bring new life and growth to the Church.As your archbishop, I thank you, in advance, for all that you will do to implement the new organization of the pastoral life in the Northeast County Deanery for the good of all. 53.I urge all of the faithful of the archdiocese to keep in your thoughts and prayers your brothers and sisters in the Northeast County Deanery, especially during the coming time of transition.By your prayers and sacrifices, you will be one with them in carrying out the mission of Christ in our archdiocese. 54.Before the challenge of carrying out faithfully and generously the mission of Christ, we are all deeply conscious that the mission is His. Of ourselves, we will accomplish nothing.With Christ, we can do all that God the Father asks of us.Most of all, through our union with Christ in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, we receive the wisdom and the strength to do the Father’s will, especially when it is difficult for us.May our observance of the Year of the Eucharist bring us all closer to Christ and be a source of particular strength for the faithful of the Northeast County Deanery. 55.We carry out Christ’s mission with the help of the communion of saints.I confide the pastoral reorganization of the Northeast County Deanery to the intercession of the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary; St. Joseph, patron of the Universal Church; and our archdiocesan patrons, St. Louis of France, St. Vincent de Paul and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne. Given at St. Louis on the 11th day of February, the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, in the Year of the Lord 2005. Raymond L. Burke Archbishop of St. Louis