Two weeks ago I talked about change. In particular, I talked about the changes our parishes face as we transition into being a one-priest linkage. Today I’m not offering answers or solutions. Today I want to make note of the areas that will (or will not) surface as places for change.

Closing buildings. Two weeks ago you read my words on a weekend. By Monday it came back to me that some folks thought the changes involved included closing buildings. Not true! Closing one of our buildings won’t save a priest. Closing one of our buildings won’t balance the budget. That’s definitely not one of the changes on our current horizon. Mass schedule. We have some tension points in our Mass schedule. I don’t see an issue with the number of Masses in any particular week. But, where they land can present challenges. For example, we need a serious conversation about Christmas Eve—especially this year when Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday.

Sacraments. How we prepare people for baptism, how we help families at funeral time—not all of these moments require the presence of a priest. Parishes all over the world have empowered the lay faithful to participate meaningfully and lovingly in these situations. And we need to take another look at the possibility of doing more (if not all) of our baptisms during, rather than after, Mass.

Process. I have no intention of making any decisions overnight. I want to engage in a series of conversations with the Parish Pastoral Council, with parish musicians, and with the Liturgy Committee. I want to take the time to consider carefully the options. I want us to do our best at serving God’s people— priest and lay faithful together, both parishes with a heart for the mission of Jesus Christ.