Breaking news: Scranton Diocese news conference

In a prepared statement Bishop Joseph Martino has announced his resignation as Bishop of Scranton. Because of the challenges facing it, the Diocese of Scranton at this time needs a bishop who is “physically vigorous. I am not that bishop,” said Bishop Martino. As expected, His Eminence Justin Cardinal Rigali has been named Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Scranton, an interim appointment until a new bishop is named by Pope Benedict. As retired bishop, Martino will continue to live in the diocese as well well as spend time visiting friends and family in Philadelphia. Martino stated that he is “very happy and filled with peace.”

In his brief remarks, Bishop Martino cited health problems, including bouts of insomnia and fatigue, as the principal reason for his resignation, which was submitted to the Vatican around June 12. He also acknowledged the pain caused by some of his decisions. He sought forgiveness for those he has not served as best he could.

Cardinal Rigali acknowledged that while change is difficult, life continues. “In the church, life always goes on with joy and anticipation of the future because the risen Christ journeys with us.” Life in the Diocese of Scranton will continue with “apostolic succession and the continuity of the Catholic faith.” His Eminence encouraged the people of the diocese to pursue charity and truth and to look to Mary for compassion and help.

Regarding the appointment of a new Bishop to the see of Scranton, “The Holy See is anxious for it to be done as quickly as possible,” noted Cardinal Rigali. “I would hope that within six months we would have a bishop.”

Bishop Martino to resign next week

According to the Scranton Times-Tribune, diocesan sources have confirmed that Bishop Martino will resign as Bishop of Scranton next week. This comes after months of rumors and speculation, which have accelerated rapidly in the past few days. It is likely that Cardinal Rigali of Philadelphia will administrate the Diocese of Scranton until a replacement is named by the Vatican. Be sure to keep Bishop Martino and the diocese of Scranton in your prayers at this critical time. Pray, too, that the Holy Spirit will guide and direct Pope Benedict as he names his appointment to the see of Scranton. A private press conference will be held on Monday morning. The Diocese has withheld any comment until that time.

More Churches Closed

It’s getting to be a regular feature in the local newspapers: Catholic church holds closing Mass. Each article, apart from the name and location of the church, is quite similar. A beautiful, small Catholic church with years of history holds its final Mass. There’s a procession out of the Church with the Blessed Sacrament and maybe a statue or two. Tearful parishioners can’t believe that their home is being taken away from them. This story has appeared so many times in recent weeks (and will continued to be a featured item for years to come) that the local papers should consider devoting a whole section to it. The diocesan newspaper already has a page devoted to “Parishes in Transition.”

There is something gravely wrong in the Diocese of Scranton. And there is no mercy for displaced parishioners, either. Today’s Times-Leader reports that “…the task of leading the St. Nazarius community [Hazleton] through its final days fell to a priest who arrived only a week ago.” Last week, Saint Joseph’s in Georgetown celebrated its final Mass, as did Sacred Heart in Plains Township.

Diocese Announces Priest Assignments

Catholic Watchdog readers may be interested to know that the complete list of clergy assignments, effective July 15 or as noted, are now available on the diocesan website.

Diocese to close two (more) schools

In the aftermath of massive school closures and consolidations, the Diocese of Scranton has quietly announced that two more schools will close at the end of the academic year. St. Aloysius Elementary in South Wilkes-Barre and Sts. Peter and Paul School in Plains will not reopen in September.

WBRE first reported the news last evening, but as of this morning, no official notice has appeared on the diocesan website. Teachers were informed at a faculty meeting yesterday afternoon. The closing of St. Aloysius and Sts. Peter and Paul brings to an end more than one hundred years of Catholic education in the Wilkes-Barre area. Moreover, the closures will leave only one Catholic elementary school in operation in the city of Wilkes-Barre.

In a recent televised message regarding the special second collections for the Diocesan Annual Appeal, Bishop Martino asks us to “imagine Catholic television going dark….” He goes on to stress the importance of parish religious education programs, the priestly retirement fund, etc. and urges all to give generously to the appeal. However, with news of more school closings just announced and massive parish closings just around the corner, the faithful have many questions. Many would agree that the priorities of the Diocese of Scranton are in need of serious reevaluation. The school consolidation process was supposed to strengthen and preserve Catholic education in our region. But since the first round of closings, three more elementary schools have closed. Furthermore, there is a serious problem in communication. Bishop Martino has made sure that the public was well aware of his displeasure with Senator Casey’s recent voting record. But has he taken the time to engage in open, honest, and compassionate dialogue with the teachers, students, and parishioners whose lives will be greatly affected by his decisions? We learned of the latest closures from a local television news outlet. As of this morning, no official notice has been posted on the diocesan website.

The implications of this story are huge. Before Bishop Martino’s school restructuring, there were four Catholic elementary schools in Wilkes-Barre, not including Sts. Peter and Paul’s in neighboring Plains Township. In all of Luzerne County, only eight Catholic elementary schools will remain for the 2009-2010 school year; only one of those schools, St. Nicholas/St. Mary’s, is located in the city of Wilkes-Barre. As a result, even more students will enter the public school system. Holy Redeemer High School will be adversely affected as it loses two more feeder schools.

The future of Catholic education in the Wyoming Valley looks bleak, but it is worth fighting for. We need to rethink our priorities, refocus our energy, and invest in the future of our churches and schools.

We’ve only just begun…

Pessimism abounds in the Diocese of Scranton these days, both from clergy and the laity, and with good reason. The current policies of the diocesan leadership will close an unbelievable amount of our churches, turning away all but a faithful remnant of lay Catholics. I have argued many times that this approach is not acceptable.

Some are ready to give up the fight. It’s not worth the effort, they say. But Northeastern Pennsylvania is such an amazing place. We have a fascinating history, a rich cultural legacy, and beautiful geographic features. There is a future here. We’ve only just begun. We can rebuild what we have lost. We can breathe new life into our time-honored structures. But we have to act now before it’s too late, and the diocese’s planned renewal is not the way to do it.

Creating a strong Catholic culture is one of the principal ways toward true renewal or restoration of our diocese. Liturgy, music, and devotional practices are all facets of Catholic culture. A distinctive element of the Polish Catholic tradition is the Lenten service of Lamentations called Gorzie Zale, or “bitter sorrows.” This service begins with a pobudka, or wake-up call, bidding church-goers to prepare themselves to mediate on the sorrows of the suffering Christ. A meditation is given and Gorzkie Zale przybywajcie is sung, followed by a hymn, a series of lamentations, a sorrowful discourse between the soul and the Blessed Mother, and concluding with a threefold repetition of Ktorys za nas cierpal rany, or “By thy wounds and sacred passion, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.” This same pattern is repeated two more times with different hymns and lamentations throughout Lent. Benediction is usually given and a Polish Lenten hymn is customarily sung at the end of the service.

Gorzkie Zale will be sung this Sunday, March 8 at St. Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Mocanaqua beginning at 2:00 PM. This is the first such service at the church in many years. Readers who know of other churches offering Gorzkie Zale during Lent are encouraged to leave a comment with more information. The revival of beautiful customs such as the Polish Gorzkie Zale are positive steps toward true renewal. I strongly encourage you to support – or initiate – such efforts at your parish.

Diocese hires lobbying firm to fight HB 26

Via the SDACT blog, we learn that the Diocese of Scranton has hired the Bravo Group, a Harrisburg based lobbying firm, to present the diocese’s case against HB 26. Regardless of one’s opinion of the Catholic school teacher’s union, this revelation raises many questions. In a diocese where dozens of schools have been closed, where half the parishes are about to be suppressed, and where the financial outlook is bleak, funds have been secured to hire a lobbying firm. Is this good stewardship of the church’s financial resources?

Saving Sacred Heart, Part 2

Perhaps one of the most unfortunate aspects of Bishop Martino’s restructuring plan is his decision to close Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in North Wilkes-Barre. Not only is Sacred Heart an active Catholic parish with dedicated, hardworking and determined parishioners, it is a landmark structure of great historical significance not only to the Catholic church, but to the people of Northeast Pennsylvania and to science.

Father Jozef Murgas, former pastor of the church, sent the first wireless radio transmission from Wilkes-Barre to Scranton. A true Renaissance man, Father Murgas found time to practice his skills as an artist and naturalist in addition to priestly service to the Slovak Catholics of North Wilkes-Barre. Sacred Heart deserves to continue not only because of its historical significance, but more importantly, because of its spiritual significance to the people of North Wilkes-Barre.

The people of Sacred Heart are willing to fight to keep their parish open. Yesterday, in a press conference on the steps of their beloved church, members of the Sacred Heart Foundation reaffirmed their resolve to “preserve, maintain and protect” their parish for years to come.

The Foundation also noted the gravity of Bishop Martino’s decisions in light of similar situations in other American dioceses. From their press release:

We have been active during the last few months investigating the trends of church closings all over the country. In Boston, MA, where parishioner efforts are ongoing to save their churches … approximately 25% of the churches in that diocese were closed. …. In New Orleans, LA, where there has been massive resistance to the announced church closings, less than 10% of the churches were closed. The closing of churches announced this weekend by Bishop Martino is the most massive program to close Catholic churches in our nation. As has been reported, nearly 50% of all churches in the diocese are to be closed.

The shuttering of nearly half of the churches in our diocese is a drastic and unnecessary move. While some changes may have been necessary, the magnitude of the decisions cannot be justified.

Diocese to close 78 churches

From this morning’s Times-Leader:

Across the 11-county Diocese of Scranton, The Times Leader tally showed 78 churches closing and another 30 consolidating but remaining available as additional worship sites. A few clusters listed consolidations without expressly noting the fate of a church building.

Read the final decisions here.

Church Closings in the Diocese of Scranton

From the diocesan website:

The Bishop acknowledged that some parishioners would experience sorrow, perhaps even anger, if the church they are used to attending should close.

“I know that you love your churches,” he said. “But I also know that you love God and your faith even more. You want to see the faith preserved and handed down to future generations. And so, I believe you will recognize that changes must be made to deal with the realities of the present day.

“It’s only natural for us to want things to be the way we prefer. But as I said in my pastoral letter four years ago, we must be prepared to announce the Good News of Jesus Christ not as we would have it, but as Jesus intends it. We must be responsible and grateful stewards of the gifts and talents God has given us. We must use them wisely and productively to bring about the spiritual and pastoral renewal of the Diocese. That is the essence of Called to Holiness and Mission.”

Bishop Martino told The Catholic Light that change is a sign of life, and he cited how Jesus prayed at the Last Supper that all might be one.

“Our Lord’s words should inspire us to worship together as one community, not as separate congregations,” the Bishop said.

He added that the state of the economy and demographics are forcing businesses, governmental units and organizations everywhere to seriously examine their structures and devise ways to consolidate and operate more efficiently. Recent local media accounts have encouraged cooperation across the region.

Is the closure of dozens of churches how Jesus intends us to spread the Gospel in the twenty-first century? Does Jesus’ prayer Ut omnes unum sint really apply to church consolidation? The final decisions announced this weekend in the diocese of Scranton are heartbreaking, and the commentary and rationale presented here does little to ease the pain.

Yes, the people of the diocese of Scranton love God; that’s why we love our churches. We also understand the need for some changes. But the drastic measures announced this weekend will do much more damage than good. These trials will undoubtedly shake the faith of even some of the strongest believers. How will we be able to evangelize when so few structures remain? What message does a closed Catholic church send to those who do not share our faith? How will this process encourage vocations?

Here are the final decisions for the Southern Pastoral region. To view a PDF of the original, or to see results from the other regions, please visit the diocesan website.

FINAL DECISIONS FOR THE SOUTHERN PASTORAL REGION

CLUSTER # 1 – the parishes of Gate of Heaven, Dallas; Our Lady of Victory, Harvey’s
Lake; St. Therese, Shavertown; St. Frances X. Cabrini, Carverton; Our Lady of Mount
Carmel, Lake Silkworth:
• The creation of a Partnership among Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Lake Silkworth and the
linked/consolidated parishes of the cluster. Fiscal viability of Our Lady of Mount Carmel will be
evaluated annually. If it is unable to remain fiscally stable it will be linked to Gate of Heaven,
Dallas.
• St. Therese, Shavertown and St. Frances X. Cabrini, Carverton will consolidate no later than
July 2011 at the St. Therese site. There will be an additional worship site at St. Frances X. Cabrini
(one Mass per weekend and occasional use for weddings and funerals) which will be reviewed in
two years based on geography, attendance, fiscal realities and the availability of priests. The
Mission Church of Blessed Sacrament, Centermoreland will close no later than July 2009.
• Gate of Heaven, Dallas and Our Lady of Victory, Harvey’s Lake will link no later than July 2009
working toward consolidation no later than July 2011 at the Gate of Heaven site. There will be an
additional worship site at Our Lady of Victory (Masses as needed on weekends and occasional use
for weddings and funerals) which will be reviewed in two years based on geography, attendance,
fiscal realities and the availability of priests.

CLUSTER #2 – the parishes of Holy Family, Luzerne; St. Ignatius, Kingston; Holy
Name/St. Mary, Swoyersville; Holy Trinity, Swoyersville; St. Mary
Annunciation, Kingston:
• St. Ignatius, Kingston and St. Mary Annunciation, Kingston, will consolidate no later than
July 2010 at the St. Ignatius site. St. Mary Annunciation should consolidate with St. Ignatius as
soon as possible given the parish debt which will only increase the longer it takes the parish to
consolidate. St. Mary Annunciation Church building will close no later than July 2010. St. Ann
Chapel can continue to be an additional worship site (Masses as needed on weekends and
occasional use for weddings and funerals) but this will be reviewed after two years, based on
geography, attendance, fiscal realities and the availability of priests.
• Holy Name/St. Mary of Czestochowa, Swoyersville and Holy Trinity, Swoyersville will link no
later than July 2009 leading to consolidation no later than July 2012 at the Holy Trinity site. St.
Mary of Czestochowa Church building will close no later than 2012.
• The creation of a Partnership among Holy Family, Luzerne, the consolidated parish in Kingston
and the consolidated parish in Swoyersville.

CLUSTER # 3 – the parishes of Holy Rosary, Wilkes-Barre; Maternity BVM, Wilkes-
-Barre; St. Patrick, Wilkes-Barre; St. Boniface, Wilkes-Barre; Holy Trinity, Wilkes-
-Barre; St. Joseph, Wilkes-Barre Township:

• Maternity of the BVM, Wilkes-Barre, Holy Trinity, Wilkes-Barre, and St. Joseph, Wilkes-
Barre Township will consolidate no later than July 2010 at the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin
Mary site. Holy Trinity and St. Joseph Church buildings will close no later than July 2010.
• St. Patrick, Wilkes-Barre, St. Boniface, Wilkes-Barre and Holy Rosary, Wilkes-Barre will
consolidate no later than July 2010 at the St. Patrick site. Both the Holy Rosary Church building
and St. Boniface Church building will close no later than July 2010.

CLUSTER # 4 – the parishes of St. Nicholas, Wilkes-Barre; St. Mary of the Immaculate
Conception, Wilkes-Barre; St. Joseph (Slovak), Wilkes-Barre; St. Aloysius, Wilkes-Barre;
St. Casimir, Wilkes-Barre (Lyndwood); St. Therese, Wilkes-Barre; Exaltation Holy
Cross, Hanover Twp. (Buttonwood):
• The creation of a Partnership between St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Wilkes-Barre and
St. Nicholas, Wilkes-Barre effective July 2009. Hispanic Ministry is to be located at St. Nicholas
no later than July 2009.
• St. Joseph, Wilkes-Barre, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Wilkes-Barre, and St. Therese,
Wilkes-Barre will consolidate no later than July 2011 at the St. Mary of the Immaculate
Conception site. Both the St. Joseph Church building and the St. Therese Church building will
close no later than July 2011.
• St. Aloysius, Wilkes-Barre and St. Casimir, Wilkes-Barre (Lyndwood) will consolidate no later
than July 2011 at the St. Aloysius site, pending a meeting with the Diocesan Director of Finance,
the Diocesan Facilities Manager and the Director of Called to Holiness and Mission to determine
the financial cost for renovation of St. Aloysius. If the renovation cost of St. Aloysius is acceptable,
St. Casimir Church building will close no later than July 2011.
• The creation of a Partnership among all the parishes no later than July 2009.
• St. Aloysius, Wilkes-Barre and Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Hanover Township will link no later
than July 2009.

CLUSTER # 5 – the parishes of Blessed Sacrament, Wilkes-Barre;
St. Francis, Wilkes-Barre; St. John the Baptist, Wilkes-Barre;
St. Dominic, Wilkes-Barre:
• St. Francis of Assisi, Wilkes-Barre, St. John the Baptist, Wilkes-Barre, Blessed Sacrament, Wilkes-
Barre, and St. Dominic, Wilkes-Barre will consolidate no later than July 2010 at the St. Dominic
site. The Church buildings of St. John the Baptist, St. Francis of Assisi, and Blessed Sacrament will
close no later than July 2010.

CLUSTER # 6 – the parishes of Sacred Heart of Jesus/St. John the
Evangelist, Wilkes-Barre; St. Stanislaus Kostka, Wilkes-Barre;
Holy Saviour, Wilkes-Barre:
• Sacred Heart of Jesus/St. John the Evangelist, Wilkes-Barre, St. Stanislaus Kostka, Wilkes-Barre
and Holy Saviour, Wilkes-Barre will consolidate no later than July 2010 at the St. Stanislaus site.
There will be an additional worship site (Masses as needed per weekend and occasional use for
weddings and funerals) at Holy Saviour which will be reviewed after two years, based on
geography, attendance, fiscal realities and the availability of priests. Sacred Heart of Jesus /St. John

the Evangelist Church building and the Mission Church of St. Christopher, Bear Creek Township
will close no later than July 2010.

CLUSTER # 7 – the parishes of Our Lady Help Christians, Dorrance; St. Jude, Mountain
Top; St. Patrick, White Haven:
• St. Jude, Mountain Top, Our Lady Help of Christians, Dorrance, and St. Patrick, White Haven will
link no later than July 2010.

CLUSTER # 8 – the parishes of Holy Trinity, Nanticoke; St. Stanislaus, Nanticoke;
St. Mary of Czestochowa, Nanticoke; St. Francis, Nanticoke; St. Joseph
(Slovak), Nanticoke; Holy Child, Sheatown:

• Holy Trinity, Nanticoke; St. Stanislaus, Nanticoke; St. Mary Czestochowa, Nanticoke; St. Francis,
Nanticoke; St. Joseph (Slovak), Nanticoke; and Holy Child, Sheatown will consolidate no later
than July 2010 at the Holy Trinity site. There will be an additional worship site (Masses as needed
per weekend with occasional funerals and weddings) at St. Mary of Czestochowa which will be
evaluated no later than two years after the consolidation, based on geography, attendance, fiscal
realities and the availability of priests. St. Francis Church building will close no later than July
2009. The Church buildings of St. Stanislaus, St. Joseph, and Holy Child will close no later than
July 2010.

CLUSTER # 9 – the parishes of St. Cecilia, Exeter; St. John the Baptist, Exeter;
St. Anthony of Padua, Exeter; Our Lady of Sorrows, West Wyoming;
St. Joseph, Wyoming; Immaculate Conception, West Pittston; Holy Redeemer, Harding:
• The creation of a Partnership among St. Cecilia, Exeter, St. John the Baptist, Exeter, St. Anthony of
Padua, Exeter, Our Lady of Sorrows, West Wyoming, St. Joseph, Wyoming,
Immaculate Conception, West Pittston, and Holy Redeemer, Harding effective July 2009 to begin
accomplishing their stated goals.
• Holy Redeemer, Harding, and Immaculate Conception, West Pittston will consolidate no later than
July 2011 at the Immaculate Conception site. There will be an additional worship site (Masses as
needed per weekend with occasional funerals and weddings) at Holy Redeemer, Harding which will
be evaluated two years after the consolidation, based on geography, attendance, fiscal realities and
the availability of priests.
• St. John the Baptist, Exeter, St. Cecilia, Exeter and St. Anthony, Exeter will consolidate no later
than July 2011 at the St. Anthony site. There will be an additional worship site (Masses as needed
per weekend with occasional funerals and weddings) at St. Cecilia which will be evaluated two
years after the consolidation, based on geography, attendance, fiscal realities and the availability of
priests. St. John the Baptist Church building will close no later than July 2011.
• Our Lady of Sorrows, West Wyoming and St. Joseph, Wyoming will consolidate no later than July
2011 at the St. Joseph site. There will be an additional worship site (Masses as needed per weekend
with occasional funerals and weddings) at Our Lady of Sorrows which will be evaluated two years
after the consolidation, based on geography, attendance, fiscal realities and the availability of
priests.

CLUSTER # 10 – the parishes of Blessed Sacrament, Hughestown; St. Mary Help
Christians, Pittston; St. Mary Assumption, Pittston; Our Lady Mt. Carmel, Pittston;
St. Rocco, Pittston; St. John Evangelist, Pittston:
• Blessed Sacrament, Hughestown, St. Mary Assumption, Pittston and St. Mary Help of Christians,
Pittston will consolidate no later than July 2012 at the St. Mary Help of Christians site. The Church
buildings of Blessed Sacrament and St. Mary Assumption will close no later than July 2012.
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pittston and St. Rocco, Pittston will consolidate no later than July
2012 at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel site. St. Rocco Church building will close no later than July
2012.
• The creation of a Partnership among St. John the Evangelist, Pittston and the two newly
consolidated parishes by July 2012.

CLUSTER # 11– the parishes of St. Martha, Fairmont Springs; St. Mary, Mocanaqua;
Ascension, Mocanaqua; Corpus Christi, Glen Lyon:
• St. Mary, Mocanaqua, Ascension, Mocanaqua, St. Martha, Fairmount Springs and Corpus Christi,
Glen Lyon will consolidate no later than July 2011 at the St. Mary, Mocanaqua site. There will be
additional worship sites (the possibility of weekend Masses with occasional funerals and weddings)
at St. Martha and in Newport Township which will be reviewed after two years, based on
geography, attendance, fiscal realities and the availability of priests. As part of the process of
consolidation further study needs to be done by the Implementation Commission related to the
worship site in Newport Township. Ascension Church building will close no later than July 2011.

CLUSTER # 12 – the parishes of Holy Family, Sugar Notch; St. Charles Borromeo, Sugar
Notch; St. Leo, Ashley:
• Holy Family, Sugar Notch and St. Charles Borromeo, Sugar Notch will consolidate no later than
July 2009 at the Holy Family site. St. Charles Borromeo Church building will close no later than
July 2009.
• The creation of a Partnership between the consolidated Sugar Notch Parishes and the recently
consolidated St. Leo, Ashley no later than July 2009.

CLUSTER # 13 – the parishes of Holy Rosary, Duryea; Sacred Heart, Duryea;
St. Joseph, Duryea; St. Mary, Avoca; SS. Peter and Paul, Avoca; Sacred Heart of
Jesus, Dupont:
Holy Rosary, Duryea, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Duryea, and St. Joseph, Duryea will consolidate
no later than July 2011 at the Holy Rosary site. Holy Rosary will now be a territorial parish with
the boundaries of Duryea Borough. Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Joseph Church buildings will
close no later than 2011.
SS. Peter and Paul, Avoca and St. Mary, Avoca will link no later than July 2009 and then
consolidate no later than July 2012 at the St. Mary site. SS. Peter and Paul Church building will
close no later than July 2012.
The creation of a Partnership among Sacred Heart of Jesus, Dupont and the newly consolidated
parishes beginning in July 2009.
CLUSTER # 14 – the parishes of St. Maria Goretti, Laflin; St. Mark, Inkerman; SS. Peter
& Paul, Plains; Sacred Heart of Jesus, Plains; St. Joseph, Hudson:.
• Saints Peter & Paul, Plains, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Plains, and St. Joseph, Hudson will consolidate
no later than July 2010 at the Saints Peter & Paul site. Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Joseph Church
buildings will close no later than July 2010.
• St. Maria Goretti, Laflin and St. Mark, Inkerman will consolidate no later than July 2009 at the St.
Maria Goretti site. St. Mark Church building will close no later than July 2009.
• The creation of a Partnership between the newly consolidated parishes

CLUSTER # 15 – the parishes of All Saints, Plymouth; St. John Baptist, Larksville:
• The creation of a Partnership between All Saints, Plymouth, which has recently consolidated, and
St. John the Baptist, Larksville no later than July 2009. No later than July 2012, All Saints,
Plymouth and St. John the Baptist, Larksville are to study the demographics and financial statistics
for viability and consider whether linkage or consolidation might be an option.