As was previously reported here, a decision is expected on the N.E. Rochester plan from co-administrators Deb Housel and Fr. Paul Gitau next week. Since the Diocese of Rochester uses the October Mass counts as the “official” yearly attendance numbers for each parish, it seems worthwhile to take a look at the October numbers so far for the N.E. Rochester cluster.
In order from highest to lowest, average in parenthesis:
Corpus Christi (“Our Lady of the Americas”): 332, 372 (352)
St. Michael (“Our Lady of the Angels”): 326, 369 (348)
St. Andrew (“Light of Christ”): 222, 212 (217)
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (“Our Lady of the Angels”): 218, 141 (180)
Annunciation (“Light of Christ”): 132, 145 (139)
I think the decision is pretty clear when it comes to selecting the top two sites, since Corpus Christi and St. Michael are so far ahead of the other sites in attendance, have the largest worship spaces, and seem to offer the greatest potential for future growth (at least St. Michael does). The tough part comes with choosing a third site, assuming there will be three and not two.
St. Andrew/OLPH/Annunciation… who will it be? I think it could be St. Andrew, but you never know what the diocese might be thinking. Annunciation is a name that has surfaced recently, but that church appears to be the least desirable to accommodate any additional parishioners from closed churches. Feel free to post comments.
Update 10/22:
Here is a look at attendance from 2003 (last available year from the DoR) and the October 2010 numbers to this point.
Church | 2003 | 2010 | Change |
Corpus | 292 | 352 | +60* |
St. Michael | 434 | 348 | -86 |
St. Andrew | 312 | 217 | -95 |
OLPH | 429 | 180 | -249 |
Annun. | 429 | 139 | -290 |
*= CC merged with Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Francis Xavier, who averaged 389 and 232 respectively in 2003.
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I expect the announcement this weekend either verbally and/or in writing at all the masses in the cluster. Deb Housel said at the July sessions that she was going to be on vacation next week and that the plan would be delivered to the bishop before that.
In the recent Irondequoit disaster, when it was all said and done, it seemed that it came down to closing the churches with the least attendance figures. The reason given that the closings would impact the fewest people.
They just canned Deacon Beck an orthodox, holy man.