ST. LOUIS — In response to a decline in the St. Louis Catholic population, the Archdiocese is examining its parishes, schools, ministries and agencies for improvements and renewal in a multi-year planning initiative. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Archdiocese reported that the number of Catholics in the Archdiocese fell below 500,000 last year, a first since the 1960s

  • “All Things New” is a strategic pastoral planning initiative by the Archdiocese that began last year collecting demographic and financial data on all of its parishes and schools, as well as surveyed priests, deacons and stakeholders

  • This fall, parishioners will have a chance to voice their perspectives about the current state of parishes and schools in listening sessions that will be held in October and November for each parish

  • Relevant demographic, ministerial and financial data for each parish can be found online in what are called Parish Workbooks created by the Pastoral Planning Committee

In the coming weeks, parishioners will get their chance to weigh in on the what their area parishes will look like in the future as part of the “All Things New” strategic pastoral planning initiative by the Archdiocese. 

It began last year collecting demographic and financial data on all of its parishes and schools, as well as surveyed priests, deacons and stakeholders, according to the initiative’s website. 

Relevant demographic, ministerial and financial data for each parish can be found online in what are called Parish Workbooks created by the Pastoral Planning Committee. The workbooks also have data from the past 20 years from parishes across the St. Louis region and highlight historical trends and future projections, according to the website.

The workbooks additionally discuss population trends within the church as a whole, stating that Catholics in the Archdiocese fell below 500,000 last year, a first since the 1960s. 

“We have more baptisms than funerals and we have nearly 1,000 enter the church each year. Our numbers should be growing by 2,000 per year," according to the Archdiocese. 

Additionally, 5,000 Catholics are leaving the Church or are not re-engaging after high school or college.

As for Catholic elementary schools, the Archdiocese states that its current model for schools "cannot continue" as the cost to education costs oupace tuition increases, among other reasons. 

This fall, parishioners will have a chance to voice their perspectives about the current state of parishes and schools in listening sessions that will be held in October and November for each parish. 

During the listening sessions, a trained facilitator will share pre-recorded messages from Archbishop Rozanski and Fr. Chris Martin about the planning initiative and multiple draft model options for parishioners to consider and provide feedback on, according to the website.

The sessions will help how the Archdiocese should restructure them in the final recommendation. The parishes have been divided into different planning stages of the initiative.

The Archdiocese will make all of the sessions public once each one has taken place and there will be an additional opportunity for parishioners to provide feedback through an online survey, according to the website.  

Parishioners are encouraged to review their parish’s workbook before attending their listen session.

While the Archdiocese is not in a position yet to say if or which parishes or schools would close, “we anticipate a significant impact on our current blueprint,” the website states.

“The final recommendation will be the product of more than two years of prayer, discernment, consultative work and numerous iterations. The announcement will be on Pentecost, May 28, 2023.”

The Archdiocese is working with the Catholic Leadership Institute, “a nonprofit apostolate that works with dioceses nationally and internationally helping bishops build diocesan teams, training parish leaders and assisting in development of strategic plans.”

For more information on “All Things New,” the listening sessions, Parish Workbooks and more, click here.