On June 6 at the priest convocation in Brown County, the priests of diocese received an embargoed presentation on what changes that we can expect. I am not yet at liberty to discuss specifics. This information will be made public at deanery meetings throughout the diocese during the week of June 23. In our deanery the meeting will be at Saint Mary in Muncie from 9 to 11am on Thursday, June 27. I urge as many parishioners as possible to attend. We will be processing this information in the parishes in early July. I will say that on a general level I am very happy with the fruits of this process. The diocese has provided a broad framework for very necessary changes in how we use resources and left the specific implementation to the local level, which is as it should be.
We have seen remarkable growth in our parish cluster in the past year. Our Mass attendance is up approximately 25% relative to October 2017. Sunday collection at Saint Paul is up almost 8%, which has helped us avoid having to cut parish staff in order to have a balanced budget. Baptisms in the parish cluster have doubled. We have tremendous momentum already and I am very convinced that we will be able to keep it going. Your engagement in the parish-level process will be crucial for the success of this pastoral plan and a brighter future for Saint Paul and Holy Family. As with all change, there will be opportunities and sacrifices. Unlike much of the changes we have seen in Grant County in the past decades, this change will be positive if we approach it with an open heart.