Bishop: Lower Mass Attendance, Fewer Priests Require Changes

(WHBC) – With fewer people going to church services and fewer priests, the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown is planning more changes.

This, according to a pastoral letter from Bishop George Murry.

Pastors and parishioners will meet on a regional level to consider those changes.

In any case, no church will have more than 3 Masses on a weekend, and no priest will preside over more than three Masses.

Stark County churches are being placed in four different regions based on compass direction.

The downtown churches will fall in the North region .

Across the diocese, Mass attendance is down 60% since the year 2000.