July 12, 2013

Connected in the Spirit: Batesville Deanery

On June 6, 2013, Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin announced sweeping changes in the Batesville Deanery that affect 26 of the 27 parishes in the deanery, plus three faith communities in two other deaneries.

The decisions were the result of a two-year involvement of the Batesville Deanery’s pastoral leaders and representatives of its lay members in the Connected in the Spirit planning process.

Archbishop Tobin said the goal of the process was to help parishes “discern where God is leading the Church in central and southern Indiana, and to discuss how the Archdiocese of Indianapolis should change its structures in order to carry out its mission today and in the future.”

While some parishes will close, other parishes will be linked together in such a way that they will share a priest, other staff members and create joint programs, ministries and committees.

Finally, some parishes will create a partnership. While they will retain their own pastor or sacramental minister, they will collaborate in implementing shared programs and other staff members.

Recommendations regarding the Batesville Deanery parishes that came out of the Connected in the Spirit process had been made before Archbishop Tobin was appointed to lead the Church in central and southern Indiana last fall.

Following are the decrees for Batesville Deanery process that are required to be printed in The Criterion, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
 

Read all the decrees here

 

Local site Links: