Nearly 2,000 Catholics will gather for a two-day summit on the restructuring of parishes with the Chicago Archdiocese beginning Monday.
The 'Renew My Church' summit takes place at the Rosemont Convention Center, with the pastor and leadership of every parish invited to attend.
There have already been mergers and closures announced in neighborhoods throughout the city and suburbs as part of the overhaul that Cardinal Blase Cupich announced in February 2016.
Cupich said decreasing Mass attendance, financial problems and buildings in need of repair were some of the challenges facing the Catholic Church that ultimately spurred the initiative.
It’s estimated that by the year 2030, there will be only 240 priests for the Archdiocese’s current 336 parishes. Compare that to 1980, when there were more than 1,260 Chicago priests. Today, there are 750 active and retired priests.
