June 04, 2023
Change in Mass Times
After consultation with Bishop Fernandes, the diocesan Real Presence, Real Future (RPRF) Planning Commission, parish clergy, staff and Data Team, we will be reducing the Sunday and Daily Mass Schedule.
With the RPRF announcement that Our Lady will not be assigned a new parochial vicar, and with Fr. Watson retiring on July 1, 2023 we will have one less full-time priest. Four Masses on the weekend for one priest is beyond anyone’s expectations. Fr. Watson will continue to help us here at Our Lady, but as a retired priest, I desire to honor and respect his pastoral achievement, and not expect him to keep a full-time parish schedule. I expect him to regularly take care of a “round” 18 parishioners in need of “spiritual” guidance.
Our Lady has been studying Mass attendance well before I moved here. The Data Team has been very active, and because of that, we have data to support reducing the Mass schedule. It was already being discussed prior to my arrival, and prior to the pandemic. With a seating capacity of 800 persons in the Nave, we have not been meeting a 50% seating capacity for most Masses.
Here is the breakdown of the numbers over the last five years and our current Mass count. The following is the average of recorded attendance between the First Weekend of Advent through Christ the King Sunday each year:
2017-2018 |
2018-2019 |
2019-2020 |
2020-2021 |
2021-2022 |
2022-2023 Current Count |
|
Vigil Mass 4:00pm (5:00PM) |
413/800 |
371/800 |
196/800 |
224/800 |
300/800 |
383/800 |
8:00am |
284/800 |
265/800 |
182/800 |
213/800 |
259/800 |
279/800 |
10:00am |
487/800 |
406/800 |
260/800 |
259/800 |
376/800 |
430/800 |
12:00pm |
367/800 |
300/800 |
156/800 |
196/800 |
261/800 |
295/800 |
Sunday Evening Mass |
227/800 |
214/800 |
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Average Total # of People / Available seats |
1778/4000 44.4% occupancy |
1556/4000 38.98% occupancy |
794/3200 24.8% occupancy |
892/3200 27.8% occupancy |
1196/3200 37.4% occupancy |
1387/3200 43.3% occupancy |
Therefore, the following Sunday Mass schedule will go into effect August 5th and 6th:
Saturday Vigil Mass 4:00pm
Sunday Mass 8:30am and 10:30am
I will also be eliminating the 6:30pm on Monday evening and the 6:30am with Adoration on Wednesday morning beginning July 3rd.
Daily Mass: Monday through Saturday 8:30am
I know that this might come as a shock, but the prospect of not making a change isn’t an option. Our doors remain open and we are fortunate enough to be a “stand alone” parish in the plan for Real Presence, Real Future. Reducing the Mass schedule is never an easy transition for a parish. I have had to do it many times in the past 16 years of being a priest. So I ask for your support and not gossip or backbiting as we move forward as a parish. Even with one less Mass, we are “Our Lady Strong” and I know we will remain a welcoming community and a shining light to the Grove City Community.
- Father Joe