In Scotland, Catholic archbishop kicks off tour for parish renewal

Edinburgh, Scotland, Dec 7, 2015 / 12:07 pm

Archbishop Leo Cushley of St. Andrews and Edinburgh will tour his archdiocese to meet with parishioners and discuss the future of the Catholic Church in their areas.

"My big message is that the renewal and, yes, growth of the Catholic Church in our part of Scotland is very possible but only if we create vibrant Christian communities centered on Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist," Archbishop Cushley said Dec. 3.

He said renewal and growth require "a realistic discussion" about the best use of each community's material and spiritual resources. These include resources like "numbers of priests, parishioners and church buildings."

The archbishop plans to hold public meetings in all 31 pastoral areas of the archdiocese.

"I come into all of this with an open mind as to what the future holds for the Catholic Church in each area of the archdiocese – that's why people should come along to these public meetings to make their view heard," he said.

Archbishop Cushley launched his tour at St. Peter's Primary School in Edinburgh's Morningside district. He and some of the school's children gathered on a giant map of Scotland for the tour launch.

The archbishop held his first public meeting Dec. 5 in Edinburgh.

Following each meeting, the archdiocese's pastoral resources department will develop and deliver a year-long consultation process.

The review process could result in the consolidation of some parishes, but the archbishop said no decisions have been reached.

The Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh has about 1.5 million people, about 120,000 of whom are Catholic. Archbishop Cushley has headed the archdiocese since 2013.