Diocese proposes drastic cut in weekend masses

ROERMOND - A reduction of the number of weekend Eucharist celebrations is the objective of the Roman Catholic diocese of Roermond so the workload of its priests can become manageable again. With the shortage of priests in the diocese, many look after three or four parishes. To avoid burn-outs, the diocese’s vicar-general proposes one weekend mass per parish instead of the current three or four celebrations. With the impending changes, the diocese official favours a fixed mass schedule in the parishes. Among the problems priests face are the conflicting demands of their parish councils, which could improve the organization of the work between them. Roermond is down to 250 priests of which 200 serve in the parishes, down another 30 from last year.