SPRINGFIELD — Fewer baptisms, weddings and churchgoers, along with a shrinking number of priests and rising deaths and funerals, are prompting the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield to rethink how it serves Catholics across western Massachusetts.
Church closures may be part of the process, which will include input from parishioners through a series of listening sessions over the coming months. Data will be collected by the end of the year, with changes expected to follow in the months and even years ahead.
Some changes outlined by Bishop William Byrne include making sure priests are deployed efficiently. One possibility is staggering Mass times so neighboring churches do not hold services at the same time.
“We want to maximize our capacity within each community to be able to sustain and welcome, and to grow,” said Byrne, fielding questions from the press on Wednesday ahead of the initiative’s announcement to churches across the diocese.
The structural realignment, under the banner of “One Church, One Mission, Many Communities,” is being explored after church attendance rates have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, diocesan officials said.
The changes are expected to have limited impact in Hampshire and Franklin counties. Berkshire County, meanwhile, may face the most changes.
The Rev. Chris Malatesta, vicar general of the diocese, said the initiative is not a “top-down” process, but rather a “bottom-up” conversation. Over the coming months, more than 60 listening sessions at 60 different churches will be held to gather data on attendance and other factors to determine the most feasible way to continue serving communities.
Byrne said that rather than imposing his authority, he wants to listen first.
“This is an important part of what Pope Francis and Pope Leo call synodality. It’s to be a listening church, so that we come and we say not, ‘Oh, here’s what I want you to do,’ or, ‘Here’s what I’m telling you to do.’”
Instead, the bishop said the discussions will focus on current demographic data, with parishioners serving as the “experts” on what is happening at the local level.
“My hope is that they’ll understand, engage in the process, and be productive and communicative. But there will be no secrets in this process,” Byrne said. “My hope is that it will be embraced by people to understand that we’re trying to do this for the good of our laity and our clergy, and then for the future — for our next generation.”
The initiative is being conducted in partnership with the Catholic Leadership Institute, a nonprofit consulting group that works with Roman Catholic dioceses on pastoral planning, data collection and revitalization initiatives.
The diocese said the goal is not to close churches, but Byrne acknowledged that closures could eventually be considered. “All things are on the table,” Byrne said when pressed on the possibility of closing churches.
As part of the press briefing, Byrne laid out some current data.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield spans Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties, and serves about 142,300 Catholics, according to 2025 statistics.
Across the diocese are 76 parishes, nine missions and two chapels, staffed by 65 diocesan priests, nine foreign priests and 10 members of religious orders. Of the 65 diocesan priests, 34 are 60 or older, including 14 who are eligible for retirement.
For a diocese that has undergone a number of parish closures and consolidations in the past two decades, the latest effort comes with an acknowledgment that change can be difficult.
“My hope is through all of this and the listening sessions that we have,” Malatesta said, “we can actually heal some things of the past.”
