St. Elizabeth's Tabbed for Parish 'Collaborative'

Acton’s St. Elizabeth of Hungary and St. Isidore of Stow would be grouped into a parish collaborative under second phase of the Archdiocese of Boston’s reorganization plan announced late last week.

The Archdiocese explains its plan, dubbed Disciples of Mission, on a website by that same name. This second phase of the plan will group 44 parishes into 21 collaboratives; the first phase grouped 28 parishes into 12 collaboratives. 

Disciples in Mission, according to the Archdiocese's introduction to the Pastoral Plan, "seeks to revitalize the Church in Boston by positioning our parishes more solidly for the task of evangelization." 

And here's how the Globe, in its report following the announcement Friday, described it: 

The reorganization is part of a plan to address declining Mass attendance, financial struggles, and a shrinking number of priests, the Globe reported earlier this year.

The reorganization, church officials say, will help parishes share resources. Each parish will remain open but will join a collaborative, with one pastor who will lead a team of priests, and one parish council and one finance council.

According to The Boston Pilot, the second phase of this pastoral planning was fast-tracked based on lessons learned during the implementation of Phase 1.

More from the Pilot’s report:

As the process starts, the Office for Pastoral Planning will hold parish consultation meetings to discuss the qualities they hope to have in a new pastor. Current pastors at the 44 parishes have been asked to submit letters of resignation to the cardinal but can reapply to be pastor of their former parish as can any other priest in the archdiocese. It is expected that the new pastors, one for each collaborative, will be announced by Christmas. The assignments will become effective on June 4, 2014.

Below you'll find a full list of the area parishes tapped for a collaborative grouping in Phase 2 of the Archdiocese of Boston's reorganization plan. For the list with stats and links, click here or on the PDF posted above.

Phase 2 Collaboratives

• St. Anne's of Littleton and St. Catherine's of Westford
• Holy Family of Amesbury and Star of the Sea in Salisbury
• St. Dorothy's and St. Thomas, both of Wilmington
• Blessed Sacrament and St. Margaret, both of Saugus
• St. Joseph's and St. Francis, both of Medford
• Our Lady of Good Voyage and Holy Family, both of Gloucester
• St. Clare's of Braintree and St. Francis of Assisi of Braintree
• St. Mary's of Hanover, and St. Helen's of Norwell
• Sacred Heart, St. Ann and St. Mary, all of Quincy
• St. Agatha's of Milton (stand alone)
• Immaculate Conception and St. James, both of Stoughton
• St. Elizabeth's of Acton and St. Isidore of Stow
• St. Patrick's and St. Linus, both of Natick
• Our Lady of Sorrows in Sharon, and Blessed Sacrament and St. Mary's, of Walpole, and Saint Anne, Readville
• Most Precious Blood of Hyde Park, St. Pius of Milton, and St. Anne's of Readville
• St. Ann's and St. Brendan's, both of Dorchester
• St. Agnes in Middleton and St. Rose's of Topsfield
• St. Edward's of Medfield and St. Jude's in Norfolk
• Holy Ghost in Whitman and St. Bridget's in Abington
• St. Michael in North Andover
• Immaculate Conception, Holy Trinity, and St. Anthony's, all of Lowell