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In a Thursday letter to the Revs. Frank Lioi and Stephen N. Karani, of Auburn, Matano announced that for now, none of the nine Catholic churches in the area will close.

"No mandate at this time is given to close any church," he wrote in the letter, which was provided by Lioi to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. 

However, the bishop continued, he now asks the parishes of those churches to "present their concrete efforts made to divest themselves of unnecessary properties and to utilize only those facilities needed to serve the religious, pastoral and spiritual needs of the faithful." Matano asks that the parishes complete this effort by Sept. 1, 2022.

Matano said that effort should be guided by the work of the pastoral planning committee that, in June, recommended the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester close four of the area's nine churches: St. Alphonsus, St. Francis of Assisi and Holy Family churches in Auburn, and St. Joseph Church in Weedsport. Formed in response to a June 2020 request by Matano for a pastoral plan for the area, the committee spent the next year researching the condition of the nine church properties, parish life trends, priest scarcity and other relevant factors.

The committee based its recommendations on that research, as well as extensive feedback collected from the public. Along with an online survey, hearings were held at St. Hyacinth Church in April, and Matano himself listened to parishioners at St. Francis of Assisi and Holy Family churches in July. Each hearing was attended by at least 150 people. 

"I also am grateful for the number of people who came to these meetings, which evidenced significant participation among the faithful regarding this initiative," Matano wrote. "Many presenters expressed their concerns respectfully and with genuine love for their particular parishes. On the other hand, some have preconceived opinions and I regret that my words may not have been well accepted by these persons. This only illustrates that on our parts we must do more to communicate the reality of the situation."

In accordance with canon law, the bishop reviewed the committee's recommendations with the Diocesan Presbyteral Council earlier this summer before coming to his decision. 

Along with heeding those recommendations, Matano asks the parishes of the area's nine churches to consider six factors as they help determine their future:

• Ministry needs for the area, areas of collaboration among parishes, ministry priorities in anticipation of future clergy availability and potential clustering, and the additional ministry needs of Auburn Correctional Facility, The Commons on St. Anthony, Auburn Community Hospital and Cayuga Community College.

• Administrative needs for the parishes, which should be combined wherever possible.

• The realignment of staffing and ministries (including faith formation, youth ministry and visitation of the homebound) to meet ministerial and administrative needs with financial responsibility.

• The types and availability of volunteer leadership, and training that will be needed as a result. 

• Current building usage and anticipated repairs, which should be assessed in order to develop long-term plans for usage or sale.

• Financial resources needed for evangelization and religious education in the wake of the closure of St. Joseph School last year.

By March 1, 2022, Matano said, parishes should consult with their leadership and present to the Diocesan Office for Pastoral Planning what steps they've taken in response to his request and what goals need to be reached by Sept. 1, 2022. The bishop added that any property sales already under consideration need not wait until that date to proceed.

"The work of the Planning Committee should not have been done in vain," Matano wrote. The planning committee's research, he continued, shows "steps must be taken now if we are to be good stewards of our resources and realistically provide for the strong continuation of the faith in this much appreciated area of our Diocese."