Bishop Jeffrey Walsh has ordered the closure, ie, “extinctive union of Saint James Parish in Whittemore, Michigan and the consolidation of its territory with Saint Pius X Parish in Hale, Michigan”. This decree, dated September 19, 2025, is the latest example of a shrinking Catholic presence in northern lower Michigan. Bishop Walsh noted the usual reasons, including “the decreasing number of priests available to provide pastoral care, the assistance of the sacraments, or the celebration of
divine worship; an inability to continue to provide for the catechetical needs of the children, youth, and adults of the parish; financial unsustainability; and the demographic shift of Catholics away from the parish.”
Many in the Diocese of Gaylord are concerned that this may be simply a warm-up act to a bigger set of closures and consolidations of parishes in the Diocese of Gaylord. The current lack of vocations and the lack of outside priests coming in to the Diocese to help are glaringly obvious.
But what would happen if the Bishop announced, instead of closing parishes, a major initiative to grow the Diocese of Gaylord? What if the Bishop announced a series of steps, centered around prayer, fasting, processions, Rosary crusades, liturgies, etc., to foster growth of the Diocese and a reversal of the “dying on the vine”, giving up mentality that seems all to pervasive in our Church culture these days? Instead, it seems that at least to some of the faithful, the clergy have given up and thrown in the towel in growing their parishes. With the cultural rot seen these days, and with the poor leadership that is all too often displayed in the Church, this negativity is understandable; but it should not win. Instead, the old saying that “nothing is impossible with God” applies to this situation.
Gaylord Diocesan Watch will continue to monitor this situation closely as we continue to pray for Bishop Walsh and the Diocese of Gaylord.