KALAMAZOO, MI (WTVB) – The Diocese of Kalamazoo is moving forward with a priest reassignment plan. Bishop Paul Bradley said they’re having trouble staffing each of their parishes individually. “We had to do something besides praying for more priests,” Bradley said.
Bradley said that “something” was this plan, which will take effect by July 2016.
“We would end up, instead of 59 individual parishes that need pastors, with 28 collaboratives where there’s a pastor overseeing that collaborative,” Bradley said.
One of the collaboratives will involve St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Coldwater, Our Lady of Fatima Mission in Union City and St. Mary’s Assumption in Bronson. It will be phased in after the retirement of Father Richard Fritz in 2018.
Father Mark Vyverman has been reappointed to a six year term at St. Charles Borromeo in Coldwater and Our Lady of Fatima Parish, with Father Raul Gomez appointed Parochial Vicar at St. Charles and Our Lady of Fatima, with special care for the Hispanic/Latino community in Bronson.
The move will keep all parishes open, ensuring 110,000 southwest Michigan Catholics maintain a nearby place of worship.
