The transition of 20 parishes in our diocese to “limited‑use” status has brought deep grief and concern for many parishioners—changes that Bishop Walsh made only after careful, prayerful discernment in the Pastoral Plan 2026.
For many, these churches are places where faith was nurtured, families were raised and deep bonds of community were formed. They hold memories of countless moments of grace. It is natural to grieve this change.
No one is meant to carry that grief alone. As one diocesan family, we are called to support, accompany and pray for one another in this moment, especially for the parishioners most directly affected.
These decisions arose from the need to right‑size our diocese so that every community across our 21 counties continues to have access to the sacraments, our priests have sustainable workloads and our resources are stewarded wisely for the future. The goal is not to diminish the presence of the Church, but to strengthen her ability to serve faithfully and fruitfully in the years ahead.
A limited‑use church will not celebrate regular weekend or weekday Masses. However, upon request and with the pastor’s discretion, weddings, baptisms, funerals and patronal Masses may still be celebrated there. There are some unique uses that will be decreed specifically for the Traditional Latin Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas in Elmira and seasonal liturgies for the peak summer months at St. Ignatius in Good Hart.
Limited‑use churches will be canonically merged into a receiving parish. While they will no longer have their own finance or pastoral councils, the receiving parish will oversee all revenue and expenses, with a dedicated line item to transparently track the stewardship and care of each limited‑use church and property. This ensures continued attention to the church’s needs while unifying parish leadership and planning.
Together—in love, communion and mission—we will continue to build up the Church in Northern Michigan and trust in Divine Providence.
