Springfield Diocese details closing of 14 parishes

The Roman Catholic Church has announced which 14 parishes in the Diocese of Springfield it plans to close this year.

The moves follow a four-year analysis by a planning committee, which recommended the closings in a 108-page report.

Under the plan given to parishioners Saturday, Chicopee will lose five of its 10 Catholic churches. Three churches will close in Springfield and three more in Northampton, with a fourth becoming a chapel. Holyoke, South Hadley, Easthampton and Hatfield will have three months to two years to consolidate parishes in those communities.

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Diocesan officials say the closures are an unavoidable result of declining numbers of Catholics and population shifts.

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Diocesan spokesman Mark Dupont says there are 101 parishes in Western Massachusetts and an estimated 220,000 Catholics.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)