• 2006 - 2009: The Diocese of Albany under Bishop Hubbard closes 33 churches (20%) with its Called to Be Church initiative. (Plan no longer available on the diocesan website)

n.b. The diocese filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in March 2023.

• 2008: Bishop Cullen of the Diocese of Allentown announces the closure of 47 churches, leaving 104 open. (Plan no longer available on the diocesan website)

• 2001 - 2008: During these years, 25 parishes in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown are closed. (Plan no longer available on the diocesan website)

• November 2018: The diocese announces restructuring at the diocesan office, eliminating nine positions.

• May 2020: The Archdiocese of Anchorage and Diocese of Juneau merge to form the new Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau.

• June 2020: Archdiocese publishes “Questions and Answers about the Transition to the New Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau.”

• September 2020: The archdiocese publishes “More Questions and Answers about the Transition to the New Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau.”

• May 2024: The archdiocese publishes the final plan Seek the City to Come for Baltimore City.

n.b. The archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 2023.

• February 2021: Bishop Duca announces new deans, reducing the deaneries from six to five.

• April 2013: The diocese publishes “Pastoral Plan for Parish Renewal and Restructuring.”

• November 2012: The archdiocese publishes “Disciples in Mission: A Pastoral Plan for the Archdiocese of Boston.”

• November 2010: The Diocese of Brooklyn begins implementation of a plan called Christ Jesus Our Hope.

• June 2023: Bishop Brennan announces a restructuring plan for the diocese's 22 deaneries.

• September 2024: The Diocese of Buffalo announces the results of the Road to Renewal initiative. The diocese goes from 160 parishes and 36 worship sites to 79 parishes and 39 worship sites.

n.b. The diocese filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 2020.

• April 2008: A massive restructuring effort by Bishop Galante results in 66 parishes instead of 124. 30 are closed while the others are made into worship sites. (Plan not available on the diocesan website.)

• May 2014: Bishop Sullivan consolidates more churches.(Plan not available on the diocesan website.)

n.b. The diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020.

• 2016: Cardinal Cupich announces the planning process Renew My Church.

• January 2022: The archdiocese announces a plan to establish 12 new "parish groupings" reducing the number of parishes to 221.

• March 2009: Bishop Lennon announces a two year process of clustering and consolidating, reducing the number of parishes in Cleveland by 52. (Plan not available on the diocesan website.)

• April 2012: Following appeals to the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy, the bishop reopened12 churches.

• Spring 2014: A Year of prayer is announced.

• November 2016: The archdiocese holds Synod 16.

• June 3, 2017: Archbishop Vigneron releases the pastoral letter Unleash the Gospel.

• November 2020: Archbishop Vigneron announced the restructuring of the archdiocese in Led by the Spirit on Mission. It announced the move from 216 parishes to 51 "Families of Parishes"

• March 2023: Archbishop Michael Jackels consolidates three parishes into one.

• 2012-2017: The Diocese of Duluth announces a strategic plan of 2012-2017 strategic plan including mergers and clusters of parishes.

• June 2023: One of the churches that was closed in 2019 is reopened after parishioners appealed to the Vatican.

• April 2024: The Diocese of Erie announces final plans for the parishes, which reduces the number of parishes from 33 to 27.

• 2013-2014: The Diocese of Evansville goes through two rounds of parish changes, with the total number of parishes in the diocese going from 69 to 46.

• August 2004: Bishop Aquila writes Bearing the Mission of Christ to our Transforming Communities: A Pastoral Plan for Fargo, West Fargo, Horace and Kindred, merging parishes and schools.

• 2021: The diocese makes a handbook for pastors available: Parish Clustering and Consolidation Handbook.

• August 2023: Three Fargo parishes were closed.

• April 23, 2012: The Diocese of Grand Rapids announced changes through a new strategic plan called Our Faith, Our Future. The summary highlights included 6 church closures, 7 cluster plans, 6 changes in status.

• 2006: Bishop Lawrence Brandt begins a strategic planning process.

• October 2008: The diocese closes 12 churches and the merges two more. In addition, 26 parishes enter into partnerships where one priest takes care of two parishes. (Plan not available on the diocesan website.)

• May 2013: The diocese announces further changes for 14 parishes. (Plan not available on diocesan website.)

• November 2021: Bishop Larry Kulick announces a new deanery structure.

• May 2017: The Archdiocese of Hartford announces a plan to consolidate its 212 parishes into 127. (Plan not clearly available on the diocesan website.)

• 2018: The diocesan archives offers a Guide to locating Sacramental records.

• December 2012: Bishop George Leo Thomas promulgates the plan "Living Stones - Planning for tomorrow" laying out plans for each of the six deaneries.

• May 2014: The Archdiocese of Indianapolis under Archbishop Tobin announces the results of a process of discernment regarding their parishes, with a summary, by deanery, provided.

• 2023: Bishop Kopacz begins a pastoral planning process and provides Frequently Asked Questions.

• May 2024: The bishop releases 2024 Pastoral Reimagining.

• April 2021: The Diocese of Jefferson City reduced the number of their deaneries from eight to five.

• July 2022: Phase One of the Diocese of Joliet Targeted Restructuring of Parishes and Schools begins.

• January 2024: In Phase Two of the plan, the diocese announces that 16 parishes are consolidated into 7.

• March 2024: The third and final phase of the plan begins in which 19 parishes were restructured.

• January 2016: the Diocese of Kalamazoo announces the establishment of 28 parish "collaboratives" out of 59 parishes.

• 2005- 2010: The Diocese of La Crosse went through a pastoral planning process under Bishop Listecki.

• July 2015: The diocese announces the Uniting in Heart: 2030 Pastoral Plan which reduces the number of pastorates from 48 to 28, and reduces the number of deaneries from 5 to 3. The number of parishes remains 61.

• September 2008: Bishop Boyea approves a reconfiguring of the parishes in the Diocese of Lansing in Planning Tomorrow's Churches.

• Fall 2019: Bishop Boyea convenes a committee to "Realign Resources for Mission" and shares Frequently Asked Questions and Vital Statistics.

• July 1, 2023: The diocese announces deanery restructuring.

• May 2023: Pope Francis creates the Ecclesiastical Province of Las Vegas and names Bishop George Leo Thomas as its first metropolitan.

• September 2006: The archdiocese merges 17 parishes into six. (Not available on diocesan website.)

• July 2013: The diocese merges 7 parishes into 3. (Not available on diocesan website.)

• September 2012: The Archdiocese of Milwaukee announces plans to close 103 churches by 2020. (Not available on diocesan website.)

• July 1, 2024: Archbishop Aymond announced the merging of 11 parishes into five.

n.b. The archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 2020.

• May 2004: The Archdiocese of Newark begins a major restructuring plan requiring self-examination of its 235 parishes. It is reported that 48 parishes were to consider closing.

• March 2018: Bishop LeVoir announces the implementation of the Fourth Plan for Parishes. It included 5 mergers and 3 additional parish closures.

n.b. The diocese filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 2017.

• November 2010: Cardinal Dolan begins a pastoral planning process called "Making All Things New."

• November 2014: Cardinal Dolan announces his decisions: 72 parishes are directly affected by a merger of some kind.

• July 2015: The archdiocese provides a status update.

• May 2015: The archdiocese announces the final decisions in the Making All Things New process.

• May 2017: The Diocese of Norwich announces that eight parishes would be merged into four. (Not available on diocesan website.)

n.b. The diocese filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 2021.

• April 2012: Archbishop Chaput announces a round of parish mergers, effective July 2012.

• June 2013: Another slate of mergers is announced, effective July 2013.

• July 2022: Archbishop Perez announces a realignment of episcopal regions, changing from 4 to 3 regions.

• September 2017: The Diocese of Pittsburgh announces that an advisory panel recommended a massive consolidation effort, reducing the parishes from 188 parishes to 48 in time.

• April 2017: The diocese announces 57 parish groupings.

• July 2020: Bishop Zubik announces that 15 mergers. These mergers bring the number of parishes in the diocese from 152 to 106.

• July 2020: The diocese also announces a restructuring of the pastoral staff.

• November 2020: Bishop Zubik announces that 14 parish groupings would merge to form 14 parishes, bringing the number of parishes in the diocese to 81.

• May 2021: The bishop announces four more mergers, bringing the number of parishes from 81 to 70.

• May 2022: Bishop Zubik announces 3 parish mergers, bringing the total to 63.

• December 2022: The bishop announces the merging of two more parishes.

• May 2023: Another merger is announced.

• November 2023: Another merger is announced, taking the total number of parishes to 60.

• January 2005, Bishop Richard Malone established 27 "clusters" for the Church in Maine through a plan called Tell Anew the Story of Jesus

• June 2017: The diocese announces a parishclosure under Bishop Tobin.

• November 2019: The diocese announces a parish closure.

• April 2021: Four parishes are merged into two.

January 2022: Two more parishes are merged.

• October 2011: Bishop Cistone begins the pastoral planning process ("Planning Tomorrow's Parishes") with A Future Full of Hope.

• November 2012: The diocesan planning committee submits their recommendations , which include moving from 105 to 50 parishes (with additional worship sites).

• 2013: Parish consolidations begin. As of 2024, there are 56 parishes in the diocese.

• 2020: The Diocese of Sioux City Pastoral Planning projects the need to reduce the number of parishes from 74 in 2020 to 34 in 2024.

• May 2023: Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski announces his decisions after a planning process called All Things New. The archdiocese goes from 178 parishes to 134.

• Updates: The archdiocese keeps the Decrees and Letters page updated since some of the parishes appealed to the Dicastery for the Clergy. The Vatican has mostly upheld the archbishop's decisions for the parishes.

• October 2010: The Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis announces a strategic plan, "Promote and Proclaim a Communion of Faith, Hope, and Love" which includes plans to close 21 churches (merging them into 14 others).

• February 2018: An investigation began, looks into financial irregularities at the Diocese of Steubenville. • December 2020: The former diocesan comptroller, David Franklin, pleads guilty to federal charges of embezzlement and other crimes.

• April 2021: Msgr. Kurt Kemo, former vicar general of the diocese, pleads guilty to theft and is sentenced to 6 months in jail.

• October 2022: Bishop Monforton announces that a merger was being considered between the Diocese of Steubenville and the Diocese of Columbus. The bishop ordered a financial "health audit." The priests of the diocese appealed the possible merger to Rome.

• February 2024: Retired Bishop Paul J. Bradley is appointed as Apostolic Administrator. Bishop Bradley did not seem to think that a merger was necessary.

• June 2024: Bishop Bradley is replaced as administrator by Bishop Edward Lohse of Kalamazoo, Michigan.

• September 2004: Bishop Leonard Blair announces that 33 churches in the Diocese of Toledo are to be closed or merged, ending with a total of 131. (Not available on the diocesan website.)

• January 2011: The diocese again made plans to close or consolidate 33 parishes over a three year period.

• 2019: The diocese established an Intentional Planning Ministry.

• May 2024: Bishop Thomas announced a reconfiguration of the deaneries, reducing them from 15 to 12.

• January 2017: Bishop O'Connell announces cohort decisions in the midst of the Faith in Our Future planning process.

• 2019: Bishop Konderla adopted a new vicariate structure for the diocese.

• July 4, 2020: Various restructuring efforts are announced for by Bishop Mark Brennan.

• June 2007: The Diocese of Worcester begins the process of "twinning" parishes.

• March 2010: Four churches are closed .

• November 2014: Two century-old churches are closed .

• July 2024: Two parishes are merged into one.