Local
Lowell, Lawrence to conclude separate process

By Donis Tracy
Posted: 5/28/2004

Now that the archdiocesan-wide reconfiguration results have been announced, the Archdiocese of Boston will once again turn its attention to parish reconfiguration in the cities of Lowell and Lawrence.

The two areas had been exempted from the broader process because each has been undergoing its own, separate reconfiguration process for the last several months.

According to Father Christopher Coyne, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Boston, the clusters in Lowell and Lawrence are currently meeting in order to devise a final recommendation of which parishes should close.

"The hope is that they will have their recommendations in by June 1," said Father Coyne.

"The Central Committee will convene one more time to look at their recommendations," Father Coyne continued.

According to Father Coyne, the final decision of which parishes to close in the two cities will be made by the end of June.

Although the final number of closures has not yet been determined, the archdiocese’s Report on Reconfiguration released May 25 and reprinted in this edition of The Pilot estimates that 10 or 11 of the 20 parishes in the area will be closed within the next few months.