When contacted on Wednesday, the Diocese of Steubenville directed CNA to the recent survey results in the diocese’s newspaper, The Steubenville Register. The more than 3,200 survey results, which numbers about 11% of Catholics in the diocese, reported that about 60% of respondents disapproved of the merger.
Some respondents in the survey inquired about the well-being of their priests if there was a merger. Others worried if the merger would result in closed parishes.
Continuing in his Nov. 7 announcement, Monforton said: “Therefore, I have requested the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to remove discussion of a merger and subsequent vote from the plenary session’s agenda at this time. There will be no vote next week. Further discussion regarding the Diocese of Steubenville’s future will be conducted at the diocesan level.”
Monforton originally announced the merger in a column for the diocese’s newspaper on Oct. 11.
In the column, Monforton cited several demographic trends that were driving factors behind the decision to merge the two dioceses.
“In 1990, approximately 24,730 people attended Sunday Mass in the diocese. In 2019, 13,700 attended Mass. That is a 45% decline. Even comparing figures from 2010-19 we realize there has been a 20% decline in those last nine years,” he wrote in the column.
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