Bishop addresses possible Steubenville Diocese merger | News, Sports, Jobs

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Bishop Jeffrey Monforton of the Steubenville Diocese speaks during a press conference on Tuesday. The diocese and the Columbus Diocese are studying a merger, which ultimately would be decided upon by the Vatican.

STEUBENVILLE – The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Steubenville warned about its future at a press conference Tuesday to discuss a merger with the Columbus diocese.

The Diocese of Steubenville will “be on life support” within the decade unless steps are taken to address struggles with an aging population, the economy and declining attendance, On October 20, Bishop Jeffrey Monforton said.

“It’s not an easy topic,” Monforton said. “I don’t want to say much about me, (but) my heart’s broken. It feels like I have a hole in my soul, but I would be negligent if I didn’t address the situation. That’s the challenge, I have to address it one way or another.”

The diocese has been in talks about merging its 13 counties that includes Washington, Athens and Meigs counties with Columbus, Monforton said earlier this week. The proposal will go to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and its decision, whatever that might be, is referred to the Vatican where Pope Francis will make the final decision.

The merger is not something Catholics want to hear, Monforton said. Since the news broke on social media “for some people my middle name is 6-6-6.”

Parishioners will be surveyed to learn what they knew about their diocese before the merger became known and what suggestions they may have, he said.

The numbers for the diocese aren’t good, Monforton said. Parishners have declined around a third since 1990, baptisms have declined and of the 36 active priests in the Diocese of Steubenville, 18 are aged 60 or older.

“Ten years from now, if all the 60-year-olds stay on past 70, half of our priests will be 70 and older,” Monforton said.

Columbus was the obvious choice since the 13 counties that form the Diocese of Steubenville were carved out of the Diocese of Columbus in 1944, Monforton said.

If the merger goes through, he said schools and colleges within the 13 counties wouldn’t be affected. The Eucharistic prayer would change as the name of the bishop of the Diocese of Columbus would be substituted for Monforton’s.

“Otherwise, it would be status quo,’ Monforton said.