Fr. James Arwady of St. Christopher Catholic Parish in Marysville recently discussed the plans of the archdiocese to divide the vicariate into three Families of Parishes.

The expectation at this time is that the Blue Water Vicariate will become three Families of Parishes, Arwady said in the church' Sept. 13 bulletin. The deadline for submitting a plan to the archdiocese is Thursday, Oct. 1.

“We are all in agreement that the Northern Family will consist of Holy Trinity, Saint Mary’s-Port Huron and Saint Edward for the proposal,” Arwady said. The organization of the remaining parishes, however, is yet to be determined. 

“The ‘toss-up’ is between how to divide the remaining parishes, which will either be a central-south division, or an east-west division,” he said.

“A central-south division means the other two families would be Saint Christopher’s, Saint Mary’s-Saint Clair, Holy Family and Saint  Augustine’s (Central) in one family; and Our Lady on the River; Immaculate Conception; and Saint Mary, Queen of Creation (South) in the other family,” Arwady said. “An east-west division means the other two families would be Saint Christopher, Saint Mary’s-Saint Clair and Our Lady on the River (East); and Immaculate Conception; Saint Mary, Queen of Creation; Saint Augustine’s and Holy Family (West) in the other family.”

Regardless of the recommendation made by the parishes, the ultimate decision on how to proceed will remain with the archdiocese, he said. The final decision will be announced on Advent, and pastors will be expected to execute the divisions of parishes into families in 2021 or 2022, depending on where the vicariate falls in planning phases.

As the new Families of Parishes are formed, governance will initially fall to a consortium of the pastors with a moderator to take the lead on collaboration, Arwady said. That phase may last several years, with departing pastors replaced by associate pastors until there is only one pastor remaining in each Family of Parishes, with that pastor ultimately becoming the lead pastor of that Family.