In light of shrinking attendance at Mass, the Catholic Diocese of Erie is restructuring its parishes for the second time in several years.

“The Diocese of Erie, which once had 130 parishes and now has 93 parishes, is planning for a new round of parish restructuring,” Ronald Vierling, a chaplain at the Canterbury School, said Thursday on Twitter. “The number of Erie Catholics who attend Mass on Sunday has dropped by 78% since 1990.”

The Catholic Diocese of Erie last restructured just seven years ago. Bishop Lawrence T. Persico, who has been leading the Diocese of Erie since 2021, has announced that the project is in its initial phases, according to a letter he sent out to the diocese in early April, Go Erie said in a report.

The new restructuring is crucial in addressing the same problems that the Catholic community in northwestern Pennsylvania has been facing since 2016. These issues include a decreasing population, lower Mass attendance, and a continuing shortage of priests, Go Erie added.

The population in the 13 counties of the diocese has dropped by around 7% since 1990, while Mass attendance has declined by approximately 78%. The decline in attendance started well before the COVID-19 pandemic but became even worse during that time. The diocese has been restructuring for many years, resulting in a decrease in the number of parishes from 127 in 1990 to 93 today, the Diocese of Erie said.

"Our geography includes everything from mid-sized and small urban cities connected by four-lane highways to very small hamlets accessible only by two-lane country roads,” Persico said in the diocese’s report. “In some areas, it is possible to walk between churches. In others, there may be 30 miles between churches. Decisions about the future need to be made with the big picture in mind. What needs to happen in order to care for all of the people in our diocese?”