Four years from now, there will be fewer Catholic parishes in Maine. There will be fewer active churches and fewer priests.

The weekend announcements that the Portland Diocese will consolidate parishes in and around Lewiston, Auburn, Farmington, Norway and Waterville are not surprising. Eight months ago, the Lewiston parishes of St. Joseph’s, Holy Cross, Sacred Heart and Saints Peter and Paul jointly recommended consolidation of their Catholic schools into a single school. It was a recommendation quickly accepted by Bishop Malone and, last month, Catholic students merged into the single school of Holy Trinity.

At the time these parishes made their recommendation on schools, St. Joe’s pastor, Father Michael Seavey, explained to parishioners that there was a 31 percent decline in infant baptisms in parishes in Lewiston, Auburn and surrounding communities. Fewer baptisms means fewer tuition-paying students, and the parishes simply could not maintain distinct schools and offer the kind of vibrant education the Catholic Church is proud to offer.

Fewer Catholic students may also eventually mean fewer Catholic adults in the decades to come, with fewer parishioners dropping donation envelopes into baskets during Mass.

U.S. Census figures indicate there are more Catholics in the U.S. now than in 1990. Interestingly, the growth in Catholics is – slightly – statistically higher than the general population growth. That trend is reversed in Maine.

In 1989, some 27 percent of all Mainers were Catholic. In 1996, Catholics dropped to 18 percent of the state’s population.

Parishes, like all other institutions, struggle with the same pressure of rising costs to heat buildings, pay employees and support programs. With fewer Catholics in Maine to help with growing financial commitments, the bishop’s decision to consolidate parishes isn’t popular, but it is fiscally responsible.

As much as Catholics cherish their own neighborhood churches, reality no longer supports such a large number of sanctuaries. The unfortunate consequence is that some of the faithful will have to travel farther for Mass and remaining priests will be responsible for tending to the demands of parishes covering larger geographic area. It will be a stretch and parish structures will be different, but how different remains in the control of the very people who flock to these churches for spiritual support and prayer.

In each of the affected parishes, transition teams made up of church members will get to decide how the consolidations will work. They’ll get to decide which church buildings to close, how to implement shared youth ministries, coordinate Sunday schools, establish parish councils and trim church administration.

The Diocese has asked these studies to be conducted over the next 10 months, with recommendations due in early summer for what the bishop calls “effective use of its priests and resources for the mission of evangelization.”

Reality may have forced the church into consolidation mode, but Maine Catholics have a terrific opportunity here to design their own parishes, set their own priorities and establish the future of their own faith.

The consolidations should mean stronger parishes, with congregations more committed to their purpose. The bishop has done what he can. What becomes of Maine’s parishes now rests in the hands of the faithful.