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Catholic Church to halve number of Glasgow parishes as priest numbers fall
Overview
The Catholic Church is restructuring its archdiocese in Glasgow and Dunbartonshire, halving the number of parishes to about 40 and closing 24 churches due to falling priest numbers, a vocations crisis, and declining church attendance. Archbishop William Nolan acknowledged the closures would be painful, noting that active priests have dropped by a third in five years, with projections suggesting as few as eight active priests could remain in Glasgow within 20 years.
Key points
- The Catholic Church is halving its parishes in Glasgow and Dunbartonshire, resulting in 24 church closures and reducing the total to about 40.
- Archbishop William Nolan stated that the restructuring is necessary due to too many parishes, too few people, and a severe shortage of priests.
- The number of active priests in the archdiocese has fallen by a third over the last five years, with officials warning only eight priests may remain in 20 years.
- Most current priests are over the age of 60, contributing to a severe vocations crisis and a mismatch between church locations and depopulated areas.
- The 2022 census showed a decline in the Catholic population in Scotland, alongside a wider trend of secularisation affecting major religious faiths.