Three parishes in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois will be forming a new pastoral unit this summer.

Beginning July 1, St. Mary Parish in Farmersville, St. Maurice Parish in Morrisonville, and St. Raymond Parish in Raymond will make up the new pastoral unit with Father Gerald Bunse serving as pastoral administrator of all three parishes.

In a pastoral unit, two or more parishes are served by one pastor or pastoral administrator, said Marlene Mulford, chancellor for the Springfield diocese. "The parishes remain essentially separate but may collaborate with some programs and ministries," Mulford said.

"An important component of the pastoral unit is the core committee," Mulford said. "That committee is composed of two or three members from each parish in the pastoral unit that meet in the beginning stages of a pastoral unit on a regular basis with the pastor to discuss staffing needs, scheduling, ministries and other issues.

"This committee decides, with the pastor, if parishes need to alternate services, share ministries, and the type of lay leadership needed in each parish," Mulford said.

"The parishes stay unique and individual," Father Bunse agreed, noting all three parishes will work together and cooperate. "The parishes have between 100 and 125 families each, and there is a school in Farmersville, St. Isidore. I'm excited to be able to do this and I think it is a new challenge and new step in my priesthood ministry."

Father Bunse said all three parishes are 10 to 12 miles apart. "They kind of make a triangle," he said. "I went to my Mapquest and have been looking at it, so I can become familiar with the roads. In fact, I was pastor in Farmersville for a short time (1992-1993) ... so I am familiar with that parish."

Mulford said that forming pastoral units just makes good sense for the Springfield diocese. She said several pastoral units already exist and future pastoral units will be forming across the diocese. A few pastoral units have eventually led to the formation of parish merger, she added. "In addition, parishes that now share a pastor may move toward a pastoral unit model," she said.

"The pastoral unit model is proving to be a successful planning tool and a response to the shortage of priests in our diocese," she said. "The main requirement for its success is prayer, as well as leadership and support from the parishioners."