Bishop Douglas Lucia will become the pastor of three parishes in addition to serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Syracuse as the diocese faces a shortage of priests.

Beginning Aug.16, the bishop will begin serving the parishes of St. Augustine, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and St. Mary of the Assumption. The churches are located in Baldwinsville, a village near the city of Syracuse.

“The Parish is the vital place where Catholics gather to be nourished by Word and Sacrament so as to become the living presence of the Risen Christ for our neighbor,” Bishop Lucia wrote in an Aug. 6 letter to the three parishes.

But without a priest, “there is no Mass; and without the Mass there is no Eucharist...no food for the journey,” he wrote. 

Therefore, to ensure the people of the three parishes have access to the sacraments, their bishop will become their pastor, he explained.

This change comes along with a new Mass schedule, which the bishop outlines in his letter. Parochial Vicar Father Ben Schrantz will assist him.

Bishop Lucia expressed gratitude for the chance to minister to the faithful more closely than most bishops do.

“Although I was called to be Bishop of the Diocese of Syracuse six years ago,” the bishop wrote, “it has always been with the hope of continuing to be a parish priest and I guess God has taken me at my word!” 

Like many U.S. dioceses, Syracuse has struggled to attract young men to the priesthood. The diocese currently has seven seminarians, according to its website.

In recent years, the diocese has tried to involve more lay people in fostering vocations. In 2022, the Office of Vocation Promotion introduced the Called by Name initiative, according to The Catholic Sun. The program asks the faithful of the diocese to submit the name of someone from their parish they think might have a vocation to the priesthood, diaconate, or religious life. Those who have been nominated receive an invitation to the diocese’s annual vocations picnic.

The bishop closed his letter by calling to mind St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, and asking for his prayers.

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