Roman Catholic Church of St. Mary Immaculate Conception

From 1 January 2019, regular weekend celebrations will no longer take place in the Catholic Church in Heteren. The board and pastoral team of the parish of St. Mary Magdalene have taken this decision in consultation with the location council and pastoral group of the faith community Our Lady Immaculate Conception in Heteren. The parishioners have been informed.

The decline in church attendance, the ageing population and decrease in the number of volunteers, the decrease in contribution to the Action Church Balance are some of the factors underlying the decision. The church remains available for wedding celebration, evening vigil, funeral, All Souls' Day, Christmas celebration, ecumenical celebrations and prayer celebrations. For Eucharistic celebrations, parishioners can visit the Eucharistic Center in Elst every Sunday.
The faith communities are tested every year for vitality. On the basis of pastoral and administrative criteria, a picture is created of the vitality of the faith community. In October last year, the review in Heteren revealed that there is concern about the decline in church attendance, concern about the decline in the number of volunteers, that several working groups are struggling with understaffing and that there is concern about the declining financial line. It was also established that Heteren is in good shape in the fields of ecumenism and deaconess.
Herberg De Aandacht started in Heteren on 1 October 2015. The presbytery has been converted into a place where various activities are held. Herberg De Aandacht is an initiative of the parish. There is a possibility that the church building will eventually become part of Herberg De Aandacht. Whether this is a real possibility, first ask for further research.
In the Overbetuwse part of the parish of St. Mary Magdalene, the church in Indoornik was previously closed for regular weekend celebrations. It is expected that more church closures will follow in the future. On the Lingewaard side of the parish, believers can go to the Eucharistic Centre in Huissen-Stad every Sunday before the Eucharist and the church in Haalderen is still in use for regular weekend celebrations. The other churches are already closed for regular weekend celebrations.

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