Acts Related to the Case: The acts related to the case are further details or documents that the Dicastery for the Clergy may request from the Archbishop.

Amalgamated/Subsumed: When one parish is united to another parish in such a way that the first parish no longer exists and the second parish remains.

Associate Pastor: A parochial vicar, a priest who serves as a coworker with the pastor and pastorally ministers by common counsel and effort with the pastor and under his authority.

Appeals: Once a decree is published, anyone who is a parishioner of a parish who considers themselves to be aggrieved (injured or treated unfairly) by the Archbishop’s decision has the right to appeal the decision to him in writing concerning the way their parish is being altered. 

Church: A sacred edifice dedicated for divine worship and to which the faithful have right of entry; the following are also terms commonly used to describe churches: basilica, cathedral, chapel, oratory, shrine, worship site.

Deanery: A grouping of a certain number of parishes over which is placed a dean who promotes and coordinates common pastoral activity within it.

Decree: A singular administrative act issued by the diocesan bishop which is required to alter a parish or take other actions in Canon Law.

Dicastery for the Clergy: The Dicastery for the Clergy is an office of the Roman Curia, which assists the pope in his ministry to the universal Church. The Dicastery for the Clergy deals with all matters relating to priests and deacons of the diocesan clergy, with regard to their persons and pastoral ministry, and everything needed for the fruitful exercise of the latter. In these matters, it provides suitable assistance to the Bishops. The Dicastery also deals with those matters in which the Holy See is competent regarding the general discipline governing diocesan finance councils, presbyteral councils, colleges of consultors, chapters of canons, diocesan pastoral councils, parishes and churches. 

Hierarchical recourse to the Dicastery for the Clergy: Hierarchical recourse is the act of impugning the decision of a church authority before that person’s hierarchical superior. In cases involving the alteration of parishes or the assignment of priests, the hierarchical superior of the Archbishop is the Dicastery for the Clergy. Hierarchical recourse may be made against a decree of the Archbishop only after having first requested, in writing, the revocation or emendation of the decree. Canon law imposes strict time limits for requesting the revocation or emendation of decrees, and for making hierarchical recourse (can. 1734 §1, 1737 § 1).

Juridic structure of a parish: The faithful, proper pastor, and finance council of a parish, under the authority of the diocesan bishop.

Just cause: A legally sufficient reason is needed for the diocesan bishop, after consultation with the diocesan presbyteral council, to erect, suppress, or merge a parish.

Merged: A parish that has been subsumed into another parish with the latter parish remaining, or two or more parishes that have been united in such a way that a new parish is established from them.

Metropolitan Tribunal: The Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Baltimore is a court of the Catholic Church responsible for all matters concerning the application and practice of Canon Law within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The Vatican website gives a thorough explanation of the role of Canon Law in the Church: Since the Church is organized as a social and visible structure, it must also have norms; in order that its hierarchical and organic structure be visible; in order that the exercise of the functions divinely entrusted to it, especially that of sacred power and of the administration of the sacraments, may be adequately organized; in order that the mutual relations of the faithful may be regulated according to justice based upon charity, with the rights of individuals guaranteed and well-defined; in order, finally, that common initiatives undertaken to live a Christian life ever more perfectly may be sustained, strengthened and fostered by canonical norms.

Mission: A group of the faithful to whom pastoral care is provided but which is not large enough to be established as a parish.

Multi-parish pastoring: When two or more parishes are entrusted to one pastor; Mass times may change and staff and programs may consolidate.

Parish church: In a parish with more than one church, the parish church is the one preferentially used for divine worship.

Parochial administrator: A priest temporarily entrusted with the pastoral care of a parish under the authority of the diocesan bishop in whose ministry of Christ he has been called to share.

Pastor: A priest stably entrusted with the pastoral care of a parish under the authority of the diocesan bishop in whose ministry of Christ he has been called to share.

Recurrent: The recurrent is the person who petitioned for hierarchical recourse.

Rector: A priest to whom is entrusted the care of and celebration of the sacraments in a nonparish church.

Seated parish: The place where Sunday and daily Masses will be held for the newly formed parish. A seated parish is created by the merger of local churches and congregations into a physical space.

Senior priest in residence: A priest who celebrates the sacraments in a church.

Suppress: When a personal parish is altered in such a way that it no longer exists; its church remains a sacred edifice open to the faithful.

Territorial parish: A parish which includes all the Christian faithful of a certain territory.

Vicariate: A specific part of a diocese entrusted to an episcopal vicar who assists the diocesan bishop in the pastoral governance of that part of the diocese; in the Archdiocese of Baltimore there are 3 vicariates.