Catholic parishes in the United States have been going through some major structural changes in the last couple of decades. The merging, closing and collaborating of parishes has become an undeniable part of the Catholic landscape in the United States. With the declining number of priests and religious as well as the significant shifts in the demographics of the Catholic population, the number of parishes without a resident pastor continues to grow. Furthermore, closed, merged and collaborating parishes have been on the rise, and they will continue in the years to come mainly in the Northeast...