The last parish closed in Cleveland was Saint Emeric. It was closed on the last day of the 2010 fiscal year.In conversation and correspondence, Richard Lennon states that the diocese has a priest shortage, and a financial shortage. The parish closings were motivated by those perceptions.
From the chart provided by the diocese (and placed in remaining church bulletins this weekend past, 19-20 March 2011), one sees that the basket kitty rose in most fiscal years* from 2001 to 2008. With the implementation of the 'Reconfiguration', the basket declined in 2009, and then again in 2010.
The interpretation given attempts to present the figures in a 'positive' light. Inflation continues, though many people have less, the aggregate does not. Encouragement (or pressure) to give has not abated, to the contrary, it has increased. Perhaps, the vox populi (voice of the people) has begun to speak a language discernible to the bishop.
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*fiscal 2003 was also a decrease, which coincided with the revelations of the national clerical sex scandal, which first broke in Boston
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