The diocese of Breda has to downsize considerably: no fewer than 16 employees there are forced to lay off. This is due to the ever-decreasing number of people attending church.
Also, the number of churches themselves continues to decrease. Nine people have already left last July, this month another seven. A financial arrangement has been made with all dismissed employees.
Location too big
After the downsizing, about twenty employees remain within the diocese. They still work from a monumental building on the Veemarktstraat. It is now being investigated whether that location is not too large.
The diocese expects that the number of churchgoers and places will only decrease further in the coming years. The reorganization and budget cuts are therefore desperately needed to guarantee the continued existence of the diocese.