What is the present legal structure of parishes in the Diocese of Phoenix?
The Diocese of Phoenix was formed and currently exists under the laws of the State of Arizona as a “corporate sole.” The corporate sole structure is several centuries old and recognizes church property as being held by the Bishop as a form of trust, for the benefit of the Church (i.e., the parishes). Under the corporate sole model, however, parishes do not have any separate identity from the Diocese. Parishes therefore are considered to be unincorporated associations of the Diocese. In recent years, there has been a great deal of discussion between dioceses and between Bishops regarding the fact that the corporate sole structure does not fully reflect the theological and canonical vision of the Church. We believe that the transition to separately incorporated parishes will resolve that issue.
