in 2011, bishop cistone appointed a 19-member commission to make recommendations about parish closings. in january 2013, cistone announced that many of the diocese's 105 parishes would be closed, reducing the number of parishes to 56. "i saw a need to position ourselves in a way by which parish communities are re-invigorated, liturgically alive and actively engaged in outreach to those in need." however, many catholics were angered by cistone's announcement, holding protests against the parish closings. retired priests spoke out against the parish closures, calling the recommendations a "complete injustice" and stating that nobody "on the planning commission or the bishop understand." reportedly, 5,000 people in the saginaw diocese left the catholic church between 2013 and 2015.