New Italian LDS Mission Boundaries

I discovered that my former mission and that of my daughter Gianina the Rome Italy Mission was expanding to include Catania effective 1 July 2010.  When I first went on my mission in 1975 the Italy Rome Mission included all of Sicily.  In fact I helped open Ragusa and served in Catania for a couple of months.

Sorella Cozzens, a sister missionary serving in the Italy Milan Mission, shares the following letter that her mission president sent to all his missionaries and their families about the collapse of  the three missions (Catania, Rome, and Milan) into two (Rome and Milan) and the new boundaries.  

President Dunaway describe the following changes:

Cari Anziani e Sorelle,

One of the signs that the Church is maturing in a country is a reduction in the number of missions. As the number of stakes increase and as the local leadership matures, the need for large numbers of missionaries and missions is reduced. We have arrived at a point in Italy where the need for three missions is no longer necessary. For this reason, the First Presidency has determined that the number of missions in Italy will be reduced from three to two. On July 1, 2010 the Catania Mission will be disolved and become part of the Rome Mission. The Rome and Milan Mission boundaries will be adjusted so that the Firenze District (which consists of the Toscana region) will become part of the Milan Mission. This change is being announced to all priesthood leaders in Italy this week and will be published in the Church News on February 13.

These changes are a sign of the growth of the Church in this land and will result in the Lord's work moving forward at an even greater pace. This past year, the number of baptisms in Italy has increased significantly. I am confident as each of us does our best to focus on the Lord's work and consecrate all of our efforts in finding, teaching and baptizing, we will see many more miracles. I encourage you to seek the Lord's guidance as to what you can do to continue in our effort to take his work to the next level.

I am grateful for each of you and the dedicated, faithful service you are giving.

Tanti calorosi saluti,
Presidente Dunaway

The Church News reported only briefly mentioned the change as "Combine the Italy Catania Mission with the Italy Rome and the Italy Milan missions."  

Sister Amanda Ashleigh Maero actually includes a map of the changes on her blog and this added detail:

The First Presidency has determined that the Italy Catania Mission will be dissolved and the boundaries of the Italy Rome and Italy Milan Missions will be realigned to include the area of the discontinued mission. This will take effect July 1, 2010. The Italy Rome Mission will no longer include the La Spezia area or Florence.

Sister Alishia Hashey of the Catania Mission says about the change:

 I have exciting news! As of July 1st, I will no longer be a Catania missionary but a Rome missionary! I didn't get kicked out of my mission, don't worry. Because of the growth of the church in Italy and to prepare for the Rome temple, they are dissolving the Catania mission into the Rome mission. Pretty much, it just means that I will be not only in Sicily and the shoe part of Italy, but also the calf--if you look at the map. The mission extends from below Tuscany down to Sicily and the islands of Malta and Sardinia. I'm really excited about this change but it's also made me think of how it really doesn't matter where we are, it just matters what we are there for and who we are with. Because the two missions are merging, there will be twice as many of us (120 missionaries) all under one Mission President. I am just so happy that I get this time to share this message with everyone I meet. Sicily is wonderful, the people here are wonderful and so is this message I am sharing. 

Sister Aubry Bjarnson says that a few of the missionaries in Rome will be reassigned to the Milan Mission:

I already sent you the stuff about Italy becoming two missions. Some people who are currently serving in the Rome mission will end up getting changed into the Milan mission. Could you imagine getting transferred into a different mission? Strange. Of course, it doesn't affect me. It just means when we go to visit Livorno, we'll be in a different mission.

Sorella Layne Watson had mixed feelings about the news:

We received some incredible news the other day. That honestly turns my stomach a bit with mixed thoughts. I know it's for the best but it feels like someone is dying! The Italy Missions are being consolidated into 2 missions. Milano and Catania. Toscana should be the part moving north and Roma will take in the whole south. Changes take place 1 July, right as Presidente e Sorella Acerson go home. It should be announced on the 13th of Febbraio. Nevertheless, the work moves forward. This will encourage the members that this is their work too.

 

Elder Ray Banks of the Catania Mission is actually excited about the change and looks forward to it:

Effective July 1st the Italy Catania Mission, along with all of its missionaries will become part of the Rome Italy Mission!!!

Which means that the possibility of serving in any of their cities will open up (like Napoli!!), and also that the mission home will move to Rome.

Basically it's just totally exciting. We will also have twice as many missionaries in our mission now.

Pretty much, this is totally awesome.

Sometimes missionary's blogs are the best source for finding out about changes in mission boundaries since they give the nitty gritty and their personal perspective about how the changes will affect them.