I once heard a priest commenting about someone who left his parish because of a disagreement. The parishioner did not like something that the priest had done, and they could not make peace over the issue, so the parishioner ended up leaving. The priest's explanation of the event ended with, "at least the parish is big enough where losing him doesn't matter".
Ugh. I felt sick in my stomach when I heard those words. Yes, I understand the point: a small parish has it harder when someone leaves since every person has a greater impact on the community in that way. A larger parish is better able to overcome the loss of a parshioner because it has more resources to draw from with other parishioners. Yet, it still does not sit right with me.
It is true that parishioners sometimes come and go. Some move away, others decide that they are better provided for at another parish. This just happens; people are not as stationary in their parish membership as they used to be a few generations ago. That does not, however, make it ok for a priest (or anyone for that matter) to think that it "doesn't matter" that a parishioner leaves a parish.
When someone leaves St. George because they are moving to another area, I always feel a deep sense of loss. I want them to stay, but I have to trust that God is taking them where He wants them. When someone leaves St. George parish because of something that he dislikes (and it has happened a few times), it hurts a bit more. I want to be able to help them, and that means I want them to see things differently. Yet, I have to trust the Lord that He will take care of them if He chose that I was not called to do so.
So whether someone leaves for a good reason or a bad reason (and it has not happened much for a while), I cannot say that it "doesn't matter". Every soul matters; even those that do not like something about St. George parish. I recall the early days when it was scary to think about anyone leaving; we are not there any more. I do not, however, want St. George to get to a point that we ever say that someone leaving "doesn't matter".