Diocese hires lobbying firm to fight HB 26

Via the SDACT blog, we learn that the Diocese of Scranton has hired the Bravo Group, a Harrisburg based lobbying firm, to present the diocese’s case against HB 26. Regardless of one’s opinion of the Catholic school teacher’s union, this revelation raises many questions. In a diocese where dozens of schools have been closed, where half the parishes are about to be suppressed, and where the financial outlook is bleak, funds have been secured to hire a lobbying firm. Is this good stewardship of the church’s financial resources?

Unless a grain of wheat

In the Gospel of John, we find the following passage: “Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (John 12:24). St. Augustine, in his tractate on John’s Gospel, offers the following commentary on the passage:

But the height of His glorification had to be preceded by the depth of His passion. Accordingly, He went on to add, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone; but if it die, it brings forth much fruit. But He spoke of Himself. He Himself was the grain that had to die, and be multiplied; to suffer death through the unbelief of the Jews, and to be multiplied in the faith of many nations.

This week, the Diocese of Scranton released the latest edition of the Catholic Light as well as another pastoral letter from Bishop Martino which restates the following points:

Change, especially when it involves loss, can cause much stress and profound pain. This is precisely the “dying” Our Lord is referring to in speaking about the grain of wheat falling to the ground and dying. Saint Paul is talking about the same dying in addressing the Romans. Believing the word of God as expressed by Jesus and Saint Paul will keep before our minds that in Christ our dying leads to life. Truly, I do appreciate the hurt we experience when one familiar, beloved parish church is replaced by another. Let us, however, put our faith to work. It will empower us during these times of change and loss to keep our focus on growth, strength and new life.

Attempts to create a spirituality of church closing are doomed to fail simply because the unnecessary shuttering of parishes is not a spiritual task. As we read in St. Augustine’s tractate, Christ’s statement about the grain of wheat is self-referential. It is not an allusion to profound parish renewal.

Seven Founders of the Order of Servites

Tomorrow the church keeps the memorial of the Seven Founders of the Order of Servites, a mendicant religious order founded in medieval Italy. A note in the Ordo informs us that the Servites first popularized devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows.

From the website of the US Province of the Servites:

Before the Servites ever existed as an official religious Order, seven prosperous men came together in the city of Florence, Italy. As a reflection of the penitential spirit of the times, it had been the custom of these men to meet regularly as members of a religious society established in honor of Mary, the Mother of God. Eventually, the seven left their comfortable homes, put aside their finery and went to live together in a ramshackle building outside the city walls. The holiness and penitential lifestyle of the seven quickly attracted attention and people seeking prayers and spiritual direction became frequent visitors. To avoid these distractions that they considered a hindrance to the contemplative life they sought, the entire group moved to more peaceful surroundings, and established a hermitage on the summit of a nearby mountain, Monte Senario, sometimes known as the “sounding mountain.”

Coming to be known as the “Friar Servants of Mary,” others joined the first seven on Monte Senario, and as the group continued to grow, the seeds of the new religious Order took root. The Friar Servants of Mary were approved as a religious Order by the bishop of Florence sometime between the years 1240 and 1247. In the year 1304, the Order of Friar Servants of Mary received definitive approval as a religious Order in the Church by the Holy See.

Perhaps you have already viewed it, but here is some spectacular film footage of Easter Sunday High Mass from Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica in Chicago as celebrated by priests of the Order of Servites there in 1941.

The video includes some excellent commentary on the Mass by the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen. After explaining the use of the cope during the asperges, Bishop Sheen noted, “It is a long established principle of the Church never to completely drop from her public worship any object, ceremony, or prayer that once occupied a place in that worship.” Something to think about.

Seven Holy Founders of the Order of Servites, pray for us.

Since we’re talking about cassocks…

As a member of the Catholics for Clerics in Cassocks facebook group, I must commend the Rockin’ Traddy’s recent post encouraging priests of the Scranton Diocese to wear their cassocks. Because, as he put it, “It is absolutely 100,000,000,000 times cooler to wear a cassock than that suity thing you guys are wearing.”

At my parish, there have been several different cassock variations for altar boys over the years. In the early years of the mission, black cassock and surplice were used. During the 1960’s and 1970’s, altar boys wore white cassocks with a red shoulder cape and cincture. Then the black cassocks made a reappearance, and now we’re using albs. As you can see from even this single example, there are a number of accepted variations. The Mass of the Ages had an interesting post on this a few weeks ago.

But cassocks are not limited to priests and altar boys. In many parishes and cathedrals with serious music programs, the choristers, organist, and cantors also wear them. I think, for example, of the choristers at the famed Westminster Cathedral or the schola at St. John Cantius in Chicago. While in most situations these individuals are not clerics, this mode of dress highlights the importance of sacred music in the liturgy and reminds the musicians of their privileged role and responsibility. Unfortunately, the recent document on sacred music from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops discourages the use of cassock for musicians, a position which I find to be in opposition to established custom and tradition. As an organist and choirmaster, I wear a cassock and surplice from time to time and can say from experience that it adds much dignity to the office.

The cassock is one of those external elements of Catholic culture that I speak of often here at the Catholic Watchdog. The restoration of such elements – and the faith and culture they signify – are necessary for the true renewal of our diocese.

Saving Sacred Heart, Part 2

Perhaps one of the most unfortunate aspects of Bishop Martino’s restructuring plan is his decision to close Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in North Wilkes-Barre. Not only is Sacred Heart an active Catholic parish with dedicated, hardworking and determined parishioners, it is a landmark structure of great historical significance not only to the Catholic church, but to the people of Northeast Pennsylvania and to science.

Father Jozef Murgas, former pastor of the church, sent the first wireless radio transmission from Wilkes-Barre to Scranton. A true Renaissance man, Father Murgas found time to practice his skills as an artist and naturalist in addition to priestly service to the Slovak Catholics of North Wilkes-Barre. Sacred Heart deserves to continue not only because of its historical significance, but more importantly, because of its spiritual significance to the people of North Wilkes-Barre.

The people of Sacred Heart are willing to fight to keep their parish open. Yesterday, in a press conference on the steps of their beloved church, members of the Sacred Heart Foundation reaffirmed their resolve to “preserve, maintain and protect” their parish for years to come.

The Foundation also noted the gravity of Bishop Martino’s decisions in light of similar situations in other American dioceses. From their press release:

We have been active during the last few months investigating the trends of church closings all over the country. In Boston, MA, where parishioner efforts are ongoing to save their churches … approximately 25% of the churches in that diocese were closed. …. In New Orleans, LA, where there has been massive resistance to the announced church closings, less than 10% of the churches were closed. The closing of churches announced this weekend by Bishop Martino is the most massive program to close Catholic churches in our nation. As has been reported, nearly 50% of all churches in the diocese are to be closed.

The shuttering of nearly half of the churches in our diocese is a drastic and unnecessary move. While some changes may have been necessary, the magnitude of the decisions cannot be justified.

Diocese to close 78 churches

From this morning’s Times-Leader:

Across the 11-county Diocese of Scranton, The Times Leader tally showed 78 churches closing and another 30 consolidating but remaining available as additional worship sites. A few clusters listed consolidations without expressly noting the fate of a church building.

Read the final decisions here.

The Bells of St. Mary’s

This weekend has been quite an emotional time for the people of the Diocese of Scranton. To take my mind off the matters at hand, I watched the classic movie “The Bells of St. Mary’s” for the first time last night. If you haven’t seen the film, it’s worth a look. Bing Crosby stars in this charming story of faith, hope, and perseverance in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. It’s also a window into the strong Catholic culture of a bygone era, something that we would do well to restore.

For your viewing pleasure…

O sanctissima, O piissima dulcis Virgo Maria. Mater amata, intemerata ora, ora pro nobis. Amen.

Church Closings in the Diocese of Scranton

From the diocesan website:

The Bishop acknowledged that some parishioners would experience sorrow, perhaps even anger, if the church they are used to attending should close.

“I know that you love your churches,” he said. “But I also know that you love God and your faith even more. You want to see the faith preserved and handed down to future generations. And so, I believe you will recognize that changes must be made to deal with the realities of the present day.

“It’s only natural for us to want things to be the way we prefer. But as I said in my pastoral letter four years ago, we must be prepared to announce the Good News of Jesus Christ not as we would have it, but as Jesus intends it. We must be responsible and grateful stewards of the gifts and talents God has given us. We must use them wisely and productively to bring about the spiritual and pastoral renewal of the Diocese. That is the essence of Called to Holiness and Mission.”

Bishop Martino told The Catholic Light that change is a sign of life, and he cited how Jesus prayed at the Last Supper that all might be one.

“Our Lord’s words should inspire us to worship together as one community, not as separate congregations,” the Bishop said.

He added that the state of the economy and demographics are forcing businesses, governmental units and organizations everywhere to seriously examine their structures and devise ways to consolidate and operate more efficiently. Recent local media accounts have encouraged cooperation across the region.

Is the closure of dozens of churches how Jesus intends us to spread the Gospel in the twenty-first century? Does Jesus’ prayer Ut omnes unum sint really apply to church consolidation? The final decisions announced this weekend in the diocese of Scranton are heartbreaking, and the commentary and rationale presented here does little to ease the pain.

Yes, the people of the diocese of Scranton love God; that’s why we love our churches. We also understand the need for some changes. But the drastic measures announced this weekend will do much more damage than good. These trials will undoubtedly shake the faith of even some of the strongest believers. How will we be able to evangelize when so few structures remain? What message does a closed Catholic church send to those who do not share our faith? How will this process encourage vocations?

Here are the final decisions for the Southern Pastoral region. To view a PDF of the original, or to see results from the other regions, please visit the diocesan website.

FINAL DECISIONS FOR THE SOUTHERN PASTORAL REGION

CLUSTER # 1 – the parishes of Gate of Heaven, Dallas; Our Lady of Victory, Harvey’s
Lake; St. Therese, Shavertown; St. Frances X. Cabrini, Carverton; Our Lady of Mount
Carmel, Lake Silkworth:
• The creation of a Partnership among Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Lake Silkworth and the
linked/consolidated parishes of the cluster. Fiscal viability of Our Lady of Mount Carmel will be
evaluated annually. If it is unable to remain fiscally stable it will be linked to Gate of Heaven,
Dallas.
• St. Therese, Shavertown and St. Frances X. Cabrini, Carverton will consolidate no later than
July 2011 at the St. Therese site. There will be an additional worship site at St. Frances X. Cabrini
(one Mass per weekend and occasional use for weddings and funerals) which will be reviewed in
two years based on geography, attendance, fiscal realities and the availability of priests. The
Mission Church of Blessed Sacrament, Centermoreland will close no later than July 2009.
• Gate of Heaven, Dallas and Our Lady of Victory, Harvey’s Lake will link no later than July 2009
working toward consolidation no later than July 2011 at the Gate of Heaven site. There will be an
additional worship site at Our Lady of Victory (Masses as needed on weekends and occasional use
for weddings and funerals) which will be reviewed in two years based on geography, attendance,
fiscal realities and the availability of priests.

CLUSTER #2 – the parishes of Holy Family, Luzerne; St. Ignatius, Kingston; Holy
Name/St. Mary, Swoyersville; Holy Trinity, Swoyersville; St. Mary
Annunciation, Kingston:
• St. Ignatius, Kingston and St. Mary Annunciation, Kingston, will consolidate no later than
July 2010 at the St. Ignatius site. St. Mary Annunciation should consolidate with St. Ignatius as
soon as possible given the parish debt which will only increase the longer it takes the parish to
consolidate. St. Mary Annunciation Church building will close no later than July 2010. St. Ann
Chapel can continue to be an additional worship site (Masses as needed on weekends and
occasional use for weddings and funerals) but this will be reviewed after two years, based on
geography, attendance, fiscal realities and the availability of priests.
• Holy Name/St. Mary of Czestochowa, Swoyersville and Holy Trinity, Swoyersville will link no
later than July 2009 leading to consolidation no later than July 2012 at the Holy Trinity site. St.
Mary of Czestochowa Church building will close no later than 2012.
• The creation of a Partnership among Holy Family, Luzerne, the consolidated parish in Kingston
and the consolidated parish in Swoyersville.

CLUSTER # 3 – the parishes of Holy Rosary, Wilkes-Barre; Maternity BVM, Wilkes-
-Barre; St. Patrick, Wilkes-Barre; St. Boniface, Wilkes-Barre; Holy Trinity, Wilkes-
-Barre; St. Joseph, Wilkes-Barre Township:

• Maternity of the BVM, Wilkes-Barre, Holy Trinity, Wilkes-Barre, and St. Joseph, Wilkes-
Barre Township will consolidate no later than July 2010 at the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin
Mary site. Holy Trinity and St. Joseph Church buildings will close no later than July 2010.
• St. Patrick, Wilkes-Barre, St. Boniface, Wilkes-Barre and Holy Rosary, Wilkes-Barre will
consolidate no later than July 2010 at the St. Patrick site. Both the Holy Rosary Church building
and St. Boniface Church building will close no later than July 2010.

CLUSTER # 4 – the parishes of St. Nicholas, Wilkes-Barre; St. Mary of the Immaculate
Conception, Wilkes-Barre; St. Joseph (Slovak), Wilkes-Barre; St. Aloysius, Wilkes-Barre;
St. Casimir, Wilkes-Barre (Lyndwood); St. Therese, Wilkes-Barre; Exaltation Holy
Cross, Hanover Twp. (Buttonwood):
• The creation of a Partnership between St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Wilkes-Barre and
St. Nicholas, Wilkes-Barre effective July 2009. Hispanic Ministry is to be located at St. Nicholas
no later than July 2009.
• St. Joseph, Wilkes-Barre, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Wilkes-Barre, and St. Therese,
Wilkes-Barre will consolidate no later than July 2011 at the St. Mary of the Immaculate
Conception site. Both the St. Joseph Church building and the St. Therese Church building will
close no later than July 2011.
• St. Aloysius, Wilkes-Barre and St. Casimir, Wilkes-Barre (Lyndwood) will consolidate no later
than July 2011 at the St. Aloysius site, pending a meeting with the Diocesan Director of Finance,
the Diocesan Facilities Manager and the Director of Called to Holiness and Mission to determine
the financial cost for renovation of St. Aloysius. If the renovation cost of St. Aloysius is acceptable,
St. Casimir Church building will close no later than July 2011.
• The creation of a Partnership among all the parishes no later than July 2009.
• St. Aloysius, Wilkes-Barre and Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Hanover Township will link no later
than July 2009.

CLUSTER # 5 – the parishes of Blessed Sacrament, Wilkes-Barre;
St. Francis, Wilkes-Barre; St. John the Baptist, Wilkes-Barre;
St. Dominic, Wilkes-Barre:
• St. Francis of Assisi, Wilkes-Barre, St. John the Baptist, Wilkes-Barre, Blessed Sacrament, Wilkes-
Barre, and St. Dominic, Wilkes-Barre will consolidate no later than July 2010 at the St. Dominic
site. The Church buildings of St. John the Baptist, St. Francis of Assisi, and Blessed Sacrament will
close no later than July 2010.

CLUSTER # 6 – the parishes of Sacred Heart of Jesus/St. John the
Evangelist, Wilkes-Barre; St. Stanislaus Kostka, Wilkes-Barre;
Holy Saviour, Wilkes-Barre:
• Sacred Heart of Jesus/St. John the Evangelist, Wilkes-Barre, St. Stanislaus Kostka, Wilkes-Barre
and Holy Saviour, Wilkes-Barre will consolidate no later than July 2010 at the St. Stanislaus site.
There will be an additional worship site (Masses as needed per weekend and occasional use for
weddings and funerals) at Holy Saviour which will be reviewed after two years, based on
geography, attendance, fiscal realities and the availability of priests. Sacred Heart of Jesus /St. John

the Evangelist Church building and the Mission Church of St. Christopher, Bear Creek Township
will close no later than July 2010.

CLUSTER # 7 – the parishes of Our Lady Help Christians, Dorrance; St. Jude, Mountain
Top; St. Patrick, White Haven:
• St. Jude, Mountain Top, Our Lady Help of Christians, Dorrance, and St. Patrick, White Haven will
link no later than July 2010.

CLUSTER # 8 – the parishes of Holy Trinity, Nanticoke; St. Stanislaus, Nanticoke;
St. Mary of Czestochowa, Nanticoke; St. Francis, Nanticoke; St. Joseph
(Slovak), Nanticoke; Holy Child, Sheatown:

• Holy Trinity, Nanticoke; St. Stanislaus, Nanticoke; St. Mary Czestochowa, Nanticoke; St. Francis,
Nanticoke; St. Joseph (Slovak), Nanticoke; and Holy Child, Sheatown will consolidate no later
than July 2010 at the Holy Trinity site. There will be an additional worship site (Masses as needed
per weekend with occasional funerals and weddings) at St. Mary of Czestochowa which will be
evaluated no later than two years after the consolidation, based on geography, attendance, fiscal
realities and the availability of priests. St. Francis Church building will close no later than July
2009. The Church buildings of St. Stanislaus, St. Joseph, and Holy Child will close no later than
July 2010.

CLUSTER # 9 – the parishes of St. Cecilia, Exeter; St. John the Baptist, Exeter;
St. Anthony of Padua, Exeter; Our Lady of Sorrows, West Wyoming;
St. Joseph, Wyoming; Immaculate Conception, West Pittston; Holy Redeemer, Harding:
• The creation of a Partnership among St. Cecilia, Exeter, St. John the Baptist, Exeter, St. Anthony of
Padua, Exeter, Our Lady of Sorrows, West Wyoming, St. Joseph, Wyoming,
Immaculate Conception, West Pittston, and Holy Redeemer, Harding effective July 2009 to begin
accomplishing their stated goals.
• Holy Redeemer, Harding, and Immaculate Conception, West Pittston will consolidate no later than
July 2011 at the Immaculate Conception site. There will be an additional worship site (Masses as
needed per weekend with occasional funerals and weddings) at Holy Redeemer, Harding which will
be evaluated two years after the consolidation, based on geography, attendance, fiscal realities and
the availability of priests.
• St. John the Baptist, Exeter, St. Cecilia, Exeter and St. Anthony, Exeter will consolidate no later
than July 2011 at the St. Anthony site. There will be an additional worship site (Masses as needed
per weekend with occasional funerals and weddings) at St. Cecilia which will be evaluated two
years after the consolidation, based on geography, attendance, fiscal realities and the availability of
priests. St. John the Baptist Church building will close no later than July 2011.
• Our Lady of Sorrows, West Wyoming and St. Joseph, Wyoming will consolidate no later than July
2011 at the St. Joseph site. There will be an additional worship site (Masses as needed per weekend
with occasional funerals and weddings) at Our Lady of Sorrows which will be evaluated two years
after the consolidation, based on geography, attendance, fiscal realities and the availability of
priests.

CLUSTER # 10 – the parishes of Blessed Sacrament, Hughestown; St. Mary Help
Christians, Pittston; St. Mary Assumption, Pittston; Our Lady Mt. Carmel, Pittston;
St. Rocco, Pittston; St. John Evangelist, Pittston:
• Blessed Sacrament, Hughestown, St. Mary Assumption, Pittston and St. Mary Help of Christians,
Pittston will consolidate no later than July 2012 at the St. Mary Help of Christians site. The Church
buildings of Blessed Sacrament and St. Mary Assumption will close no later than July 2012.
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pittston and St. Rocco, Pittston will consolidate no later than July
2012 at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel site. St. Rocco Church building will close no later than July
2012.
• The creation of a Partnership among St. John the Evangelist, Pittston and the two newly
consolidated parishes by July 2012.

CLUSTER # 11– the parishes of St. Martha, Fairmont Springs; St. Mary, Mocanaqua;
Ascension, Mocanaqua; Corpus Christi, Glen Lyon:
• St. Mary, Mocanaqua, Ascension, Mocanaqua, St. Martha, Fairmount Springs and Corpus Christi,
Glen Lyon will consolidate no later than July 2011 at the St. Mary, Mocanaqua site. There will be
additional worship sites (the possibility of weekend Masses with occasional funerals and weddings)
at St. Martha and in Newport Township which will be reviewed after two years, based on
geography, attendance, fiscal realities and the availability of priests. As part of the process of
consolidation further study needs to be done by the Implementation Commission related to the
worship site in Newport Township. Ascension Church building will close no later than July 2011.

CLUSTER # 12 – the parishes of Holy Family, Sugar Notch; St. Charles Borromeo, Sugar
Notch; St. Leo, Ashley:
• Holy Family, Sugar Notch and St. Charles Borromeo, Sugar Notch will consolidate no later than
July 2009 at the Holy Family site. St. Charles Borromeo Church building will close no later than
July 2009.
• The creation of a Partnership between the consolidated Sugar Notch Parishes and the recently
consolidated St. Leo, Ashley no later than July 2009.

CLUSTER # 13 – the parishes of Holy Rosary, Duryea; Sacred Heart, Duryea;
St. Joseph, Duryea; St. Mary, Avoca; SS. Peter and Paul, Avoca; Sacred Heart of
Jesus, Dupont:
Holy Rosary, Duryea, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Duryea, and St. Joseph, Duryea will consolidate
no later than July 2011 at the Holy Rosary site. Holy Rosary will now be a territorial parish with
the boundaries of Duryea Borough. Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Joseph Church buildings will
close no later than 2011.
SS. Peter and Paul, Avoca and St. Mary, Avoca will link no later than July 2009 and then
consolidate no later than July 2012 at the St. Mary site. SS. Peter and Paul Church building will
close no later than July 2012.
The creation of a Partnership among Sacred Heart of Jesus, Dupont and the newly consolidated
parishes beginning in July 2009.
CLUSTER # 14 – the parishes of St. Maria Goretti, Laflin; St. Mark, Inkerman; SS. Peter
& Paul, Plains; Sacred Heart of Jesus, Plains; St. Joseph, Hudson:.
• Saints Peter & Paul, Plains, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Plains, and St. Joseph, Hudson will consolidate
no later than July 2010 at the Saints Peter & Paul site. Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Joseph Church
buildings will close no later than July 2010.
• St. Maria Goretti, Laflin and St. Mark, Inkerman will consolidate no later than July 2009 at the St.
Maria Goretti site. St. Mark Church building will close no later than July 2009.
• The creation of a Partnership between the newly consolidated parishes

CLUSTER # 15 – the parishes of All Saints, Plymouth; St. John Baptist, Larksville:
• The creation of a Partnership between All Saints, Plymouth, which has recently consolidated, and
St. John the Baptist, Larksville no later than July 2009. No later than July 2012, All Saints,
Plymouth and St. John the Baptist, Larksville are to study the demographics and financial statistics
for viability and consider whether linkage or consolidation might be an option.

The Lord doth guard the faithful

This evening, at every anticipated Sunday Mass in the Diocese of Scranton, priests were instructed to play a prerecorded message from Bishop Martino. The bishop stressed that this method of communication was chosen out of respect for the people. But respect – for our churches, history, parishioners, and faith – was hard to find in the forthcoming decisions.

The announcements came after the postcommunion collect. The Church prescribes a verse from Psalm 31 as the communion chant today: Make your face to shine upon your servant, and in your loving kindness save me; Lord, let me not be ashamed for having called upon you. This evening at Mass, after chanting the communion proper, the choir sang a metrical version of thirty-first psalm. Here is the first verse:

Let me not be ashamed, O Lord, for on thee have I called:
Let wicked men be shamed, let them be silent in the grave.
To silence put the lying lips, that grievous things do say,
And hard reports, in pride and scorn, on righteous men do lay.

The elimination of dozens of churches is a grievous wrong, especially when it is done in the name of spiritual renewal. I have stressed time and time again that renewal does not come from closing churches and schools. Renewal does not come from inattentiveness to rubrics of the liturgy. Renewal does not come from questionable ecclesial movements and campaigns.

Renewal isn’t even the right word. Why not restore our diocese? Why not restore a strong sense of Catholic culture? Why don’t we restore to the Liturgy the reverence it is due? But this isn’t a discussion about semantics. The situation we face is far too serious.

The decision announced this evening for my cluster orders the consolidation of four parishes into one. At least temporarily, three church buildings will remain; two will close permanently by July 2011. To further add to the absurdity of the plan, the two outlying parishes are separated by more than sixteen miles (at least a half-hour drive by car in good weather), with many parishioners scattered apart even further. All four parishes were financially sound and maintained sizable congregations.

Conversation, input, and discussion: were these ever a real consideration? How can Bishop Martino justify these decisions? The consolidation of these four parishes puts the liturgical, education and evangelization efforts of these churches in jeopardy. Multiply this effect for every other church that will be closed across the diocese.

My home parish is located in a rural area, a single beacon of Catholicism in the midst of several large evangelical churches. Closing this church would be disastrous; it would nullify all of the progress made in youth ministry and sacred music. But even under this consolidation plan, the identity and effectiveness of my parish will suffer.

Is there anything that can be done? First and foremost, pray. Pray to St. Jude, patron saint of causes without hope. Pray that Bishop Martino will reconsider these decisions before great damage is done to our diocese. Second, don’t lose faith and don’t lose hope.

Here is the last verse of the metrical psalm we sang tonight:

O love the Lord, all ye his saints; because the Lord doth guard
The faithful, and he plenteously proud doers doth reward.
Be of good courage, and he strength unto your heart shall send,
All ye whose hope and confidence doth on the Lord depend.

St. Jude, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
St. Martha, pray for us.