Posted on 10/09/2011 1:19:05 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
BRIDGEPORT -- From Boston to Chicago, from Vermont to Maryland, scores of Catholic churches are closing as bishops juggle the needs of the faithful with the harsh realities of empty pews and dwindling contributions.
That reality hit home this month with the announcement that three Roman Catholic churches in Bridgeport -- out of a total of 16 in the city -- will all but close by mid-January: St. Raphael's, Holy Rosary and St. Ambrose. The announcement was a bitter pill to swallow for those who have gone to the three churches for decades.
"I think we're getting a raw deal," said Mike Rodriguez, outside of Mass last Sunday at St. Ambrose. He has been attending Mass there for nearly 20 years. "They could have given us more time. We can make it work. The people here are devastated."
He's not alone. Many parishioners from the churches affected said they were upset by the announcement.
St. Ambrose, Holy Rosary and St. Raphael will have to open at least once a month to preserve their tax-exempt status, church officials said. They will be open for funerals, weddings and the like, but that was little comfort for some congregants.
"I just feel it's pure greed," said Pat Rinko after Mass at St. Ambrose. "How can you just take people's churches away? Why would they send me to a church in Stratford? Nobody understands why."
The scene was similar outside of Holy Rosary on the city's East Side, a block from Washington Park.
"I've been coming here forever -- since I was a little girl," said Jean Daniels.
Daniels still attends Holy Rosary even though she has lived in Trumbull for years.
"When my parents first came here, it was a wooden church," she said. "They were married here. Nobody here is happy anymore."
Holy Rosary parishioners have formed a committee and consulted a lawyer to determine if any action can be taken to prevent the closing of their church, according to church members.
Parishioner Antoinette Piantedosi said closing St. Raphael, where she has been attending since the 1940s, "doesn't make any sense." She said the 12:30 Mass in Spanish is packed, and there are families with small children, who are the future of the church.
Bridgeport diocesan officials didn't release attendance figures, but they did say that baptism numbers have plummeted. At Holy Rosary, only 18 babies were baptized over the last three years; in the 1960s, that number would have been in the triple digits.
"It's always hurtful to the people it's happening to, but these closures in Bridgeport are certainly more limited than it might have been," said Paul Lakeland, professor of religious studies at Fairfield University. "Catholics don't go to church every week like they used to. Today we're seeing about 25 percent of Catholics go to church at least once a week, quite a significant drop-off from what it was 50 years ago."
It was a different picture back in the 1960s.
"Back then, every Mass was packed," said Charles Brilvitch, the city's former historian and a lifelong city resident. "You'd walk into church and it was standing-room only."
BRIDGEPORT ISN'T ALONE
Bridgeport might consider itself lucky that only three churches are closing for Mass. In Cleveland, for example, 50 Roman Catholic churches have been shuttered or combined in the last five years, and one has been razed; others may be torn down, too. At its peak, Cleveland had 224 parishes; only 174 remain today. The story is the same in many cities of the Northeast and the Midwest's Rust Belt. In July, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis said it will close four of the 14 churches in Terre Haute by the end of 2012.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore has closed seven churches since 2000. In North Pownal, Vt., Our Lady of Lourdes celebrated its last Mass on Oct. 1.
In Springfield, Mass., parishioners have been staging a sit-in protest after the Diocese of Springfield, Mass., announced it plans to close the Mater Dolorosa Church in Holyoke. More Roman Catholic churches there are set to close. Ten churches in the western part of Massachusetts were shuttered on Jan. 1.
Closer to home, the Diocese of Norwich has begun an eight-month study on closing some of its shoreline parishes between East Lyme and the Rhode Island line. And it's expected that officials in the Bridgeport diocese will soon begin looking hard at other poorly-attended Catholic churches in Fairfield County.
DODGING THE AX
Surprisingly to some, one church that escaped the padlock was Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church. It towers over the East Side and arguably has the most beautiful and ornate interior of any church in the city. It opened in 1907 as a Slovak church; today, it's the last one in the city that offers a Latin Mass.
Much of the neighborhood it once served no longer exists. The Father Panik Village housing project across the street was cleared away in the early 1990s. And a few blocks to the south, scores of homes and apartments were leveled for the long-awaited Steelpointe Harbor project that city officials maintain will eventually be built.
"Back in the 1950s and '60s, it was a different city," said Msgr. Jerald A. Doyle of the Diocese of Bridgeport. "Sts. Cyril & Methodius is a big church with a very small congregation, but Msgr. (Joseph) Pekar is doing a great job there. It's the only place in the city that has the Latin Mass. So as long as he's doing that, we're able to sustain it."
That Latin Mass, Sundays at 10:15 a.m., is attracting the faithful from the suburbs, church officials say, even though the church is in one of the most beleaguered parts of Bridgeport.
CATHEDRAL PARISH
Along with the church closings, there are other changes as well. St. Augustine Cathedral, the mother church of the Bridgeport diocese on Washington Avenue, is being merged with St. Patrick, about a mile away on North Avenue. Both will remain open, but staffs will be consolidated where possible. Both will still have Mass on Sundays and other days of the week.
"The goal is to be more efficient and build things up," said Brian Wallace, the spokesman for the Diocese of Bridgeport. "St. Patrick's is a beautiful church that was restored recently. Now, when the bishop has a diocesan-wide liturgy and it's packed with people from all over Fairfield County, it'll work really well to give the people from the St. Augustine's Cathedral the option of having Mass there instead."
The union of St. Augustine and St. Patrick will be called the Cathedral Parish under the realignment.
Also merging will be two North End churches, Our Lady of Good Council and St. Andrew. Our Lady of Good Council will remain open, and it will retain its name, but it will be a chapel of St. Andrew's.
"The bishop would like to see people pull together and work out some of these details themselves," Wallace said. "We have to understand that Bishop (William E.) Lori inherited an infrastructure that's about a hundred years old. Now it's the 21st century."
Doyle, who was reared in Bridgeport, notes it's not just the Catholic churches that have empty pews.
"Just about all of the mainline churches are struggling in the city," he said. "In the 1950s, factories like GE and Remington employed thousands. Now, that's all gone."
HISTORIC ROOTS
As with many Catholic churches in the city, Holy Rosary Church, in the city's East End, was established in the early 20th century. The present church was completed in 1932; it was first established in 1903 in what was then the Diocese of Hartford. Through much of its history, Italian-Americans made up most of the congregation, although this is no longer the case. It was formerly known as the "Holy Rosary Italian Catholic Church," according to records.
The Diocese of Bridgeport was established in 1953, the year the Holy Rosary celebrated its 50th anniversary. The attached Holy Rosary School, established in 1961, will remain open, as will the schools attached to St. Ambrose and St. Raphael.
St. Ambrose Church, established in 1928 in the Mill Hill district in the city's upper East End, is sometimes called the "Church on the Hill." It was dedicated on April 14, 1940. Its parish school, which will remain open, was dedicated in 1951. It was named after St. Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan who lived 340 to 397.
St. Raphael was dedicated on Dec. 12, 1926, but it was almost entirely rebuilt in 1953, and there was a major renovation about a decade ago. It was named after Raphael, who in the Christian faith is one of the seven Archangels who stand before the throne of the Lord.
Those who now attend both Holy Rosary and St. Raphael will be asked to attend Mass at the Shrine of St. Margaret on Park Avenue.
NOT THE FIRST TO CLOSE
The last Roman Catholic church in Bridgeport to close was St. John Nepomucene on the East Side, on the corner of Brooks and Jane streets. It closed in November 1991, and its dwindling parish was merged with Holy Name in Stratford. It's still owned by the diocese, but it's now operated by the Victory Outreach Church. In return, Victory Outreach is taking care of the building, according to its pastor, Patrick Robbers.
In February 1991, the diocese shuttered St. Anthony on Colorado Avenue in the West End. That parish was merged with St. Peter's, a few blocks up the street, and the small, wooden church just south of State Street was razed.
The closing of St. Anthony was not met with much resistance. After its final Mass, its icons were marched up Colorado Avenue to St. Peter's in what could be described as a celebration.
FINANCING THE FAITH
Many faith communities, including some Catholic parishes, are thriving. But many are not. Wether its a diocese with hundreds of parishes or a storefront church next door to a bodega, those in charge are painfully aware of the fact that income largely comes from voluntary donations. Churches can't take their flocks to court for not contributing.
"This is a problem that many, many Christian denominations have faced," said Brian Bodt, president of the Greater Bridgeport Council of Churches.
"In my own faith, Methodist, we used to have at least six churches in Bridgeport in 1969 and today we have two. I know that Bishop Lori was giving it a lot of thought and study," Bodt said. "It's always extremely hard for the people who go to a church that has to close."
For local members who have tied their identities to a particular church for decades, the news of its impending demise hits hard.
"When I first came here 15 years ago -- I had been away from church for awhile -- the sun was shining in on the alter and there were a couple sparrows that had somehow gotten inside that were flying around the altar -- it was almost magical," said Pat Rinko last Sunday outside of St. Ambrose, tears welling up in her eyes. "When Father Dennis hugged me, well, that did it for me. It's like a family here -- the happy times, the sad times, everyone is here for you."
Every penny goes right to the Vatican bank.
/s
LOL. It’s a “dynamically equivalent” translation. Or it is if you’re a stoner (or work for the NAB.)
Catholics need an ordained priest to preside over services. Yes, we can have services in homes, but that would be to smaller groups. There just aren’t enough priests to go around. A priest is only allowed to say 2 Masses per day, unless extreme circumstances dictate a dispensation.
In the 1960s (after Vatican 2) we did have home Masses where someone would volunteer their home and invite their neighbors. But, as far as I remember, those Masses were on weekday evenings. They did not count for Sundays.
And we’d still have the cost of upkeep for the buildings. The Church does not allow Catholic churches to just be abandoned. They can be sold with permission of the bishop, if a suitable buyer can be found. A suitable buyer would be another congregation — even a Protestant congregation. But all of the sacred furnishings would need to be removed first.
I belong to a combined Parish, and we have 6 buildings to keep up — 2 churches, 2 rectories, and office building, and a school. The historic, smaller church is used only on Holy Days, weddings, and 1/2 of the weekday Masses. All Sunday Masses are held at the larger, more modern church. Believe me, there was a flap about that when it was announced. It costs $50,000 per year just to keep the snow plowed at all the locations.
And generally, the big wave of Catholic immigration was to cities, where it made sense to have meeting places not only for worship but for mutual support.
And I think large churches are more fun. In my experience when you get over about 150 faithful families you can start having ministries to your community 'n stuff.
I do think home churches would be better than the kind of Shinto attachment to shrines that you get in some of these places, where money and effort go more to the 'fabric' than to anything resembling real witness.
But we do minister to the weak a LOT. I think it's heroic that y'all worship in homes. But for some of weaker faith, a building, while it can be a distraction -- even a fatal distraction, can also be a help.
I often say I learned about Beauty in my "growing-up" church (and other things, like self-discipline because I was an altar-boy) and it was through them that I began to learn about God -- who then graciously carried me to where I could turn to Him on metal chaise in cinder-block buildings or standing around in the large kitchen of a migrant worker camp. Poured concrete and nothing else.
But I started out on my knees 18" from some awesome textiles. I know I got my interest in textiles and weaving from my time as an altar boy. But I thank God that He kept whispering, "You think THAT's beautiful? Pshaw! That ain't nothing. I will SHOW you some Beauty: Look at my Son!"
Thank you so very much, more than I can say.
I’ve submitted my petition. I go before council on 10/24 for an interview.
Mind you, one of the friars said, “Oh, don’t worry. We Dominicans will take ANYbody!” (Sometimes I think for the Lay Dominicans that may be true! If they take me, well then!)
It will have been 4.5 years. 6 months as an enquirer, 1 year as “received” (novice),3 years as temporary promised, and now usque ad mortem, D.V. Sometime around 1/28, Thomas Aquinas Day.
It's not required but it is recommended often.
God’s Will, of course, but my prayers will be daily with you. I have a deep affection for the Dominicans, they have given so much to us all, for the love of God.
If I recall, I have been to that church a lot over the years, it’s one of the few that really preached about abortion. I remember one sermon that actually explained what the Church teaches on socialism. Very impressive parish.
You’ll be in my prayers as well.
Freegards
You’ve been to Saint Thomas Aquinas in Charlottesville? Kewel!
(Okay,I just “outed” my location ... Tra la.)
When were you there?
We’ve had some great friars who did not hold back.
Well, I reckon you can always have a mod deleteth yon posting.
I was probably there 10- 20 times in the last 8 years. I believe we mentioned it before to eachother but in reference to another parish in C’Ville...
Freegards
That comes to about $10,000.00 per parish per week. There is no way that kind of cash is coming from the collection basket so either the money is coming from somewhere else or the figure is bogus.
Please see my post 25. It should answer your questions.
Indeed. ; )
Well the next time, let me know in advance. We’ll figure out how to meet.
I was beginning to think I needed to put up an “I’m SORRY” billboard..:)
I know! Contact Quix and get him to design it for you!
This is the problem with apologies for making a mistake. You make a statement, it’s wrong, but you don’t know it yet. The person you made the statement to has pinged everyone on their ping list. But you don’t know who they are..or how many there are. Anyway, you find out you were wrong, you apologize. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER 400 PEOPLE WHO WERE PINGED??? One at a time, they refute your already apologized for wrong answer....We need HELP here! How to do a mass apology to everyone who is on someone else’s ping list..The answer of course, is to never be wrong. But that would be impossible. At least for me..;)
The folks I was visiting moved, but they have relatives in the area, so if it ever works out I’ll shoot you a Freep-mail, and we’ll take it from there.
Like I said, you’ll be in my prayers dude!
Freegards, God Bless
I think Augustine published a book called “Retractiones”. May we all should have a section on our home page called: Ooops! And we could have “archived oopses” for previous errors. So instead of repeating the retraction one could just say, “Check my home page.”
I LIKE that!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.