Church Closings

February 24, 2009

Churches picked to close file appeals

Six local parishes have filed with bishop; activist urges more churches to join fight.

By Mark Guydish mguydish@timesleader.com
Education Reporter
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Six local churches slated to close have now filed formal appeals with Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino, and the group formed to fight the closings is encouraging others who believe their parishes are still sustainable and buildings still in good shape to join the crowd.

Noreen Foti, who helped form the Council of Parishes of Northeastern Pennsylvania said the appeals have all been sent to Martino, though there has been no response yet. Noreen and her husband, Anthony, have been spearheading a separate group, the Sacred Heart Wilkes-Barre Foundation, for more than a year in an effort to save that church, which is now slated for closing.

Other churches for which individuals have filed appeals include Holy Child in Nanticoke, St. Francis in the Miners Mills section of Wilkes-Barre, St. Stanislaus in Nanticoke, and St. Francis of Assisi in West Hazleton. Another Luzerne County church has filed an appeal, but Noreen Foti said the person involved did not want the name of the parish published yet.

In a press release, The Council of Parishes claimed that “traditionally, once the appeal process is initiated, the parish remains open while the case is reviewed.” It also notes that nine Boston parishes filed appeals with the Vatican and “the archdiocese has been ordered to safeguard the parish assets pending the decision.”

The press release contends some of the churches on the chopping block are still sustainable and the closures will force parishioners into “inferior accommodations,” buildings that may be too small for the newly combined parishes, in need of repair, short on parking space, or lacking bathroom and kitchen facilities.

Along with Boston, Noreen Foti cited the situation in the Archdiocese of New York as further evidence the number of churches being closed locally is excessive. Recent news reports say the archdiocese is running a $20 million deficit and closing 21 churches. Noreen Foti noted the Diocese of Scranton recently announced an operating deficit of about $7 million yet is closing nearly twice as many churches in Luzerne County alone.

Martino has noted that the decisions regarding which churches to close came after a year of study by teams of parishioners and their priests, with their recommendations reviewed by a central planning commission with assistance from an outside consultant.

Anyone interested in joining the Council of Parishes – which is not affiliated with the diocese – can get more information at the group’s Web site, www.shwbfoundation.com.

Mark Guydish, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7161

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