Church Closings

February 6, 2009

Parish reps meet in private

Parishioners organize to discuss possible challenges to diocese church closings.

By Mark Guydish mguydish@timesleader.com
Education Reporter
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WILKES-BARRE – Representatives from about half a dozen area parishes met behind closed doors Thursday to discuss possible responses to the closing of churches across the Diocese of Scranton. Anthony Foti, one of the people who spearheaded the formation of the new group called the “Council of Parishes of the Diocese of Scranton” said it was an organizational meeting and promised more.

“We are realistic,” Foti said after the meeting, “We know this is a long, long uphill battle, but we are encouraged that there are other parishes that feel the same way we do.”

Foti and his wife Noreen formed the Sacred Heart Wilkes-Barre Foundation in 2007 in an effort to spare than church from closing, but Bishop Joseph Martino announced it will consolidate with nearby St. Stanislaus, with Sacred Heart shuttered for good. The couple then formed the new group and called the meeting at the north end Slovak Citizens Club on North Main Street, Wilkes-Barre.

“We shared stories and we were able to inform the others of what we know of the appeal process” to try to reverse the decision to close a church, Anthony Foti said, adding that the Sacred Heart group had filed an appeal with Martino earlier the same day.

If Martino rejects the appeal – and his history suggests that likely, having firmly withstood public outcry when many schools were closed in 2007 – the group plans to appeal to the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington, D.C., the Pope’s representative in the U.S.

Foti estimated that about 40 to 45 people attended the introductory meeting, and said that while “there was some venting” from members of the crowd frustrated with the closing of their churches, “that wasn’t the focus.”

The meeting lasted about an hour and the Fotis decided not to allow media in so that people would feel more comfortable talking.

Anthony Foti said he is “encouraged that there are other parishes where they feel the same way we do. We are also encouraged that there has been some success in other areas of the country that faced massive closings. I know for example that in Boston, nine parishes filed appeals, and that has been going on for four years. In that time, the Cardinal in Boston has reversed himself in four instances and those parishes have been reopened.

“We hope our bishop will follow the lead of the Cardinal in Boston.”

Anthony Foti said he wants to have meetings of the new group at least once a month, and that those present Thursday were asked “to reach out to their fellow parishioners and friends as well. They need to organize themselves as a group for the appeals to work.”

Citing declining attendance, a shortage of priests and serious financial problem within the 11-county diocese, Martino had launched the church consolidation process in January 2008. Each church formed a “core committee” to review their status and options, then members of those committees met in “Cluster committees” where nearby parishes drew up proposals for their cluster and submitted them to a central “Planning Commission.”

That commission made preliminary recommendations in October, but the final decision was left to Martino, who made the announcement via audio recordings delivered to each church and played at Masses Saturday and Sunday. The final decision closed about half the churches across the diocese, and some will remain open only as “additional worship sites,” meaning they consolidate with another church but the building will be available for possible Sunday Masses, weddings and funerals as needed.

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

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