Church Closings

July 10, 2009

Wyoming church will not be closed

Our Lady of Sorrows will not merging with St. Joseph’s in West Wyoming.

By Mark Guydish mguydish@timesleader.com
Education Reporter
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WYOMING – The mandate from Bishop Joseph Martino to close scores of churches throughout the Diocese of Scranton may not be as irrevocable as some thought.

Parishioners at Our Lady of Sorrows in Wyoming learned recently that their church, initially set to merge into St. Joseph’s in West Wyoming, will remain open. The announcement appeared in a church bulletin.

After a process that took more than a year and involved the formation of groups within each parish and among nearby parishes, Martino announced the final decision on a diocesanwide church restructuring in February. The restructuring was necessary because of shifting demographics and steep decline in the number of available priests in recent decades.

Martino’s original decision included the consolidation of Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Joseph’s at the St. Joseph’s building, with Our Lady of Sorrows remaining available as “an additional worship site,” meaning it could be used as needed for weekend Masses and occasional funerals or weddings.

The consolidation was to take place by “no later than July, 2011,” and the status of Our Lady of Sorrows was to “be evaluated two years after the consolidation, based on geography, attendance, fiscal realities and the availability of priests.”

But a recent church bulletin included news that the diocese had reversed that decision, and that St. Joseph’s would merge into Our Lady of Sorrows.

The notice said the diocesan implementation commission set up to assist in the changes had received “compelling information,” that prompted it to alter the original directive. It did not say what the compelling information was.

The parish pastor, the Rev. James Walsh, was on vacation, according to a secretary at the parish office. Diocesan spokesman Bill Genello did not return a phone message left Thursday afternoon.

Martino announced numerous priest changes last week, and Walsh is leaving the parish and will be replaced by the Rev. Michael Marchetti from a Montoursville parish.

The new plan calls for St. Joseph’s to remain available as an additional worship site, and to be re-evaluated in two years.

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

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