Massachussets Catholics Stage Sit Ins

[Saint Therese]

[url="http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/189/story/421302.html"]Article on sit ins.[/url]

[Era Might]

I do not agree with sit-ins. If these Churches close, the parishioners are still going to have other Churches available to them. They are not going to lose the Sacraments. To put things into perspective, consider that there are Catholics in some parts of the world who barely have access to a Priest, and there are Catholics in other parts of the world who are being martyred. Compare that with this from the article:

[quote]Across the lobby, a recliner is propped in front of a TV. Two sleeping areas are set up on either side of the sanctuary. One has bunk beds for when families stay, as well as a wireless Internet connection. A smaller room that was once a confessional has a TV and full-size bed.[/quote]

[Brother Adam]

I suppose the diocese is allowing them to go through a grieving process. I understand and appreciate the difficulty of a parish closing, especially if you put up a 2nd mortgage on your house or made another great sacrifice to see the structure built in the first place.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Brother Adam' post='1800388' date='Mar 8 2009, 11:39 AM']I suppose the diocese is allowing them to go through a grieving process. I understand and appreciate the difficulty of a parish closing, especially if you put up a 2nd mortgage on your house or made another great sacrifice to see the structure built in the first place.[/quote]
Trouble is you end with so few people in some of these churches you cannot pay the heat or gas bill. We went thru consolidation years ago and while its painful it is not the end of the world. We probably lost 1/2 of our parishes, but it had to be done.

[Wolf]

I can understand the passion involved in this situation. Some people may think it's inappropriate, but I think it's taking a stand!

[Wolf]

Or maybe not exactly taking a "stand"!

[cmotherofpirl]

Full of emotion - yes, full of logic - no. They are acting like defiant two -year olds, as if the church[i] likes[/i] closing parishes. It is heart-wrenching. But its a building - its not the "Church".

[Wolf]

[quote]Full of emotion - yes, full of logic - no. They are acting like defiant two -year olds, as if the church likes closing parishes. It is heart-wrenching. But its a building - its not the "Church".[/quote]
Well, yes, and I know some people think actions like this are misguided and undignified. I can sort of see both sides of this issue.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Wolf' post='1800407' date='Mar 8 2009, 12:18 PM']Well, yes, and I know some people think actions like this are misguided and undignified. I can sort of see both sides of this issue.[/quote]
If the parish cannot pay its bills, it closes. You can't expect the diocese to subsidize buildings because people can't deal with change. We lost half our psishes when we reorganized, and its hard to see to see it. But since we have birth-controlled ourselves out of a sustaining catholic population, and people flocked to the suburbs, what do ya expect???

[CatholicCid]

I thought, sure, grieving time, that's nice... But 4 years? Really?

Call the cops, have them arrested for trespassing. Drop the charges, but get them out long enough to change the locks.

"The occupation "is a necessity in our lives," Rogers said. "Because without your faith, what do you have?""

If your faith is in a building... Well, it's all lost then.

[Resurrexi]

Do those churches let people take the vestments and liturgical books and relics when they close? I'm sure many parishes around the country would love to have them if they did. Also, I wonder if they do anything with the altars, since there are many people who would like to have chapels at their homes and wouldn't mind a nice since altar from the 1800s.

[Brother Adam]

I didn't know it was 4 years, yes that is excessive. I would have them removed after a couple of months.

[dauntingknight]

The Roman Catholic church goes for the quality of the members, not the quantity.

Pope Benedict the XVI said it after he became Pope.

Edited March 8, 2009 by dauntingknight

[Wolf]

4 years? I can appreciate the gesture, but that's a tad excessive!

[CatherineM]

Our parishes need to be merged here. Some already have, but we have to borrow priests from other countries and rent out rooms in the rectory to keep the heat on. It's silly to shoe string budgets for 3 churches within a mile of each other on the same street.

Our church was the one designated to stay open because it is in the middle of the three, can hold the most people, and is handicap accessible where the other two are not. In this case it isn't parishioners holding the other two churches open, but elderly priests who refuse to retire or move.

This is about perceived winners and losers. When one church was Ukrainian, one Portuguese, and one Irish, to close one over the other is like losing a National battle.