Dawson chapel’s doors close
It was a day of mixed emotions Saturday, as parishioners at the Dawson chapel of Immaculate Conception Parish celebrated a 60th wedding anniversary and closed the doors of the church. “As the first reading said, this isn’t a day for weeping; it’s a day for rejoicing,” said the Rev. Terry A. Hercik, who celebrated the chapel’s final 7 p.m. Mass with the Rev. Dennis A. Bogusz.
The Mass served as the anniversary celebration for Frank and Margaret Lamanna of Dawson. On Jan. 25, 1947, the Lamannas were married in the chapel, when it was known as Sacred Heart Parish.
The Diocese of Greensburg announced last week the chapel was closing.
As she prepared for a reception in her parents’ honor following the Mass, Mary Jane Winterhalter said that the closing of the church was difficult.
“Any time a church closes, it’s terrible,” said Winterhalter, who was baptized and married at the chapel, and a lifelong member of the parish.
“We’ve been hanging on for years, hoping this day would never come,” she said. “But it’s a joyous occasion because of my parents’ anniversary. We’re happy we can celebrate. That makes this not as bad.”
Hercik said about 80 to 90 worshiped regularly at the chapel.
“Today is a reflective day for us, a beautiful opportunity for us to think about the church,” Hercik said.
He said that with the difficulty of closing, comes an opportunity to grow and become stronger in faith.
Hercik said one parishioner told him that while they might have lost their church, the congregation still had one another. After a long pause, Hercik added to that.
“We lost this building, but we still have our faith and our spirit,” he said.
And though the closing was sad, Hercik said the Lamannas’ anniversary brought joy to the Mass. He said such an occasion was an appropriate way to close the chapel. He and Bogusz presided as the Lamannas renewed their vows.
Hercik called the exchange “a beautiful tribute to their constant faith in each other.”
The chapel’s closure is one of the changes to four Connellsville Catholic churches.
St. Rita parish is partnering with St. John the Evangelist parish and the Rev. Ronald L. Cyktor Jr., pastor of St. John, will serve as the administrator for both parishes.
Holy Trinity parish is partnering with Immaculate Conception parish. Hercik, pastor of Immaculate Conception, will serve as administrator for both parishes.
Bogusz will serve as assistant to Hercik and Cyktor, helping in all four parishes.
The restructuring came after the October death of the Rev. Francis A. Lesniowski, pastor of St. Rita’s.
At a public meeting with parishioners at the churches last week, vicar general of the Greensburg Diocese Monsignor Lawrence Persic said that the decision to consolidate the parishes resulted from careful planning by Bishop Lawrence E. Brant, a 2002 Mass Reduction Study and consultation with the priests.
A story in the Catholic Accent, the paper for the diocese, stated the four parishes serve 1,527 families and 3,382 individuals.
The 101 parishes in the diocese are currently being staffed by 88 priests. The diocese includes Armstrong, Fayette, Indiana and Westmoreland counties.
The number of priests has been declining and is expected to continue to do so. By 2022, 31 priests will serve the diocese, according to information presented at the meeting. The decline has to do with fewer people choosing to become priests.
The new daily Mass schedule for the four parishes goes into effect on Monday, and the weekend Mass schedule changes next weekend.
Masses are as follows: Holy Trinity – 8:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 p.m. Friday, 7 a.m. Sunday; Immaculate Conception – 7 a.m. Monday through Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. Sunday; St. John – 8 a.m. Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. Sunday; and St. Rita – 8 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 4 p.m. Saturday, 8:30 a.m. Sunday.