Writer questions closing of Catholic churches in Fayette
In a recent exchange of views concerning the Greensburg Diocesan closing of Catholic churches in Fayette County, Mr. Jerry Zufelt was gracious enough to explain the diocesan side of the story. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I now want to take the opportunity to respond to the response.
I know that the current bishop closed only two schools in his tenure, but that was preceded with the closing of at least seven Catholic schools in the period before 2004. This leaves us with two elementary schools: one in Uniontown and one in Connellsville and, when All Saints closes, none in the western part of the county.
Fayette County has a population of 136,606 spread over 798 square miles, half-covered with mountains and difficult terrain with mostly rural roads. Two schools located centrally are less than ideal for the dispersed population. For many, they cannot afford the travel expenses and difficulties. Incidentally, did you know that there are 10 Christian schools spread across Fayette County, most of them small but operating?
Supposedly, every dollar from the merged parishes will go to the new St. Francis parish. Does that include the money from the sale of the land, mineral rights/property if sold?
I was aware that deacons are not overnight wonders — that there would have to be a period of preparation. I am sure if the diocese had tried to prepare the people of the involved parishes of diocesan plans and then discussed options for keeping them functioning, including deacons and visiting priests, someone would have come forward.
Fayette County has always provided its share of diocesan and religious community priests. Currently, there are at least 14-15 Fayette County diocesan priests and one seminarian.
Perhaps I was not clear in my comments on operating the local parishes — those being closed and those which are safe for the time being. I was trying to say that priests apparently are scarce in the diocese. Why spend their academic preparation, time, strength and energy worrying about paying the everyday bills and overseeing the physical plant operations of any parish? They have spent years preparing to be ordained priests. We need them to put their time and energy into true pastoral/spiritual guidance and liturgical matters. We need them to serve the spiritual needs of the parish, not to worry about the snow in the parking lot, the leaking church roof or crumbling bell towers.
I would love to have them, along with the bishop and his clerical administrators, teaching and sanctifying. They can even govern/lead/serve (versus rule) the people of God entrusted to them. I would love to see the bishop himself at events or some of those who are his right- and left-hand men out doing what only they can do.
Lay people are educated today — this is not the middle ages when only clerics and royalty could count, read and write. Let’s rethink the current governing system in modern terms. If this requires changing canon law (man-made law), certainly the bishops are equipped to do this, but maybe they don’t want to. I can find no indication that the early apostles had parishes or even full-time homes. They seem to have traveled quite a bit from community to community.
As for the projections on numbers of priests in the next 10-15 years, we’ll see. Projections are just that. Things have a way of changing; no one can really predict the distant future or even what will happen tomorrow. Let’s keep those figures in mind but deal with immediate problems today.
I’m not impressed with the need for immediate actions that involve closing six parishes and forming one in an area that is in need of support, not retreat. As you know, Fayette County has about 30 percent of its resident population living at or below the poverty level of $30,000 income a year. These are the poor, the lost, the needy that Jesus asked his followers to help. Those small rural parishes can be an essential part of the new evangelization the church keeps talking about. I would like to discuss this with those who make our decisions for us.
Finally, I was wondering who the representatives from Fayette County were when these final church closing decisions were made by the bishop and his advisers?
Were there any representatives from the targeted parishes? Why didn’t anyone from the diocesan offices take the time to come to Fayette and spend some time talking with the people long before the closing information appeared in the newspapers?
Why were and are these people being ignored, even now? I don’t see a lot of working together happening anytime soon unless someone from the seat of power apologizes for the less than appropriate way in which these people of God, our brothers and sisters in Christ, have been treated.
They deserve to hear the whole story/truth from those in charge of the diocese. Why were these parishes closed so suddenly and without any preparation or face-to-face contact with the people who see their churches and members as family, not an unnecessary burden?
A resident of North Union Township, Evelyn Hovanec completed a Ph.D. at Pittsburgh University and is now retired from the Penn State, Fayette Eberly Campus.