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	Catholics Petition to Save Churches By Kent Jackson Republican & Herald February 21, 2008 http://www.republicanherald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19317001&BRD=2626&PAG=461&dept_id=532624&rfi= McADOO — Catholics in Schuylkill County have signed a petition and a letter aimed at keeping open churches that the Allentown Diocese expects to close later this year. In a countywide petition, a group of church members asked Bishop Edward Cullen to request transfers of priests to Schuylkill from around the world. A separate letter, signed by parishioners in the McAdoo area, asked Monsignor Edward Zemanik, local pastor, for more openness in the process of deciding where they will worship. They found out at Masses on Jan. 6 that five of the six churches in McAdoo, Kelayres and Tresckow might close. Throughout the diocese, the bishop has approved criteria for restructuring parishes that includes limiting priests to one church. Now some priests oversee more than one church. The diocese has one priest for every 2,400 parishioners. A shortage of priests, not money, is the main reason for closing churches, according to the petition circulated by a group calling itself Catholics United for Saving Our Churches. Many Catholic churches in the county have savings of $30,000 to $500,000, the petition stated. When discussing the petition on behalf of Catholics United this week, Joseph and Nathaniel Kubick, Port Carbon, and Steve Babinchak, Mahanoy City, displayed pages of signatures. Catholics United wonder how a priest can hear 2,400 confessions or how that many parishioners will be able to find a seat at a Mass on Easter or Christmas, according to Babinchak and the Kubicks. Few churches have parking for that many cars, yet zoning laws might require parking for the expected crowds. Pope Benedict XVI, they pointed out, addressed the shortage of priests in a Sacramentum caritatis on Feb. 22, 2007, when he wrote: "Certainly a more equitable distribution of clergy would help to solve the problem." Catholics United proposes seeking out priests from Africa, Poland, Slovakia or elsewhere. "If this strategy has worked in New York City, the Deep South and elsewhere, it will work for the Allentown Diocese," they say in the petition. Diocesan spokesman Matt Kerr is among a group of diocesan officials who met with Catholics United. "They brought up Africa. Africa is the fastest growing Catholic continent. They need their priests," Kerr said. "This is not a local problem. This is a world problem." In Africa, the number of priests rose 3.8 percent while the number of Catholics increased 3.1 percent, suggesting an availability of some priests, Catholics United members contend. The ratio of priests to parishioners is greater worldwide than in the Allentown diocese. A working document prepared for a world synod of bishops found one priest for every 2,677 Catholics as of 2003, the International Herald Tribune reported. The disparity had increased from 1979 when there was one priest for every 1,797 parishioners. In the United States, the ratio was higher still, at 4,723 Catholics per priest. Catholics United members say they understand that some churches must close in Schuylkill County, but they want to minimize the shutdowns. In the McAdoo region, parishioners wrote to Zemanik regarding inspectors' reviews of the physical condition of the churches, which will help determine which buildings to close. "We would like to see the reports on the churches in McAdoo and Kelayres and, if applicable, Tresckow. We would also like to know the cost of the studies to the individual parishes," a letter signed by 86 parishioners said. Zemanik said he isn't authorized to release information about restructuring parishes, but the Synod for Implementation is. No plan, he said, would receive approval from the Diocesan Pastoral Council, the Council of Priests and the Diocesan Personnel Board without meeting the criteria for restructuring parishes. Those three bodies will review the plan before the bishop accepts it. According to the criteria, decisions about retaining churches should at least consider the physical condition and size of the buildings, their accessibility to people with disabilities, proximity to parish schools, offices and parking. St. Patrick, St. Kunegunda and St. Mary of the Assumption in McAdoo, Immaculate Conception in Kelayres and St. Michael and St. Bartholomew in Tresckow will merge into one church under the plan. "I realize this is extremely difficult for the people of God," Zemanik said. Meanwhile, the rectory of St. Patrick Church remains closed after a Valentine's Day fire that damaged the third floor of the building, which was used as an office, Zemanik said on Wednesday. "The third floor is really in bad shape," he said. On the third floor, carpeting has been removed and blue plastic covers holes in the roof. State police estimated the damage at more than $100,000 from the fire that they said was caused by an overloaded circuit in the ceiling above the third floor. Zemanik said he hasn't been told a dollar amount of damage. The diocese is self-insured. He will inform parishioners during upcoming services about an alternate location for his office, Zemanik said, thanking firefighters for their efforts. "Other than a little music, we didn't lose anything," said Zemanik, adding that cemetery records and sacramental records were among the documents that firefighters saved. Zemanik said he will hold a special offering at services this weekend so parishioners can donate to the fire companies. Prayer: What: Members of Catholics United plan to pray the rosary in front of the administrative building of the Diocese of Allentown to raise awareness about their effort to keep open churches in Schuylkill County. When: Plans are for an hour-long public prayer at 10:30 a.m. Monday. Contact: For information or to arrange a ride to the event on the group's bus, phone Steve Babinchak at 874-1220, ext. 105.
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