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	Church Closing Is Final Bishop's Message to St. Casimir Group By Bronislaus B. Kush Telegram & Gazette June 9, 2008 http://www.telegram.com/article/20080609/NEWS/47934858/1116 WORCESTER— Bishop Robert J. McManus told parishioners of St. Casimir Church yesterday that he will not reconsider his decision to close their parish July 1, members of the congregation said. "The bishop told us he's not changing his mind," said Raymond Jakubauskas, a member of Friends of St. Casimir Parish, a group trying to save the Providence Street church. "He seemed to be telling us that the health of the diocese is more important than the salvation of our souls." The bishop met with parishioners in a packed parish hall after the 10 a.m. Mass. The meeting, which lasted about an hour, was closed to the media and nonparishioners. Congregants said they were hopeful the bishop would change his plans after hearing their reasons why the Grafton Hill church, which is more than 100 years old, is viable and should remain open. But those hopes were quickly dashed, parishioners said, when the bishop insisted that the closing was in the best interest of the congregation and the diocese. Disappointed with his response, members of Friends of St. Casimir Parish said they would make an appeal to the Vatican. Bishop McManus announced in late May that St. Casimir, along with four other city churches - Ascension, Notre Dame des Canadiens, Holy Name of Jesus and St. Margaret Mary - will close July 1. Chancery officials said the parishes are too small to support themselves sacramentally and financially. They added there's a shortage of priests and that the clergy assigned to the five churches could better serve the overall needs of the diocese elsewhere. Members of St. Casimir's maintain, however, that their parish is active and is financially solvent. They also stress that the church uniquely serves Central Massachusetts residents of Lithuanian descent. In announcing the plan, the bishop said the membership of St. Casimir's would be merged with that of St. John's Parish on Temple Street, the diocese's "mother church." Some members of St. Casimir's said they would quit going to church altogether or attend a parish closer to their home. "A lot of us live in the suburbs or in other neighborhoods of Worcester," explained Mr. Jakubauskas. "We go to St. Casimir's because the church unites our customs and culture with our faith. The church is a common thread that holds us together ethnically." Barbara Thompson agreed, saying she loved attending St. Thomas-A-Becket Church in Barre but decided to worship at St. Casimir's so she could immerse herself in her native Lithuanian language and culture. Mr. Jakubauskas, an Auburn resident who has attended St. Casimir's since his family immigrated to the United States in 1949, said that, if his parish is closed, he will probably make the 30-minute trip to a convent in Putnam that offers services in Lithuanian. Paula Courtney said she's of Irish descent, but has worshipped for the last two years at St. Casimir's because parishioners made her feel welcome after she was diagnosed with cancer and after her husband died of Parkinson's disease. "They made me feel good and took me under their wing," said Mrs. Courtney, noting some parishioners have discussed holding vigils and demonstrations to keep the church open. "I don't know what's going to happen, but the bishop seemed to indicate that he wasn't interested in negotiating." Parishioners who attended the meeting said the parish hall was filled, at times, with tension. They also complained that only four individuals were allowed to express reservations about the closure. Frank Statkus, a Shrewsbury resident who is chairman of the committee, said he had hoped the bishop would agree to sitting down with parishioners to discuss ways of recruiting more parishioners, particularly younger families. Chancery officials had expressed concerns that the parish was composed primarily of older individuals and that there would be little or no growth of the congregation. Mr. Statkus also said committee members were willing to "twin" or share a pastor with another nearby church. "But he apparently wasn't interested," said Mr. Statkus. "The bishop drove a stake in the ground and said he wasn't going to budge." Anna Leseman added that it makes no sense to close the parish, given the $1 million or so that's been spent over the last 15 years upgrading the complex. David M. Moulton, the church's director of music, said the committee has set up a Web site (www.stcasimirworc.org) to garner support from other Catholic and non-Catholic congregations. In a show of solidarity, a number of parishioners from other churches, including Our Lady of Mount Carmel-St. Ann, Ascension, and St. Mary's Church in Spencer, attended yesterday's Mass, which was in Lithuanian. Diocesan officials could not be reached for comment.
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