BishopAccountability.org
	3 Local Churches Appeal Closings By Jim Dino Standard-Speaker June 14, 2008 http://www.standardspeaker.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7665&Itemid=2 Parishioners at St. Kunegunda's Church in McAdoo and both churches in Tresckow have appealed closings ordered by the Diocese of Allentown. Appeals have been filed from about a dozen churches in Carbon and Schuylkill counties, Matt Kerr, communications director for the diocese, confirmed Friday. Among them is St. Kunegunda's, which under the diocese plan would merge with St. Patrick's and St. Mary's Slovak in McAdoo and St. Bartholomew's and St. Michael's in Tresckow as the new All Saints parish. "We are still a vibrant parish, We still financially support our parish," said Vicki Gennaro, a parishioner of St. Kunegunda's who noted that many civic groups, including Boy Scouts, use the church hall for meetings. "If they are closing the church, why are they working on it?" Gennaro asked. On Friday, a contractor was applying a substance to the outside of the church. Kerr also confirmed both St. Bartholomew's and St. Michael's have also filed appeals, which first go to Bishop Edward Cullen of the Allentown Diocese and then to the Vatican. "The bishop has 30 days from the day he receives the appeal to make a ruling," Kerr said. "If he doesn't render the ruling the people were looking for, they have the option of appealing to the Vatican. First, it goes to the Congregation for the Clergy. And if that ruling isn't satisfactory, it can be appealed to the Apostolic Signatura, which is like the Supreme Court of the Vatican." The diocese announced two weeks ago that about 47 churches in the two counties would be closed July 15 and merged with others. The situation in the McAdoo area is similar to that of Nesquehoning, where parishioners of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel have filed an appeal. The diocese said the church would close and dissolve into Sacred Heart and Immaculate Conception to become the new St. Francis of Assisi parish. And in Mahanoy City, members of St. Canicus Church have filed an appeal to its closing. It would merge with Assumption BVM, St. Casimir's, St. Fidelis, St. Joseph and Sacred Heart, and Our Lady of Silva in Maizeville, as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta parish at St. Joseph's. Maureen Costello, a member of St. Canicus Church, said she was not aware that a formal appeal had been sent to the diocese. "I know some people wrote letters with questions concerning the decision …," Costello said. "Monsignor Glosser was at our Ladies Guild meeting earlier this week and encouraged us to accept the decision and make the best of the situation. We are upset that he is being transferred but he will only be in Saint Clair and that is reassuring." Other churches that have appealed their closings to the diocese include: o Mary Queen of Peace, Pottsville, which is to close and merge with St. Patrick's, St. Joseph's and St. Francis de Sales, Mount Carbon, at St. Patrick's. o St. Francis of Assisi in Minersville, which is to close and merge with St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Barbara and St. Maery Star of the Sea in Branchdale, as the new St. Matthew parish in the St. Stanislaus building. This merger is one of two happening in the Minersville area. o Sacred Heart in New Philadelphia, which is to merge with Holy Family parish, and St. Anthony's, Cumbola, as Holy Cross parish in the Holy Family building. o Immaculate Conception Church in St. Clair, which is to close and merge with St. Mary's, St. Casimir's, Ss. Peter and Paul's, and St. Boniface, as St. Clare of Assisi in the St. Mary's building. o Ss. Peter and Paul's, Tower City, which is to close and merge with Immaculate Conception and Sacred Heart, Newtown, to become Most Blessed Trinity parish in the Immaculate Conception building.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.