By Conor Makem
Foster's Daily Democrat
September 17, 2008
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080917/GJNEWS_01/709179828
DOVER — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester plans to merge St. Joseph, St. Mary and St. Charles parishes in Dover and the Chapel of the Nativity in Barrington.
Citing a decrease in parish priests, as well as changing demographics throughout the state, the diocese assigned 31 Cluster Task Forces across the state to "make recommendations to the Bishop about the impact that the loss of clergy and other changes may have on the vibrancy, identity and even existence of their parishes," a Cluster Task Force report stated.
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| Times photo More than 500 concerned parishioners have signed their names saying that they want St. Mary Church in Dover to continue as a parish with the Rev. Fritz Cerullo remaining as pastor as long as he is willing. |
There is no specific timeline set, but Patrick McGee, a spokesman for the diocese, expects a merger would occur by 2012. There also is not a consensus on where Catholics would gather for Mass.
Only if and when the nuts and bolts of combining the parishes is agreed upon will talks begin on where parishioners will celebrate Masses. A transition team is slated to report back to Bishop John McCormack in September 2009 with recommendations.
A group of nine parishioners from St. Mary Church has begun a campaign to stop the merging. Calling themselves "Concerned Parishioners," the group would like to see St. Mary Church remain as its own parish with the current leader, the Rev. Fritz Cerullo, at the helm.
Self-financed, the organization sent out about 800 mailers containing a response form and a stamped envelope to much of the congregation, and according to Concerned Parishioners member Mary Gail Duffy, they have received more than 500 replies.
Duffy cited three responses in support of the churches merging, three to four undecided and the remaining opposed to merging.
Duffy says she has received letters from parishioners explaining why they left other parishes to attend St. Mary Church.
"Some of the letters you would literally cry at," she says.
There also have been replies, according to Duffy, from people donating money and offering up volunteer services.
Father Fritz, as he is known to his congregation, seems resigned to the merger process.
"Rome has spoken; the cause has ended," he says.
But in written letters, he has noted that he wants all opinions to be heard.
Writing to the Diocesan Long Range Planning Commission in January, the Rev. Cerullo wrote, "After serious consideration, I have signed the recommendation document as presented to the Diocesan Long Range Planning Commission by the Dover Task Force Committee; however, in doing so, I withhold my unconditional approval ... A matter of major concern to me is the fact that the meetings were conducted in a manner that did not encourage extensive and informative discussion. In consequence, the process was such as not to lead to an appropriate consensus of opinion."
In response to the mailer sent out by the Concerned Parishioners, the Manchester Diocese released a statement to be read at each of the churches during Mass. The statement, obtained by The Rochester Times, denounces the Concerned Parishioners' mailer. And although penned by the diocese, was written in the first person for the priests to read.
Concerned Parishioners member Phyllis Howard believes the diocese isn't doing enough to keep the churches staffed. She, like others in her group, suggests they put out the call to other communities and even welcome missionaries from other countries to help lead the community.
"Our parish was a parish before there was a diocese," Duffy says. "And you're going to tell me we haven't seen some hard times?"
Duffy calls the fight an obligation due to the number of positive responses she has received from fellow churchgoers. She and other Concerned Parishioner members feel that given the history of St. Mary Church — that it was the first Catholic Church built in the area and that the congregation is filled with descendants of the original builders — its future should not be in question.
"They're trying to shove it down our throat and we don't want it," she says.
At the end of July, Bishop McCormack, the Rev. Marc Gagne of St. Joseph Church and the Father Fritz arrived at "four points of agreement."
— Father Marc and Father Fritz were to recommend four individuals each to serve on an advisory task force to develop a strategy for the merger. This has been completed.
— Father Marc will chair the committee and Father Fritz will be a member of the task force.
— During the sessions for the merger of the parishes, there will be no discussion on the option to look for land.
— The task force shall be formed and will hold its first meeting following this Sunday's 11 a.m. Mass at St. Mary Church.
The task force meeting this Sunday is open to anyone interested in joining and it will be held in the church itself. Duffy notes that her organization will read the tallies from the mailer sent out at the meeting.
According to McGee, mergers have occurred at 12 other areas throughout the diocese and that mergers are not uncommon across the country. He explains that most of the churches in New Hampshire were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s and that times have changed.
"The church needs to continue to evaluate how it can serve people in their spiritual requirements. We recognize that in order to serve (parishioners), we need to look at some change and we recognize that change is usually very difficult," he says.
McGee adds that there are no plans to close the doors of any of the churches in Dover and that despite mergers in other communities, the majority of affected churches are still available for the congregations to use. He adds that the diocese would not benefit monetarily from the selling of anything owned by a parish.
"Anytime there is a merger of parishes," he says, "all the assets and liabilities stay with the parish."
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