BishopAccountability.org
	Church Asset Sales Become an Issue By David Bergengren and Angela Carbone The Republican January 11, 2009 http://www.masslive.com/springfield/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-18/1231575396112410.xml&coll=1 The Jan. 1 closing of All Saints Parish in Agawam left the fate of St. Therese and St. Anthony churches, their two rectories, a parish center and a parking lot in the hands of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield. The same goes for church properties in neighboring West Springfield, where the diocese on Jan. 1 closed St. Ann and St. Louis de France parishes and merged them with Immaculate Conception to form a new parish, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. The St. Ann property on Memorial Avenue includes a church, a rectory and a parking lot. The St. Louis de France property on Main Street includes only a church, according to the West Springfield assessors' Web site. In Agawam, some parishioners say they are concerned over what the diocese will do with the six former All Saints properties along a four-block stretch of Bridge Street and, if they are sold, how any proceeds will be divided. "An ambitious developer could look at that parking lot at St. Therese (as a good site) for a couple of triplexes," said William Euliano Jr., chairman of the Pastoral Council for All Saints. "What frightens me," said Shelia E. Byrne, the parish's youth ministry coordinator, "is the notion of St. Therese being demolished and replaced by duplexes." One problem, several parishioners said, is that the Springfield Diocese has not spelled out exactly what will happen with the properties, including how the proceeds of any sale would be divided, though Msgr. John J. Bonzagni, the diocese's director of pastoral planning, has addressed the latter issue in meetings with parishioners. The assessed value of the five All Saints buildings, their land and the separate parking lot totals $1,532,200, according to assessor records. "There's no guidelines," said Kimberly A. Belisle, a member of the parish Pastoral Council. "As far as we know, the bishop could give $5,000 to St. John and $5,000 to Sacred Heart, and keep the rest as he sees fit." St. John the Evangelist on Main Street and Sacred Heart on Springfield Street are the two remaining Roman Catholic parishes in Agawam. All Saints had about 750 families, the Rev. Steven C. Amo said after presiding at St. Therese's last Mass on Dec. 28. Amo also serves as the priest for Sacred Heart. Because most of the All Saints parishioners are now expected to join Sacred Heart, Euliano said, "I feel that the predominant portion of (the proceeds from any sales) should go to Sacred Heart, because the majority of the All Saints parishioners will migrate there." Bonzagni confirmed Thursday that the full proceeds from any sales almost always go to that community's remaining Catholic parishes. "When there is a sale of some properties," Bonzagni said, "the proceeds go to the parish (or parishes) that have picked up the slack for the closed parish, so the money remains local." In the past 18 months, the Springfield Diocese has closed approximately 12 of its more than 120 parishes and missions in Western Massachusetts, Bonzagni said. The diocese has cited a projected shortage of active ordained priests as a key reason for the church closings. When a sale of church property is pending, the diocese's Real Estate Subcommittee makes recommendations to the bishop, the Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, Bonzagni said. None of the recently closed church properties have been sold yet, he said. The sale of a church brings up special considerations. Years ago, the Episcopal Church sold a church building in New York state that became a strip joint. "The Catholic Church learned from that," Bonzagni said. The sale of a church now brings with it stipulations that are written into the deed that prevent it from being used for anything that goes against the teachings of the Catholic faith. Saying the proceeds from any sales of the Agawam properties would likely be divided between the Sacred Heart and St. Johns parishes, Bonzagni said, "My guess is (that) Sacred Heart would get the bulk of the proceeds" because most of the All Saints parishioners are expected to follow Amo to Sacred Heart. It's difficult to determine exactly what the St. Ann property, located on West Springfield's retail-rich Memorial Avenue, is worth. The value has not been reassessed by the city for many years because it has been a religious institution and does not generate property taxes, Principal Assessor Edward D. O'Brien said. The West Springfield assessors' Web site lists the St. Ann church assessed at $691,300, the rectory at $409,900, and the parking lot at $72,100. Because St. Ann began as a mission of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Springfield, that parish, in an exception to the general rule, could possibly share with the new St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish in the proceeds from any sale of St. Ann property, Bonzagni said. The St. Louis de France church at 817 Main St. is assessed at $167,300. Any proceeds from its sale should go to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish, Bonzagni said. David Bergengren can be contacted at dbergengren@repub.com; Angela Carbone at acarbone@repub.com.
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