Parishioners Rally at Shuttered Church, Jim Mcconville, Asbury Park Press, June 1, 2009

Parishioners Rally at Shuttered Church

By Jim Mcconville
Asbury Park Press
June 1, 2009

http://www.app.com/article/20090601/NEWS/906010315/1001&source=rss

Lysaiah Fernandez, 14 months, in the arms of his father, Julio, is baptized Sunday at Our Lady Star of the Sea, which will absorb parishioners from St. John the Baptist. Both Roman Catholic churches are in Long Branch.
Photo by Mary Frank

LONG BRANCH — We will not give up our church without a fight.

That was the sentiment of an estimated 200 Spanish- and Portugese-speaking parishioners of St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church who staged a peaceful demonstration at noon Sunday in front of their now-locked house of worship in protest of the Diocese of Trenton's ruling that the church is to be closed and these parishioners join Our Lady, Star of the Sea, roughly a half-mile away.

Wearing black arm bands and white T-shirts with "Save Our Church" emblazoned in bright red letters, St. John parishioners held a roughly 90-minute service in 80-degree heat at the Willow Avenue location, reading scripture and singing hymns in Spanish and receiving holy communion.

"The parishioners are upset, because they (Diocese of Trenton) want to throw us out," said Noel Rormero, president of St. John the Baptist Save Our Church Inc. Foundation. "They say we have no money. We've asked them to give us another year to prove it."

However, Diocese of Trenton spokesperson Rayanne Bennett disagreed with Rormero's assessment, saying that it oversimplifies a complex evaluation process used in determining what parishes need to be merged.

"It's not only about money," Bennett said. "Money is only one 11 elements used in making a decision. This is part of a process that is being used to build vibrant parishes."

Started in 1978, St. John has roughly 1,000 parishioners who are primarily Hispanic, with some from Brazil and Portugal.

Rormero said representatives of St. John the Baptist Church plan to meet with Bishop John M. Smith this week.

Diocese spokeswoman Bennett could not confirm that such a meeting has been scheduled.

"We'll collect the funds necessary to improve the church; all we want is our church back," said Nancy Lynn D'Averso, an English as a second language teacher at Brookdale Community College and a 20-year St. John parishioner.

"These people are the most honest, decent, hard working, God fearing and law abiding people in the county," D'Averso said.

St. John parishioners Mateo Gonzales and Esperanza Carrlito served the small white wafer hosts to several dozen church members.

One by one, parishioners received communion in front of a makeshift altar consisting of a small table, crucifix, Bible and candles.

A broad white cloth banner hung in front of the church with the heading "We Don't Want the Hit Man, Father Peirano."

St. John parishioners believe that the Rev. Daniel Peirano, also a member of the Long Branch Fire Department, had an influence on that church building inspection.

St. John the Baptist was ordered closed May 24 when a city building inspector ruled that the second floor had structural problems.

However, church members disagree with the building inspection results, alleging that they were influenced by Peirano.

"We find no reason to close our church," Rormero said. "All of the inspections of our church (are) approved," Rormero said. "But the fire department is our priest. Father Daniel, he is part of the Fire Department."

The banner also featured a caricature of Peirano with a long nose under the heading of "Rev. Pinochio," a derisive allusion to the Disney character of the same name, whose nose grows when he lies.

Peirano required a police escort to escape his own angry parishioners after the priest opted to close the church six weeks ahead of schedule announced by the Diocese of Trenton. He has since left the country on a trip for the diocese.

The diocese has ordered the closure of both St. John the Baptist and Holy Trinity Church on Prospect Street.

Both parishes are to be merged into Our Lady, Star of the Sea, creating a new entity to be called Christ the King parish as of July 1.

Long Branch police cars continually drove past the church front to observe the protest that proceeded without incident.

Sunday's protest followed a candlelight vigil held in front of the church Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m.

Among the protesters, several students voiced objection to closing the church.

"I feel sad because all the kids have been coming here since we were little," said Leonardo Garrigo, 12. "I don't want them to knock this church down. You can come visit God whenever you want to."

This past weekend also marked the start of Our Lady, Star of the Sea's Portuguese and Spanish speaking masses. Two Masses were celebrated in Portuguese, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and 8 a.m. Sunday, and the noon Mass on Sunday was said in Spanish.

Star of the Sea parishioner Frank Muzzi said all three masses were well attended.