BishopAccountability.org
	A Day of Sorrow for Area Catholics The Republican August 29, 2009 http://www.masslive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/08/a_day_of_sorrow_for_area_catho.html Today is a day of sorrow for the thousands of Roman Catholics in Hampden and Hampshire counties who learned that their parishes will close by the end of the year. Come January, 14 churches that were built with the blood, sweat and tears - and in some cases the very hands - of their parishioners will close forever, the victim of the falling numbers of Roman Catholics, shifting population trends and a lack of priests. Another eight churches will also close in the coming months through a series of mergers. For parishioners who consecrated every milestone of their lives - their births, marriages and deaths - in these churches it will be unbearably sad to watch as the tabernacles are emptied and sanctuary lights extinguished, and buildings that for them served as a bridge between heaven and earth turn into mere parcels of real estate. We share their sorrow, because we know how important strong religious communities are to society. Many reasons will be given for the closings. Some will say it was the sex abuse scandals, others will say it's the rule prohibiting priests to marry. Still others will cite the need for women priests. Some will say it's because of the church's positions on abortion and birth control. Others will say the church has become too liberal or that the diocese has handled its affairs badly. Although those claims explain why some people have left the church, they don't explain the bigger picture. And that picture is demographic. The population of cities like Springfield have declined in recent years, and Catholic families are not as large as they used to be. For the most part, the region's immigrant communities have assimilated, lessening the need for ethnic churches. In some communities there are just too many churches that are too close together and have too few parishioners to justify keeping them all open. It's also important to remember that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield is not alone in this situation. Not long ago, Old First Church - Springfield's oldest institution - closed its doors due to dwindling numbers. Last year, Temples Beth-El and B'nai Jacob, Greater Springfield's two Conservative Jewish synagogues merged. Many of the region's Protestant churches have also seen drops in enrollment and church attendance. Although we are sad to see these churches close, we have all known for a long time that this day was coming. We also know that people will mourn their loss as they would a family member. But when that mourning period is over, they will find that they will attend churches that have fuller pews and larger opportunities to exercise their faith.
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