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	Catholic Parishioners Bid Sad Goodbyes 14 South Florida Catholic Churches, Missions, Outreaches Merging By James D. Davis and Mike Clary South Florida Sun Sentinel September 27, 2009 http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/sfl-catholic-merge-b092709,0,3074645.story FORT LAUDERDALE - Never more true was this neighborhood sign spotted Sunday: "ST. GEORGE -- A COMMUNITY ON THE MOVE." That morning, members attended their last Mass at the Catholic church that gave the area its name. St. George parish, founded in 1964, is to merge this week with nearby Our Lady Queen of Martyrs. St. George is among 14 parishes, missions and ethnic outreaches slated for mergers, in a massive restructuring for the Archdiocese of Miami. Archbishop John Favalora ordered the moves Aug. 16, citing financial and demographic reasons. While parishioners seemed resigned to the move by Sunday, they still mourned what some called their second homes. "I'm going to miss it so much; I live only a block-and-a-half away, and I came to Mass every day," said Dorothy Paul, 76, the last charter member at St. George. Paul said she doesn't drive anymore, and she hopes to get a lift to Our Lady Queen of Martyrs. "But even if I have to catch a cab, I'm going there." The Rev. Bob Tywoniak, her pastor, made the last Mass as jubilant as possible for the 220 worshipers, more than twice the usual crowd. A 14-member gospel choir led the worshipers in bouncy two-steps such as This Little Light of Mine. Also there were a half-dozen girls of the St. George Inayah Praise Team, their flowing white gowns swirling in liturgical dances. But even Auxiliary Bishop John Noonan, who attended St. George Sunday, noted the pall cast over the day. "It's like going to a funeral," said the bishop, a classmate of Tywoniak's back in their seminary days. "And not the death of one person, but of many, of a community. It involves so many emotional and spiritual and family ties." Sadness also permeated Resurrection of Our Lord Church in Dania Beach. The Rev. Tom Pohto urged parishioners to "remember the spiritual moments," move past their anger over the closing, and say goodbye. That was proving difficult for many long-time congregants. They believed economics, not their well-being, motivated the decision to merge with St. Maurice Church about two-and-a-half miles west. "This is devastating, and my feeling right now is bitterness," said Paul Cristafaro, 60, a hairdresser who has been a Resurrection member for 30 of its 51 years. The spacious church grounds sit directly north of Dania Jai-Alai, and provide access to the ocean via a canal. "They say it's worth many million dollars," said Pat Mone, 86, a member for 28 years. Pohto acknowledged the emotion infusing the last service. "The fact that we're closing breaks our hearts," he said, adding, "God is calling us to something new." At St. George, Tywoniak displayed church memorabilia: a 3-foot-tall wooden crucifix, draped with kinte cloth strips; a banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe; and a street sign, reading "NW 36th Terrace," that Tywoniak found on church grounds after Hurricane Wilma in 2005. He used the items to show the church's long ministry, such as helping to create a park next door. "Promises have been kept, and nothing has been lost," the priest said. "St. George built this neighborhood." He reminded his listeners the word "parish" is drawn from a word for sojourning. "A parish is not a permanent place. We're merely passing through here, on our way to salvation." The Rev. Michael Hoyer of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs welcomed his new parishioners. "The people are excited about you coming. We'll gain new happiness, a new burst of energy." Jim Hill, a member at St. George since 1968, expressed optimism about the move. "If this were my home, I'd feel really bad," Hill said while frying fish for a picnic after the final Mass. "But we have a chance to go there and do the same things we've done here, because all Catholic churches are one family." James D. Davis can be reached at jdavis@Sun-Sentinel.com or 954-356-4730.
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