Parishioners Dispute Church Closing, by Erin Moody, Citizens Voice, May 22, 2011

Parishioners Dispute Church Closing

By Erin Moody
Citizens Voice
May 22, 2011

http://citizensvoice.com/news/parishioners-dispute-church-closing-1.1150473?localLinksEnabled=false#axzz1N4kzPIkZ

Kristen Mullen / The Citizens' Voice Parishioners Dave Fox, left, of Bear Creek, and Bob Usaitis, of Kingston, hold signs during the rally.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Wilkes-Barre, is not structurally unsafe, as the Diocese of Scranton reports, according to one of the leaders of an organization dedicated to preserving the church.

The church is slated to close June 19 as part of a diocese-wide restructuring and consolidation, and the Sacred Heart Wilkes-Barre Foundation Inc. has repeatedly appealed the closure.

"I a?¦ had the opportunity to completely inspect the church structure inside and out, from the top of the steeple to the foundation. I confirmed unequivocally that there is absolutely no impairment to the structural integrity of the church," Anthony Foti wrote in a letter to the Rev. Brian Clarke, vicar general and moderator of the curia for the diocese.

Foti says he is a licensed, professional engineer registered to work in four states, holds bachelor's and master's degrees in structural engineering from MIT and has 34 years of professional experience.

Water damage, which was looked at previously by the diocese, has not affected the structure, load-bearing walls are not cracked, the church building shows no signs of shifting and the only cracks Foti found in his examination were in non-load-bearing columns around the bell tower.

He estimated work to stop water leaks, repair the columns and paint the church interior would cost about $500,000.

In 2007 report, the diocese estimated repairs would cost $3 million at the church.

Diocesan spokesman Bill Genello said specifics about the structural analysis of the church building are part of the Called to Holiness and Mission reorganization program.

"After extensive study and review of factors, such as the number of active parishioners, the number attending Mass, parish indebtedness, the cost of the church building's need for extensive structural repairs and the provision of another church within walking distance, the recommendation to close the Sacred Heart of Jesus/St. John the Evangelist site was reached," he said via e-mail.

The Sacred Heart Wilkes-Barre Foundation held a press conference Saturday to announce Foti's findings and reiterate members' intent to continue fighting to keep the church open.

"We will do anything to protect the church," Foti said.

"This is a tremendous injustice they are doing to the people of Sacred Heart," Dave Tarantini said.

The organization has been appealing the closure since 2008. The Diocese of Scranton halted the closing of Sacred Heart of Jesus/St. John the Evangelist and two other Luzerne County parishes while they appealed to the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy. The foundation received denial letters in February and is now appealing to the next level, the Vatican's supreme court, the Apostolic Signatura, and again to the diocese's bishop.

"With respect to the passion and persistence of the foundation members, in the best interest of all concerned, the Diocese has remained steadfast in its desire to abide by the decision of the Congregation for Clergy and will thus continue to implement the approved and upheld directives," according to a statement from the diocese.

Kristen Mullen, staff photographer, contributed to this story.

emoody@citizensvoice.com or 570-821-2051