Kevin Keenan, the Editor-in-Chief of the the Western New York Catholic newspaper, tells us ‘Why did my parish merge?’ in the publication’s October 2011 edition.
He refers to Saint Adalbert Basilica in the article.
I extracted the article and you can read it by clicking here—> (pdf)
I report…you decide.
I’m refraining from making a comment right now, but will chime in if others tell me what they think.
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I’ll tell you why. The diocese and the Catholic church has lost its way.
The church is going to spin the closings and mergers any way they want to fit what ever ill conceived plan they’ve concocted.
The beautiful and historic churches in neighborhoods like Broadway-Fillmore are something to rejoice and celebrate. They should not only be supported but serve as hope for the community.
The unfortunate thing is that it is difficult to attract folks with any regularity to the East side of Buffalo. At one time the area could support the many beautiful churches on the East side. That is not so today. People are actually afraid to return to the city for functions, including going to church. There are numerous and known reasons why residents have left the city of Buffalo for the ‘burbs. I heartily agree that there is no church like the old churches; the new ones just don’t have the same appeal for me. As a parishioner at St. John Kanty, we are working hard to attract parishioners and carry out our usual fundraisers, as well as adding some new ones. I have tried to put myself in the shoes of those from St. Adalbert Parish. I am actually starting mental preparation for the day when SJK closes, and that, too, will happen down the road. However, I will have no part of carrying on as have the parishioners of St. Adalbert, which includes being disrespectful of the Bishop and the Diocese. This is not a perfect world, and we each must try to work through certain issues in our lives. In the two weeks since the merger of SJK and St. Adalbert, we have noticed a modest increase in Mass attendance. It is very exciting to me to observe this from the choir loft (I am a member of the SJK choir). It would be better if those who were concentrating their efforts on campaign after campaign to keep their church open (I still see a number of yellow and black signs!) could transfer at least part of their energy to establish a dynamic new parish community here on the East side. One last thing: http://stjohnkantychurchbuffalo.wordpress.com
Wow….what a warm and fuzzy welcome to SJK parish…..with that attitude you will be closing shortly! Canon law provides for a parish to try and keep themselves open if they are slated to close. So because they exercised their rights some people get upset. Why is that? They can all be very philisophical because THEIR parish is staying open! Easy to do! Had all the churches stepped up and filed appeals right from the day 1 announcements, things might have gone differently. Instead most of those people laid down and died….let their churches close and scatter themselves to the wind……shame on them!!!
In response to Judy I just want to say that I don’t think that it is an “either -or” situation with respecting an office such as that of a bishop and fulfilling the call of baptism which requires a person to exercise their obligation to be church which entails using their energies to do what they can do, in all their power, to be true to what God intends for them to do. Some of the greatest saints of the church were reformers who refused to tolerate the bishops of their day and called them to task for behavior which was less than befitting a Christian, let alone their office. Even St. Francis, whose feast we celebrated today, called the hierarchy to examine their lavish lifestyles to see if it was compatible with the crucified Christ and the Church. It is no different today. Perhaps those with the signs and those who refuse to accept, part and parcel, are the reformers of today and God is calling them to work to keep his temple open. We never know. So, be not too quick to discount those who refuse to accept the condition of the day and call the hierarchy to scrutiny and refuse to respect an office simply because indoctrination insists they do… thank God Theresa of Avila, Francis of Assisi and others had their “yellow and black signs” of their day and are now listed among the greatest saints for reforming a system that was in decay.
JR, WOW!! beautifully said!! Never thought of it in that perspective!
quote: “Today, we have 633,550 Catholics living in Western New
York, which now has 1.5 million residents” ….. Yes, that may very well be the number of “REGISTERED” Catholics living in WNY …. I wonder since the JOF&G how many of the remaining 866,450 ARE Catholics but have staged their own protest and NOT REGISTERED in a Catholic parish. I know in my own family we account for 7.
As for Judy’s comment: So you have noticed an increase in the attendance at SJK???? How wonderful to know that WE from St. Adalbert’s ARE making a difference there! I wonder however, had our roles been reversed, and SJK was merged into ST. ADALBERT’S BASILICA, how many of the SJK parishioners would venture west the 10 blocks difference and have attended mass in the Basilica????
I grew up going to SJK – YOUR attitude was one of the reasons I LEFT it when I turned 18 years old and joined St. Adalbert’s. The people of SJK have always thought themselves above everyone else, I witnessed it when I went to grade school there for 9 years and I witnessed it living around the corner from it on Ashley Street. If you didn’t quite ‘fit the bill’ for anyone of the numerous cliques that were in (and probably still are) that parish you were not good enough….If your parents didnt have the right kind of job – you weren’t good enough ….. If your clothes weren’t the latest trend = you weren’t good enough ..If your parents had to work 2 jobs and couldn’t volunteer for Bingo or some other function – you weren’t good enough… AND THIS WAS SUPPOSE TO BE A CATHOLIC CHURCH AND SCHOOL teaching CHRISTIAN values! …
I am glad I raised my four children under the guidance of the family of St. Adalbert’s Basilica … there has never been any ‘ clique ‘ there – we have rejoiced together, we have worked together, we have cried together – we have fought togehter and we STILL BELIEVE TOGETHER!!!! ….. Our black and yellow signs are a sign that we still have FAITH …. it may not be in the bishop – but it is in OUR GOD … AND OUR FAITH in OUR GOD is that he will hear OUR prayers and that we will be worshiping once again in the Basilica! My faith is what has brought me to attend mass at SJK, but I am merely visiting while I await for my return HOME!!!
So, let me get this straight. The people from St. John Kanty’s are trying to make the people of St. Adalbert’s feel welcome but are getting slammed by the parishioners of St. Adalbert’s for their efforts. Seriously? What’s up with that?