BishopAccountability.org
	Diocese Shouldn't Close Church in Pottsville By Robert L. Antonini Morning Call March 7, 2008 http://www.mcall.com/news/opinion/letters/all-antonini.6299724mar07,0,2673340.story The parishioners of Mary Queen of Peace Parish in Pottsville feel that the restructuring process of the Diocese of Allentown for the churches in Schuylkill County and in particular the closing of our church, is not only an unnecessary evil, but will be detrimental to our community. This is the only Catholic church on the North Side of Pottsville. It has 850 worshipers and provides services for disabled and elderly Catholics, many of whom do not have transportation or cannot physically go to another parish. It provides many services for the poor, has strong organizations and is an important part of this community. Most Saturday night masses are approximately 70 percent filled, compared to other Catholic churches in the area that are scraping by with 20 percent. Our elderly were baptized in this parish, received their first penance in this parish, were married here, and still work to make this parish strong. They have supported renovation efforts, support the parish organizations, and rely on this parish to give them spiritual direction. Many lived and died for this place of worship. Many want to be buried from this church. Why should this be stolen away from them? Let our leaders come look at our parish. It's beautiful. It is a beacon for individuals to find, praise, and worship God. It is, after all, God's temple. What about the elderly in the adjacent high-rise who cannot physically get to another church? Are you going to abandon them, and make them abandon their faith as well? Our leaders know that they'll lose approximately 20 percent of the faithful by parish closings. Don't our leaders remember the Gospel reading about the one lost sheep? Let our leaders also remember the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Did not God tell Abraham he would not destroy Sodom if he found 20 righteous people, or even 10? Here you regularly have several hundred on a weekend. While we believe there are economic, personnel, and practicality issues at work, we also strongly believe not as many churches, and specifically not ours, need to be closed. Other measures can be taken. It is the role of our leaders to find solutions and take care of their flock. Please, do not reject this cornerstone of our community, do not close our church.
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