By Priyanka Dayal
Telegram & Gazette
June 28, 2010
http://www.telegram.com/article/20100628/NEWS/6280334/1101/raw_headlines
FITCHBURG — Members of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church — some of them members for more than five decades — gathered for their last Mass together in their beloved parish yesterday.
The charming church on a hill in West Fitchburg, along with three other Catholic churches in the city, is closing, per order of the Diocese of Worcester. That reduces by half the number of Catholic churches in Fitchburg.
"Nothing of us can believe this is happening. It's been home," said church member Maureen Daust, before entering Sacred Heart for the final Mass.
Ms. Daust has been coming to Sacred Heart with her family for 35 years. All of her eight children have attended. She knows she'll miss it, especially "the sense of family, our Christian family," she said.
"The character and fiber of this church is just so rich."
Rod Gaudreau, a lifetime member of the church, is also having a hard time dealing with the closing. His voice was shaky before Mass; by the end, along with many other parishioners, he cried.
"This is the house of God," Mr. Gaudreau said, pointing to the equivalent words in Latin inscribed above the doorway to the sanctuary.
The church has been a beacon in West Fitchburg for more than 130 years. Mr. Gaudreau said it was unfair of the diocese to close what many members consider a vibrant parish.
Other members of Sacred Heart, who say the parish is financially stable and the building is in good condition, had appealed the diocese's decision to close it. Although yesterday's afternoon Mass was the last one scheduled, in a statement distributed before Mass, the Friends of Sacred Heart said they haven't given up on the appeal.
| Parishioners at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church worship during the final Mass celebrated at the church in Fitchburg. Photo by PRIYANKA DAYAL |
"As faith-filled Catholics, we will continue the appeal process in Rome to reinstate Sacred Heart as a fully functioning parish. We will work to build our network of parishioners, past and present, demonstrating our resolve to be a parish once again," the statement said.
The homily was delivered by the Rev. Paul T. O'Connell, whose first assignment as an ordained priest in 1960 was here at Sacred Heart. Rev. O'Connell was later assigned to other churches in Worcester and Shrewsbury, but he described his relationship with his first group of parishioners as special.
When the diocese asked him to leave Sacred Heart for a church in Worcester many years ago, he said: "I cried."
"Change is always difficult. … Without even knowing it, you get so attached. It's hard to move on," he said.
But he encouraged worshippers to continue to fight against the challenges that face the Catholic Church. "You know the church needs everyone of us to stand up," he said.
Rev. O'Connell even cracked a few jokes and elicited some laughs from the people in the half-full pews. But near the end of Mass, as they took communion, most parishioners were close to tears.
The Fitchburg church closings are part of a reorganization plan for the entire Worcester Diocese. In March, Raymond L. Delisle, diocesan vice chancellor for operations, said the plan addresses the shortage of priests, shifts in demographics, dwindling financial resources and declining church attendance.
He said diocesan officials determined it would make more sense to spend money expanding ministries and community outreach, rather than on maintaining old buildings that were drawing fewer and fewer people.
Four churches in Fitchburg will remain open to serve the city's 18,000 to 20,000 Catholics.
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