Three Roman Catholic Churches to Close by July
Cape Breton Post
SYDNEY — Roman Catholic churches are facing the chopping block across the Sydney deanery in light of smaller congregations and the rising costs of operating the buildings. In Sydney, there will be three church closures by July. Two of the smallest churches to close are St. Mary's Polish Church on Wesley Street and St. Nicholas Church on Gatacre Street, both in Whitney Pier, as well as St. Augustine's Parish on Grand Lake Road. The Diocese of Antigonish's pastoral planning committee for the Sydney deanery emphasized that it remains a proposal at this point, and is welcoming comment and suggestions on the plans. In a document released Sunday, the pastoral planning committee said the declining number of priests, church attendance and financial support, as well as increases in the cost of operating and upgrading aging structures, have forced the diocese to do something. "The status quo is not sustainable," it stated. Four parishes in Sydney would be assigned pastors by June 2013. St. Theresa's in Ashby, Holy Redeemer in Whitney Pier, and Our Lady of Fatima in Sydney River, plus another yet-to-be-determined church were chosen based on geography, space requirements and the ability to meet pastoral needs of the congregation, according to the proposal. "Over the next 15 years we're going to lose 24,000 people ... and our population is not only getting smaller but it's getting older," said Rev. Donald MacGillivray, chair of pastoral planning for the Diocese of Antigonish. "This is really all about making sure we can sustain ourselves so that we can be able to do what we need to do." MacGillivray is parish priest at St. Anthony Daniel Church on Alexandra Street. It is one of three churches vying to remain open in Sydney. Sacred Heart Parish on George Street and St. Joseph's on Cabot Street are the other two. Following discussions with these three parishes, the committee will recommend which church will remain open. MacGillivray said he won't be involved in those consultations due to his position at St. Anthony Daniel. "I've been pastor here for six years and I have some emotional attachment to the community, but we have to look at the bigger issues," he said. The closure of Immaculate Heart on Mira Road would occur once the fate of St. Joseph's is known. Saint Anne's Church in Membertou would stop Sunday services when an announcement regarding St. Anthony Daniel's status is made. Holy Rosary in Westmount would also shut down within the next five years. Several rural parishes will be served under one pastor as a result of the proposal. After June 2013, the five churches south of the Mira River — Stella Maris in Louisbourg, Immaculate Conception in Main-a-Dieu, St. Joseph's in Mira Ferry, Sacred Heart in Marion Bridge, and St. Margaret's in Grand Mira — will have one priest who will schedule services on a rotating basis. What that will look like remains unclear, MacGillivray said. "A church might have mass one weekend but not the next." Over the next four years, the rural parishes of St. Mary's in East Bay, St. Rose of Lima in Northside East Bay, St. Mary's in Big Pond, and Sacred Heart in Johnstown, Richmond Co., will be served by one pastor. Rural churches face two options under the proposal: remain open on a part-time basis, or close altogether. It does indicate, however, services will be limited at St. Rose of Lima and mass in Big Pond will only take place during the summer. A decision was made to leave Holy Family Church in Eskasoni open based on the sizable population it serves on the First Nation. Pat Bates, a layman of the Sydney Deanery Pastoral Council, said a "fair level of effort" has gone into the assessment, including an examination of financial statements and church attendance figures. He said the $18-million settlement to survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of priests in the diocese dating back to 1950 has undoubtedly had an impact on the church. The diocese was also rocked by child pornography charges against former Antigonish bishop Raymond Lahey that forced his resignation in September 2009. Lahey was sentenced to 15 months in jail earlier this month. "I think we have to admit there's been a lot of distress in this diocese over that sexual abuse business," Bates said. "I think as practical people we have to understand that that very likely has a bearing on attendance and on financial contributions to the church." Parish councils and parishioners will be able to offer written comment on the proposal to MacGillivray until Feb. 29. Contact: cshannon@cbpost.com
|
.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.