This is sad

[Reverend_Smitty]

Basically they are closing down many of the churches in my hometown. In Trenton there is a Catholic Church on just about every corner but since there are so many people leaving the city, these churches, many of them over 100 years old have to shut their doors and combine with other parishes. Fortunately the church that my great-grandparents attended when they immigrated to this country is staying open. I'm really upset about this because I've been inside many of these churches and the architecture is really one of a kind.
http://www.trentonian.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14091730&BRD=1697&PAG=461&dept_id=44551&rfi=6

On edit: this is coming on the heels of the last 4 city catholic schools consolidating with the only catholic high school. Back in the day there were at least 20 catholic grammar schools in Trenton

[Hans Delbrook]

1. We lived in Trenton when I was 5 y.o. and you're right

A lot of those churches are beautiful. We went to St. Joachim church; I see it's one of the one's being conslidated.

[DemBones DemBones]

2. It is really very sad but when most of the Catholics move out of an area

(or die off, after their children have settled elsewhere), it's impossible to keep a big church open.

When we remodeled our 1930's parish church, our priest was able to buy a beautiful and elaborate altar from the chapel of an Illinois school that had been closed. I hope a lot of the best architectural features of churches that must be closed can be preserved in that way but I don't know if that's actually happening. I'm just really pleased we have a pastor who has good aesthetic sensibilities.

IMHO, most Americans don't have enough appreciation for old buildings so that's another factor to consider.

[AngryOldDem]

3. This is happening in my city, too

Only they are consolidating parishes, not closing them (yet). There are several (about four) ethnically based parishes in the north end, which goes back to the days when immigrants settled there. The neighborhoods have tried to keep their ethnic heritage, and these churches have been around since before the turn of the last century. But due to declining numbers, the archdiocese has forced them to consolidate Mass times among each other. Some have only the Saturday vigil, others one Sunday Mass, etc. It's confusing. And now they are combining with another parish in similar straits in a poor section of the east end. One priest is in charge of the combined parishes, which has meant that lay involvement has been stepped up considerably -- in fact, these parishes are primarly lay-managed. The priest just says Mass, more or less, from what I understand.

There has been some talk about combining the remaining two east side parochial schools, but people are resistant. Right now plans for that are on the back burner, but the day is coming when they will be forced to combine, out of sheer survival.

It truly is sad.

[Maeve]

4. An odd story about a closing

Here in Columbus, the bishop closed a parish (over much objection) and planned to sell the property. But it seems he didn't check his facts--the church and land was actually owned by the people of the parish, not by the diocese! One of those historic quirks you sometimes find in the US...

Last I remember hearing, the church remains closed and un-sold.

[Reverend_Smitty]

5. My biggest concern...

is that most of these buildings are over 100 years old. They don't make churches like that anymore, so if the diocese sells them, I can't imagine the new owners would be able to convert them to anything other than a church. But the parcels of land that they sit on would be far more valuable. I don't want to see them torn down to build a 7-11! It's just a shame that a city that once had over 50,000 Catholics (total population just over 100,000) will only have 3 or 4 parishes left. The ethnic population that is left (Irish, Italian, Polish, etc) will be lumped together, it's just a lost sense of community, and it really upsets me.

[Cuban_Liberal]

6. They're clsing 23 parochial schools in Chicago, too.

Sadly, this is what happens when people leave the old neighborhoods and move elsewhere.

:(