czarofzar
03-25-2009, 10:11 PM
Catholic faithful face church closures
Story Highlights:
Parish closures hit Catholic communities across the Northeast and Upper Midwest
Diocese of Cleveland is most recent one to announce sweeping changes
Parishioners worry about the inner-city poor that rely on church outreach
"This isn't what Jesus would do," says a nun-turned-activist
By Jessica Ravitz
CNN
(CNN) -- Along the Rust Belt and in cities dotting the Northeast and Upper Midwest, Catholic communities are mourning the loss of parishes. It's a five-year trend of sweeping church closures that most recently hit Cleveland, Ohio.
"Closing a parish is very emotional," Bishop Lennon said in a written statement. "I have personally experienced the closing of my own childhood parish in Boston, which members of my family helped establish in 1914. ... I pray that my decisions will serve the needs of this Diocese and its people." Parishioners speak out on closings »
There are reportedly 67.1 million Catholics in the U.S., according to The Official Catholic Directory 2008. Compared to the 2007 number of 67.5, that's about a 400,000 decrease in one year. And the Pew Forum found that approximately a third of its survey respondents who were raised in the Roman Catholic Church no longer attend the church.
What drove the decision to close parishes in Cleveland were population shifts to outlying areas, financial strains that have 42 percent of parishes "operating in the red" and priest shortages, diocese spokesman Robert Tayek explained.
The bishop, he said, is trying to find "an equitable solution."
source http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/03/25/cleveland.catholic.parish.closures/index.html
Here is a lighterside report of local church closings
by Mark Byron
February 22, 2009
The Church Closing List
We're getting a bit of snow this morning here in Lexington; not enough to scare off this expatriate Michigander from bopping down the road to church, but enough to make life difficult for some folks in smaller towns, where hilly rural roads can be hard to move around in winter weather. Thus, I was thumbing through the closing list from our CBS TV station and making a few comments in my mind about some church names.
Dry Run Baptist-You talk about practicing Catholics; some Baptists need practice, too.
Gentile Baptist Winchester-We'd really start to freak if we saw Jewish Baptist
Happy Freewill Baptist-Hazard-As opposed to all those glum ones who are still looking to get poor William sprung from prison.
Lick Fork Missionary Baptist-The food must be good at the potlucks. Not quite finger-lickin' good, but close.
Midway United Methodist-One of the few mainliners that are upfront about being mugwumps on the issues of the day. (FYI-Midway is a Lexington exurb)
Mud Lick Church of God- Really down-to-earth folks
Republican Christian - Harrison Co. - Good that they're upfront about their politics.
Woodstock Baptist-Somerset -Well, if it gets the aging boomers into church, so be it. However, they might have a different take on what pot luck is.
[Update 1:42-Republican Christian has an interesting history as it turns out-
Republican Christian Church was originally organized by Elder Barton W. Stone, about the year 1814-15. A log church was built in 1816 on the ground where Republican Church now stands. The New-Lights, as they were called, met there to worship occasionally until 1835, when the Christian Church proper was organized by Elder John Robards[.]
If you know church history, Barton Stone's name rings a bell, for he was one of the founders of the movement that gave us the Disciples of Christ and non-instrumental Churches of Christ. I didn't realize until now that the Cane Ridge revival that Stone led that kicked off the movement was not too far NE of Lexington or from Republican Christian.]
source
http://markbyron.typepad.com/main/2009/02/the-church-closing-list.html
Story Highlights:
Parish closures hit Catholic communities across the Northeast and Upper Midwest
Diocese of Cleveland is most recent one to announce sweeping changes
Parishioners worry about the inner-city poor that rely on church outreach
"This isn't what Jesus would do," says a nun-turned-activist
By Jessica Ravitz
CNN
(CNN) -- Along the Rust Belt and in cities dotting the Northeast and Upper Midwest, Catholic communities are mourning the loss of parishes. It's a five-year trend of sweeping church closures that most recently hit Cleveland, Ohio.
"Closing a parish is very emotional," Bishop Lennon said in a written statement. "I have personally experienced the closing of my own childhood parish in Boston, which members of my family helped establish in 1914. ... I pray that my decisions will serve the needs of this Diocese and its people." Parishioners speak out on closings »
There are reportedly 67.1 million Catholics in the U.S., according to The Official Catholic Directory 2008. Compared to the 2007 number of 67.5, that's about a 400,000 decrease in one year. And the Pew Forum found that approximately a third of its survey respondents who were raised in the Roman Catholic Church no longer attend the church.
What drove the decision to close parishes in Cleveland were population shifts to outlying areas, financial strains that have 42 percent of parishes "operating in the red" and priest shortages, diocese spokesman Robert Tayek explained.
The bishop, he said, is trying to find "an equitable solution."
source http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/03/25/cleveland.catholic.parish.closures/index.html
Here is a lighterside report of local church closings
by Mark Byron
February 22, 2009
The Church Closing List
We're getting a bit of snow this morning here in Lexington; not enough to scare off this expatriate Michigander from bopping down the road to church, but enough to make life difficult for some folks in smaller towns, where hilly rural roads can be hard to move around in winter weather. Thus, I was thumbing through the closing list from our CBS TV station and making a few comments in my mind about some church names.
Dry Run Baptist-You talk about practicing Catholics; some Baptists need practice, too.
Gentile Baptist Winchester-We'd really start to freak if we saw Jewish Baptist
Happy Freewill Baptist-Hazard-As opposed to all those glum ones who are still looking to get poor William sprung from prison.
Lick Fork Missionary Baptist-The food must be good at the potlucks. Not quite finger-lickin' good, but close.
Midway United Methodist-One of the few mainliners that are upfront about being mugwumps on the issues of the day. (FYI-Midway is a Lexington exurb)
Mud Lick Church of God- Really down-to-earth folks
Republican Christian - Harrison Co. - Good that they're upfront about their politics.
Woodstock Baptist-Somerset -Well, if it gets the aging boomers into church, so be it. However, they might have a different take on what pot luck is.
[Update 1:42-Republican Christian has an interesting history as it turns out-
Republican Christian Church was originally organized by Elder Barton W. Stone, about the year 1814-15. A log church was built in 1816 on the ground where Republican Church now stands. The New-Lights, as they were called, met there to worship occasionally until 1835, when the Christian Church proper was organized by Elder John Robards[.]
If you know church history, Barton Stone's name rings a bell, for he was one of the founders of the movement that gave us the Disciples of Christ and non-instrumental Churches of Christ. I didn't realize until now that the Cane Ridge revival that Stone led that kicked off the movement was not too far NE of Lexington or from Republican Christian.]
source
http://markbyron.typepad.com/main/2009/02/the-church-closing-list.html