The closing of St. Joseph's ensures future of parish

To The Daily Sun,

Two articles I recently read by Adam Drapcho have left me very sad and downright angry. Why is it that we can’t just stick to the facts and find people to interview who can support the facts? I know, it doesn’t make for popular reading. People these days like to read about the conflicts and the killings. Often, we are not presented with both sides of any story in a fair and balanced way. Authors create what people want to read and what sells papers.

Churches are being closed all over our country. Deal with it! Our culture is no longer worshipping God; it worships money, greed and power. Consequently, people are not attending mass. We can no longer keep these monolithic buildings in repair or heat them to the degree that will keep our pampered bodies warm. We need to size down as most of us do in retirement.

I lost my 111-year-old church eight years ago, along with our resident priest for the same reasons, and are lucky to get one mass a week and maybe two if it is our lucky week. Life goes on! The memories I made in my childhood church, the church of my ancestors, including the baptisims, confirmations, marriages and funerals, are kept in my heart not in that building I once worshipped in. It now houses an acupuncture business that I have to drive by. Better to have been torn down and made into a lawn or parking place to go with our beautiful four-bedroom, 4 ½-bathroom rectory, and in hindsight, we probably would have made more money.

The buildings are not the church! The church is the people and we can worship our God anywhere, even in an old bank building where Fr. Marc Drouin has created a beautiful chapel with thoughtful artifacts familiar to all of us from other buildings in the parish. And soon the space will have stained glass windows and a cross from St. Joseph’s. Worship will go on and it is a short walk down the street to enjoy your candle-lighting.

While this is a sensitive, emotional topic for all of us, hang in there and support your parish; the best is yet to come. The staff, councils and committees under the leadership of Fr. Marc are making some tough decisions that will ensure our future as a parish, my adopted parish, on a campus that works for all our programs and one that we can afford.

Don’t let articles like Adam Drapcho’s be your excuse to walk away from a good thing.

Ellie Morrison,

Bristol