Springfield churches close as Catholic population shrinks

(NECN: Brian Burnell, Springfield, Mass.) – The Catholic population is shrinking in Western Massachusetts and that means so are the number of parishes. Following a 4-year analysis by a planning committee word came down over the weekend that 11 churches will close, their parishioners moved to others. There is an appeal process but it is not easy. Msgr. John Donzagni, Director of Pastoral Planning: Our process is pretty solid and people can claim a lot of things but when you get to an appeal process you have to prove your statements but we understand that people sometimes get so angry that they really have to feel that they’re doing something. Carol Shannon, Our Lady of Hope: We found out Saturday at 4 o’clock mass that Our Lady of Hope is to merge with St. Mary’s up the hill. Carol Shannon has been coming to Our Lady of Hope for years. The parish itself is 200 years old. This is not easy for her. Carol Shannon, Our Lady of Hope: Lot’s of memories. Like I said, if these walls could talk. I suppose we can hold those memories in our hearts and in our minds. But it won’t be the same. And she is concerned how the merger with St. Mary’s will work. Carol Shannon, Our Lady of Hope: To begin another community, to get involved with another community… Merge… That’s difficult. It’s like moving to a new neighborhood and building a house in a strange neighborhood and you don’t know who your neighbors are. This is all about numbers. The cost of upkeep on a big building like this. The fact that in the Diocese of Springfield they’ve gone from 90 to 72 priests and the fact that there are an awful lot of empty seats at Saturday and Sunday Mass. In all three churches will close in Springfield, Chicopee loses 5 of its 10 churches and 3 more will shut down in Northampton. And those are not the end of it. Holyoke, South Hadley, Easthampton and Hatfield have 3 months to 2 years to consolidate their parishes.