Today is the official closing of St. Joseph's church in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. It is a beautiful church, not quite a century old. For the past few years it has provided an official gathering spot for the congregation from nearby St. Francis, which was closed due to structural concerns.
Next week will be the official closing of St. Mary's church. This is the church I grew up in, and the church I still attend. This closing will be more of a formality; the building will continue to function as a "secondary worship site" for the consolidated parish that will be known as St. Faustina. From a practical point of view, I expect the number of services being held there to increase, to accommodate people who belonged to St. Francis, St. Joseph, and the other parishes that have yet to be closed. (Of course, they may also go to the "primary worship site", currently know as Holy Trinity - a large church, but lacking modern amenities such as air conditioning or a parking lot that fits more than two dozen cars.)
The consolidated parish is creating a book of memories of St. Mary's and has asked for the loan of any materials that people may want to share. I burned a CD-R of all of my photos of the church, including all of my pictures of the stained glass windows - nearly four hundred pictures in all. We'll see if any of them are selected for the book!
Next week will be the official closing of St. Mary's church. This is the church I grew up in, and the church I still attend. This closing will be more of a formality; the building will continue to function as a "secondary worship site" for the consolidated parish that will be known as St. Faustina. From a practical point of view, I expect the number of services being held there to increase, to accommodate people who belonged to St. Francis, St. Joseph, and the other parishes that have yet to be closed. (Of course, they may also go to the "primary worship site", currently know as Holy Trinity - a large church, but lacking modern amenities such as air conditioning or a parking lot that fits more than two dozen cars.)
The consolidated parish is creating a book of memories of St. Mary's and has asked for the loan of any materials that people may want to share. I burned a CD-R of all of my photos of the church, including all of my pictures of the stained glass windows - nearly four hundred pictures in all. We'll see if any of them are selected for the book!
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