Categories
This blog post was originally written for our sister site, Keep the Faith in Frankford.org.
Please take the time to read this blog post that has a recent interview with reporter, Joyce Evans, Fox 29 news, and our pastor, Father Thomas Higgins. My video response follows.
We Possess Divine Truths But Is Our Hierarchy Listening To Our Human Truths, Too?
Please let me know what you think! Thank you and God bless you!
This sounds like a score in a professional sport but there are no winners or losers, just lost opportunities of “renewing the face of the earth” and sharing the Good News that God loves us and wants us to love each other. How simple that would make everything if we truly took the two great commandments to heart. Love God with your whole heart, mind and body and love each other as we would want to be loved. But that’s not the case, especially here in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Please read Bob Huber’s article, “Archbishop Charles Chaput: The Hardliner” for in-depth reporting of our local Shepherd and how he is tending his flock. While Pope Francis calls for a new “openness” yet the faithful wonder how many more “closed” signs will be posted here in Philadelphia?
I am Pat Smiley. We are Keep the Faith in Frankford/St. Joachim Parish. We are ready to stand with you? Who will stand with us?
Categories
Dooming Us To Repeat History?
From Pat Smiley – David Harris, a member of St. Joachim Parish and a Board Member of Keep the Faith in Frankford researched articles relating to events of 1993 where 14 churches and 7 schools were closed – mostly in very low income areas though most of these churches were financially viable. The similarities to our recent PPA Process are remarkable even to the point of concerned parishioners forming “Catholic Coalition to Save Our Faith”. We hope to reconnect with the members of this group. David shares his thoughts with us here.
Hello, most people hear the word anniversary and their minds immediately drift to a joyous occasion of a wedding. Many of us in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia just had an anniversary of three years, two years or one year. Many more have just had their twenty second anniversary of the Demise of their Parish Communities.
Back in 1993, twenty-one Parishes were closed/merged but without today’s 
technology of being constantly connected, many of the fellow Philadelphia Catholics only saw or read about these communities. They figured it wasn’t affecting my Parish. Some of the members of these Parishes lifted their voices towards their shepherd Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, but he didn’t listen or chose not to listen. Instead, he decided that the Archdiocesan Shore House in Ventnor, NJ needed to be remodeled and rehabilitated to accommodate more guests. Many of these Parishes were in what many would call “poverty-stricken” areas of Chester, PA and in North Philadelphia but some of them were still self-sufficient and viable. Cardinal Bevilacqua was celebrated for his eagerness to meet with his flock in many of their Parish Communities, but he would not meet with these grief-stricken members of these twenty-one Parish communities. Instead, he used his Archdiocesan spokesman at that time, Jay Devine, to answer the questions posed to him by the press.
This brings me to the present day with our technology of being able to constantly connect to news media outlets and to speak with one another without having to dial a phone number. We mournfully see the anniversaries of the demises of our Parish Communities grow in years. We have cried to our leaders and, much like the voices of those twenty-one Parishes in 1993, those cries have fallen on the deaf ears of our Shepherd who is now the ninth Archbishop of the Archdiocese. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput O.F.M Cap., DD. He does have many financial burdens and he has since sold that Ventnor residence and he has sold the Cardinal’s mansion on City Line Ave.
Many of our fellow Catholics do not look at our Parish Communities as examples of our faith but as a drain on the coffers of the Archdiocese because we are from working-class neighborhoods or towns and yet we gave of our hard earned money to keep these parishes viable and many with a surplus. Archbishop Chaput refuses to meet with us face to face and only uses his Archdiocesan spokesperson, Ken Gavin, when the local print or TV media poses any questions to him about our plight. Archbishop might not have that Ventnor residence to rehabilitate or remodel, but he is still needed to balance the books of earlier fiscal mismanagement, so he agreed along with the Pastoral Planners it is better 
to close financial solvent parishes with assets like rented schools and other parish buildings to increase the cash flow and bottom line.
We believe that Our Lord is calling out to Archbishop Chaput to help the marginalized of his Archdiocese. They are the ones that He, Himself, cared for during his ministry.
Sources:
“7 Schools to Close in Phila., Chester The Cardinal Named One More than Expected. Fourteen Parishes Will be Closed, Too, As The Archdiocese Downsizes.“
“Catholics Must Fight the Closings”
“Schools and Churches Close, Angering Catholics”
For almost 2 years, we have been asking this question and no one from the Archdiocese will meet with us or talk to us. Unless efforts are made to review and reverse some of the 46 church closings in the last three years, we would have to answer a resounding “Yes” to that question. To learn more of the reasons why we feel this way, please take the time to read a recent post, “Our God of Surprises”.
Organized by Keep the Faith in Frankford and Philly Catholics, please join us as we ask for the Parish Pastoral Planning Process to be redone!
For more info, please call Pat Smiley, 215.520.5616. Thank you and God bless you!
Come and ask for the many gifts of the Holy Spirit!
From Elizabeth Eiland Figueroa – “May the God of Surprises Delight You”
May the God of Surprises delight you, inviting you to accept gifts not yet imagined.
May the God of Transformation call you, opening you to continual renewal.
May the God of Justice confront you, daring you to see the world through God’s eyes.
May the God of Abundance affirm you, nudging you towards deeper trust.
May the God of Embrace hold you, encircling you in the hearth of God’s home.
May the God of Hopefulness bless you, encouraging you with the fruits of faith.
May the God of Welcoming invite you, drawing you nearer to the fullness of God’s expression in you.
May God Who is Present be with you, awakening you to God in all things, all people, and all moments.
May God be with you.
Amen.
I needed some time today because I will admit as happy as I was for those parishes that will remain open, my heart was thinking of those of us who have suffered through the PPA process. At the end of June, it will be two years since St. Joachim and Mater Dolorosa closed in Frankford. I don’t know where the time went but I do know the fervor of our efforts has not diminished since then. I hope you like the above prayer and understand that we believe in God’s will and His power to change what we think has been the terrible wrongs over the last 3 years.
How many of us were surprised today reading the “Archdiocese Announces Results of Recent Parish Pastoral Planning in Philadelphia as Well as Delaware and Montgomery Counties”? We truly celebrate with our brothers and sisters in the Pastoral Planning Areas of 330 (Delaware County – I have family there with whom I have been praying), 420 and 570 whose parishes have been given more time and support to strengthen needed areas of weakness or to continue already successful ministries.
My church, St. Joachim closed in 2013, but I have always said this issue was much bigger than St. Joachim. We need to understand that the parishes of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are not islands. “For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another” (Romans 12: 4-5). Since the first church merged/closed in 2012, concerned Catholics have believed and worked to convey that this Parish Pastoral Planning Process is unfair, exclusionary, unequally applied and had preplanned outcomes. What have we achieved in the last 3 years? This – today’s announcement by the Archbishop and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. As Job suffered many trials, we, too, can say, “Your own mouth condemns you, not I; your own lips refute you” (Job: 15: 6). Here are further reasons that demand that the PPA process be reviewed and redone:
- Archbishop Chaput “has…made decisions regarding possible parish mergers in the City of Philadelphia as well as Delaware and Montgomery Counties.” We were told Archbishop Chaput was simply following the recommendations of the Archdiocesan Strategic Planning Committee and the Council of Priests and the College of Consultors.
- “Parish Area Pastoral Planning is designed to be as collaborative and consultative as possible.” That didn’t happen for many, for us. Pastors told or didn’t tell what was happening; parishioners were included or told it was secret, ultimately, pastors and deans were making the decisions.
- “In the majority of cases, the regional bishop and the dean meet with the pastors as well as their pastoral and finance councils to hear their concerns and receive their recommendation which are brought before the Archdiocesan Strategic Planning Committee, the Council of Priests and the College of Consultors for their observation and recommendations.” No one ever came to meet with our pastoral and finance councils, the Bishops that now say Masses at the oldest church in the PPA never said a Mass. No one has heard our concerns yet.
- “The recommendation from the parishes noted the complexity of various issues, outlined how the parishes could improve their financial conditions, and noted general areas in which the parishes could collaborate by possibly sharing some resources and staff.” Some of the parishes were asked to compile more detailed plans by July 2015 and provide updates by December 2015 of their implementation. There isn’t any parish whose issues aren’t complex or could improve in some areas or share resources – if they were allowed.
- “The recommendation from the parishes asserted that all of the parishes in the area are financially and pastorally viable and should remain free standing.” Our pastor asked that we be “free standing”? “No” was the answer. We had $300,000 a year from the rental of our school in cash. We had no debt. Didn’t matter. We even had an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales pastor who wanted to remain in his position and we would not drain any resources from the Archdiocese. Now, our merged parish of Holy Innocents has 3 priests, 1 permanent deacon, and a Sister pastoral minister, a Sister for pastoral care but we can’t have Masses, prayer services, communion services, are denied public worship even if we do the services ourselves. The good news is you can get married and they will bury you but you’re on your own for anything else. Is it any wonder the people’s hearts are not calling them to contribute since they’ve already given what they and their ancestors built? Is it any wonder, we’re “Roamin’ Catholics” looking for a new home because we were told there is no room for us in the AOP?
- “The Archdiocesan Strategic Planning Committee is to work on formulating structures that will facilitate a formal collaboration between parishes”. Part of the problem with this PPA process was that it wasn’t positive thinking regarding what we could do to stay open – just close the number of parishes you needed to stave off bankruptcy. Why not try “collaboration between parishes” 3 years ago? I’m sure someone had the idea. I have personally read ideas other parishes had to keep their church open – good and reasonable ideas which were ignored.
- “The complex and difficult issues in PPA xxx will require further study and discussion before any final decisions are made. It is noted that the special circumstances in this area include a number of personal parishes, some large parish complexes that are difficult to maintain, a declining number of active Catholics in the area, and serious financial difficulties in several of the parishes.” Decisions were made quickly in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Get it done. St. Joachim and Mater Dolorosa were both closed in 2013. Mater Dolorosa was a personal parish but that didn’t slow down or stop the decision to close both churches so that Frankford no longer has a Catholic Church although we did for 170+ years. We have declining active Catholics – we’re older but we have people who want to evangelize and renewed their faith well before the Pope’s visit. Father Higgins, our dean, has been touted as the priest who must manage 22 properties but that didn’t bother anyone in 2013.
- “The primary focus will be on ways the parishes can collaborate in sharing pastoral ministry and resources”. This is wonderful! But don’t forget that you have “new” parishes that don’t want to collaborate with their own worship sites!
There has been great dissolution and sadness in our Archdiocese. Thank you for reading and caring about the future of our faith here in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. God bless you! God bless us all!
We will be taking future action and are planning a walk/drive and rally on May 31st. Please save the date and plan to join us. We need you and you need us! In the meantime, we await more surprises from our God!
Categories
Mary, Help Us to Undo Our Knots
An Online Prayer Event Hosted by Keep the Faith in Frankford! Join Us!
If we want change, we must first change ourselves. Prayer helps us do just that. Please click the link below and check out our May event dedicated to the Blessed Mother and we hope you will participate. You and our world will be the better for it!
Please take a moment to read our latest blog post and view our slideshow! Please comment and share this if you like it! God bless you! Happy Holy Week!
http://www.keepthefaithinfrankford.org/2015/03/29/our-indescribable-gift-2-corinthians-chapter-9/