Today’s paper ( The Plain Dealer) was full of stories concerning the downsizing of Catholic parishes in the Cleveland area.
Along with the news was a soul searching Regina Brett column invoking The Resurrection as a means to stomach the downsizing . I probably came to the wrong conclusion but her column confused me. Perhaps she only needed an outlet for her religious emotions.
I’m surprised that the editors did not seize the opportunity to promote blogging as a replacement for lost parishes. They already have a sports writer, Terry Pluto, writing a weekly religious column ( not surprising in that baseball has become a religious experience).
A point made in one story rang a bell with me. Most of the parishes being ex-communicated were formerly immigrant parishes - Italian, Irish, Slovenian, Polish, German, you name it. Can I conclude that these immigrant groups are now Americans and have assimilated into the suburban Catholic parishes?
Evidently the new immigrants, Hispanic and African do not have enough clout yet to absorb the abandoned parishes but I‘m sure that will change.
It looks like there will be more real estate blight in Cleveland.
Any chance that some of the vacated churches may become mosques, or are they facing the wrong way?
2 comments:
I think the Catholic Church is doing the backwards. Cleveland is the fourth poorest city in the United States yet they still have quite a population. It seems to me that during the hard times is when churches and cathedrals are the most needed. I think we focus too much on the buildings and not enough on the spirit. For what it's worth....
I was wondering if you were STILL getting the paper (-:
Caroline,
Yes, until the internet do us part
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