Joining as one: Easthampton's Catholic churches prepare for merger
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EASTHAMPTON - Parishioners in the city's three Catholic churches churches will become part of a new parish, Our Lady of the Valley Church, located in the building that now houses Immaculate Conception Church, starting next month. The news, announced at Sunday Masses, evoked mixed emotions.
The Diocese of Springfield confirmed Monday that the three Catholic churches of Notre Dame du Bon Conseil on Pleasant Street, Sacred Heart of Jesus on Franklin Street and Immaculate Conception are merging under the new name and will be housed in the 139-year-old church on Adams Street.
"This is going to be a tough thing for some people," said Perri Taylor, a Notre Dame parishioner, who is a member of a committee made up of people from all three churches charged with evaluating what artifacts and other items should be used in the new parish.
While she is accepting of the changes, Taylor said, she is sensitive to others for whom the change is not welcome.
"We're trying to make it so everybody feels that they belong," she said.
Pastors read aloud the announcement from Springfield Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell during Sunday services, informing parishioners that Our Lady of the Valley will officially become the city's sole Catholic parish July 1.
The Rev. Douglas McGonagle will lead the new parish, assisted by the Rev. Piotr Jacek Pawlus, who was ordained Saturday in Springfield.
McGonagle will leave his post as the director of the Newman Center at the University of Massachusetts for his new position, said Monsignor John J. Bonzagni, director of pastoral planning for the diocese. McGonagle could not be reached for comment Monday.
Pawlus was ordained Saturday in Springfield and is a native of Poland.
The Rev. Eugene D. Honan of Immaculate Conception will retire at the end of the month. The Rev. Thomas R. Champigny of Notre Dame will go on sabbatical, according to Bonzagni. It wasn't clear Monday what the future holds for the Rev. James A. Sipitkowski of Sacred Heart, who did not return a call seeking comment.
Parishioners had been anticipating church officials' announcement on which house of worship they would attend since the diocese announced in August that the three Easthampton churches would merge into one.
Since then, parishioners from those three churches have been meeting to discuss how best to balance and honor the religious traditions of each parish, said Bonzagni.
Sacred Heart is a historically Polish Church and Notre Dame was started by French Canadians.
"There are two cultures here," Bonzagni said. "They're very concerned that a number of their ethnic traditions be observed in the new parish."
Mixed reaction
Sacred Heart parishioner Dolores Ivory said Monday that she was sad to see her church close. Ivory said she loves Sacred Heart because of its small size and intimacy and because significant events in her life, such as her grandchildren's baptisms, have occurred there.
"I'm just very comfortable there," Ivory said.
She said her fellow parishioners were silent as Sipitkowski read aloud the bishop's announcement about the merger at Sunday Mass.
From the ethnic music and hymns to special events like the annual Polish festival at the church, Ivory said there is apprehension among some parishioners about the change.
"I think there's that feeling that the Polish traditions are going to be lost, especially for the older parishioners," Ivory said.
But nonetheless, Ivory did not foresee any members of the congregation leaving the church over the merger.
Honan said Monday that, though he is retiring, he has high hopes for the merger.
"I'd feel a lot sadder about it if I wasn't so hopeful that this is a good thing," Honan said. "How do we get to the point of a flourishing Catholic community? We need to pool our resources."
Honan said his parishioners were happy to learn they would remain in their building, but he has told them they will have to look at the building in a new way come July.
"It's really not up to us to welcome them as if they're coming into our church," Honan said. "It's no longer our church. But I hope and I pray and I've encouraged them already to ensure the fact that everyone they're meeting is welcomed so that there's a warm place here."
Other changes
The merger affects not only the churches in the city but its cemeteries and even a day-care center on the grounds of one of the churches slated to close. Bonzagni said the Catholic cemeteries in the city and Our Lady's Child Care will be taken over by the new parish.
Taylor, who runs Our Lady's Child Care, housed on the grounds of Notre Dame, said the committee she serves on will try to be sensitive in making choices about valued artifacts with emotional resonance for parishioners.
Sacred Heart, for example, would place its black Madonna statue high on the list of items to save. Taylor attended Sacred Heart before switching to Notre Dame.
"I had a hard time coming here and not seeing the black Madonna," she said. "I just knew it was supposed to be there."
For Notre Dame, parishioners want to keep their baptismal font, several statues and a credence table hand-carved in Canada at around the time the church was founded more than 100 years ago.
For Immaculate Conception, the main crucifix, creche and organ are among the items parishioners want to keep as a part of the new parish.
Taylor said those decisions will all be finalized with McGonagle's approval in the months after the new parish opens.
Matt Pilon can be reached at mpilon@gazettenet.com.
Comments
Lamentations on a Bishop's lies
The Bishop originally said he needed to combine Easthampton's parishes because there were insufficient priests in the Diocese. Then last weekend the Bishop ordained 3 more priests.
He said he would never ask immigrant priests to help. Yet, the chaplain of Mercy Hospital is from Liberia. All three newly ordained priests are Polish immigrants.
Now still reiterating insufficient priestly manpower, the Bishop will add two more to join Fr. Michael Twohig (also from Easthampton) on sabbatical. Strange?
But life goes on. Pat and I will continue to take our four grand kids to Sunday services at Jericho in Holyoke.
Jericho is currently served by Fr. Twohig and Fr. Donatus, the Mercy Hospital Chaplain. It would be wonderful if the Bishop adds the Revs Cahmpigny and Sipikowski to Jericho's rotation of part time clerics.
It is interesting to note that 38 years ago to today's date Pat and I married in Notre Dame and became members of the Notre Dame parish when we returned to Easthampton in the late seventies. After a falling out with the pastor in the early eighties over the parish's treatment of handicapped individuals we migrated to Sacred Heart, the parish of my youth.
About this time I was introduced to the Rev. Robert Wagner, a founder of Riverside Industries and pastor at Jericho. Father Wagner had a profound effect on my religious orthodoxy. Before the Celebration Center was constructed, Father Wagner would celebrate Sunday mass in Alleluia House's parlor.
After many a Saturday repair session, several volunteers would join him in the kitchen for mass. Communion came from a loaf of bread sitting on the kitchen counter. A bottle of wine came out from the cabinet next to the sink. The kitchen table was our alter.
However, going forward, should the Bishop also close Jericho, I think I will take to heart the following sacred words read every Ash Wednesday:
"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6: 5-6)
God is everywhere. A church or parish is irrelevant. Even the Bishop is irrelevant.
Right or wrong?
The Immaculate Conception Church may be the better church of the three but is it at the better location?
I wonder if parking at the Immaculate Conception Church was ever taken in consideration. I have driven by during mass and have found no parking places. With hundreds of more people trying to go to mass, where will they park?
It was said that additional masses will said to accommodate the addition of the other people from other churches. Does this mean we will soon be going to mass by appointment only? (The people from church A will be assigned mass at 8:00 and the people from church B will be assigned mass at 10:00 and the people from church C will be assigned mass at11:00?)
It never ceases to amaze me how so few can disrupt so many. I’m from the old school. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
I’m curious as to how many Catholics throughout the Springfield Diocese have left or will leave the Catholic religion because of decisions like this.
Facts and feelings and future
I was thinking that your negative perceptions about some basic logistics (parking at Immaculate Conception)and negative imaginings about how the numbers of people from the three locations can be accomodated at Masses in one location are not the real points as much as your upset and possible anger over what you see as an unnecessary and painful change.
Of course you and a lot of people are feeling upset, sad and angry. To be honest, I don't feel so bad for myself because I haven't been at one parish for many, many years as some people have. I haven't been personally settled into one place and completely satisfied or used to the way things are. By choice and/or circumstance (jobs, etc.), I've lived in different places and gone to different parishes. So this change is not so difficult for me.
Let me mention that even if I hadn't ever moved around in my life and had gone to the same parish for the last 59 years, my old home parish in Chicago is no longer the same as it was when I was born, lived and went to school there. The building hasn't changed but the people certainly have over time. It was created and built as a Polish/Polish-American parish and it is now a tri-lingual (English, Polish, Spanish) parish with a large influx of newer Polish and Latino immigrants and working class families. The Polish-Americans of my generation have moved on or are much fewer in number and the "traditions" I grew up with are gone or changed--without help from the diocese. Change of all sorts just seems more inevitable than not.
Something I noticed when I visited Chicago in May is that many changes are actually good! My old parish is now a vibrant community compared to about 20-25 years ago when Mass attendance was way down and church involvement was uniformly depressed. This is primarily the result of demographics. The kiss of peace at Mass when I visited Chicago in May felt like a hand-shake and a smile around the world. Still, I noticed that there were cultural/language separations and barriers within the parish that could be worked on (for example, through sharing ethnic music across all services) that would make the community even more vibrant and stronger and together.
So, there is change but if we work with the change, if you and others can get through the pain and upset and work with and be a part of the new parish community, it seems to me that the new parish may present a wonderful opportunity for personal and community growth and renewal within our own Catholic community--not just an empty, imposed change.
your wrong!
It was said that additional masses will said to accommodate the addition of the other people from other churches. Does this mean we will soon be going to mass by appointment only? (The people from church A will be assigned mass at 8:00 and the people from church B will be assigned mass at 10:00 and the people from church C will be assigned mass at11:00?)
Of course not! Who would think this way? "Additional Masses" means additional masses will be added to the schedule to accommodate the people. There was no suggesting of keeping any individual mass time identified with any of the three parishes---it didn't happen in Northampton, Pittsfield, Chicopee, Adams or anywhere else, so why would you think it would happen in Easthampton?
The "old school" mentality is to keep these floundering ethnic identified parishes open until there isn't money to turn on the lights. The "new school" (esp. among younger families and parishioners) is to not be so in love with "your" building and bring neighbors together to worship in a robust and financially secure place.
It's wonderful to finally have this decision announced so that the single Easthampton parish could begin and plan towards the future rather than rehash the past with anecdote and nostalgia.
To person of "your wrong"
Whoever doesn’t sign something they respond to is a coward.
Now, onto the subject of the Easthampton parishes closing. You clearly are a member of the Immaculate Conception Parish who understands nothing about the importance of ethnicity and religion to people's lives. This is not old school mentality. My husband and I are in our late 30's and follow the Polish traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. Is it old? Maybe to someone who has no traditions or ethnic background. But those of us who have grown with tradition of family, church and faith feel differently. Maybe if you were the person whose church was being closed you’d feel differently.
I do not know much about other nations practicing religion but I do know I would never say that it is anecdotal or nostalgic. If you are unaware of the background than you need to keep your opinion to yourself since it lacks certain knowledge. It is time to get educated.
Now speaking of education before you write comments like you did you must know the facts. It is a fact that most of the “so-called” ethnic parishes are the most viable. One could make an argument “non-ethnic” (American) are the ones that are not viable. So if you are member of a parish that is not closing you are elated that members of viable parishes are joining to save your floundering parish, if that will even happen. As you may have read several members of parishes that are closing are no longer going to financially support the Springfield Diocese. And bringing in a Polish priest to Immaculate Conception is an empty token of the deceitful actions of our Bishop.
All in all, this is sad and disappointing. To those who continue to have their parishes open, I wish you luck but remember you may not stay open and God is watching.
Take care and good luck.
Andrea Przybyla
It's interesting to note
It's interesting to note that the new church's name (Our Lady of the Valley) is actually the original name of St. Mary's of the Assumption Church in Northampton. It was found in the church before the parish closed and was one of the suggestions for the merged parish in Northampton.
char