Perhaps I’m not being optimistic enough. Did you have so many churches close, though, and lack of vocations there as they have experienced in Albany?
No, this is a growing area with vibrant, faith-filled parishes. The problems being experienced by the Rust Belt churches are partly demographics, and partly the failure of the priests and bishops to transmit the faith.
As for vocations, the Vocation Director here was, for several years, a man named Fr. Robert Clements, who was very good at his job. Fr. Clements is now pastor of the Newman Center at ASU.