So THAT'S why I've seen a couple of people on FR who have a burr under their saddle about the Cardinal.
I have a very different perspective on the whole 'church closing' issue. When the Bishop tried to close St. Joseph's here in Worcester, many years ago, I at first felt sorry for the folks who worshipped there. Then, I drove by the place, which was looking a little the worse for wear, and within one block, passed another Catholic Church that was obviously recently remodeled. I frankly became appalled at the horrid way the Bishop was treated by people who probably hadn't darkened the door of St Joseph's in years because they'd moved out of that poor neighborhood to 'better' ones. And I'm sure they hadn't put one dime in the collection plate in order for the Pastor to keep the place up.
The reason I was so angry at those folks was because where I grew up, in a South Mississippi city about one third the size of Worcester, there were exactly THREE Catholic churches, not thirty or forty! My husband grew up in the MS Delta, where there were folks who had to drive 20 minutes EACH way to be able to get to Mass on Sundays, and here were folks complaining about having to go an extra block to Mass. From what some folks who grew up in Worcester told me, the Church being closed had been originally built by the French settlers in the area. The one a block down the street was built by the Irish. So these folks in Worcester were actively trashing the Bishop because they had to go to a Catholic Church down the block that wasn't built by 'their people'.
Give me a break! If the people attending the Church can't support the physical plant, then they shouldn't be surprised if the Bishop suggests that they merge with a different Parish, and they certainly shouldn't trash him for the decision. They should thank God that they actually have another Church, which, given Boston's Catholic heritage, is probably within a 10 minute car or T trip.
a report card on Cardinal Sean
Many of us had high hopes for him when he arrived in Boston. This place is lousy with liberals and Catholics-in-name-only. So, the first Holy Thursday, he had the ritual washing of the 12 men's feet which symbolizes the institution of the priesthood. Please note, men only, there never were and never will be women priests in the Catholic Church. Well, of course the CINOs complained and he capitulated the next year.
He's in the process of dismantling (i.e. selling off pieces of) St John's Seminary in Brighton. You can certainly argue that there are too many empty churches (maybe we should be working on filling them up again instead of closing them) but a seminary?! The head of the seminary resigned in protest.
I now attend, whenever possible Mass, at the St Benedict Center in Still River in the diocese of Worcester. It's a 40-mile drive one-way for me but Cardinal Sean doesn't feel that there is much interest for the TLM in New England...
That's it in a nutshell...