Lexington, MA

5/28/04

Dear Archbishop Sean O'Malley,

We parishioners at Sacred Heart Parish in Lexington receive the news of our forced closing with deep disappointment.  We clearly understand the reasons why some churches need to be closed, but the particular reasons for specific parishes, i.e., the way in which parishes were chosen (or not chosen) for closing, remains a mystery. 

Closing one's parish is analogous to throwing them out of their house.  It demands solid reasons and straight answers.  Our faith does not extend to being able to reconcile such decisions without firm earthly criteria.  We want to know the nuts and bolts of why our vibrant, energetic, generous, financially self-sustaining parish needs to be closed; a parish whose church was literally built (we are talking bricks and mortar here) by its parishioners in 1930-31.  We want to know why it is closing in the context of the maintaining of so many other parishes with lesser measurable credentials in other towns.  Only knowing that, can parishioners (inhabitants) find a place of comfort.  The source of this detailed information should be our Pastor.

As an environmental scientist who has been involved with many, many site selection studies, I am well aware of the approaches that are typically used for such decisions: pure data evaluation supplemented with qualitative information and political motives.  I am sure you used such an approach, in reverse.  What were the criteria?  I am in no position to protest objectively without that information.  But if you deprive me of the data and its interpretation, you perpetuate the management of a Church that has lately given so many reasons not to belong.  I call it the "Original Crisis before the Crisis": church attendance down to a mere 20% of Catholics and dropping.  The sort of decision you impose on us without a full rationale will contribute mightily to this Original Crisis.  As we argue in our appeal letter, the bias in your decision against younger members of the parish is transparent.  As you should be well aware, parish closings are far more likely to estrange younger families from the Church.  As a religious education teacher, as a parish stewardship commission chairman, as a member of our community commission, as a choir member, and just as a parishioner, I deserve the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about whatever information I want.  Tell me why.

If we must walk away from Sacred Heart, we want to leave shaking only our heads, and not our fists.  If you cannot tell me why we are closing, please tell me why it is that you cannot tell me.  Pardon my emotion, but I firmly believe silence is no longer an option.