Most Reverend Sean P. O’Malley
Archdiocese of
Re: Closure of Sacred
Dear Archbishop O’Malley,
I am saddened by the decision to close Sacred Heart and humbly appeal for your reconsideration. I realize that there were a vast number of factors that went into the process and that the Church is in crisis with projections of too few priests in the future to manage all of the existing churches. I accept that some of the churches need to be closed for the good of the greater Boston Catholic community. However, I believe that Sacred Heart is of such great value to the community that it should be preserved.
What is unique about places of worship such as Sacred Heart is that they attract and sustain a faith community that has sought other places of worship and have found them insufficient. I am a lapsed Catholic who has only come back to the Church, now at the age of 42, within the last five years. The voices of the community, the small intimate setting, and the passion of the members is what resonates within me as a member of this small church. I have never felt this passionate about any other Catholic community. I want my two young daughters (5 and 7) to grow up in this environment.
The Boston Archdiocese needs small churches such as Sacred
Heart that nourish those of us who feel alienated in the larger church
settings. My wife is one of the
volunteer Sunday school teachers. I am
involved in a church group that meets on a regular basis to discuss third world
poverty issues. We have become engaged
in this small community of like minded Catholics. This involvement and commitment is a precious
commodity that the Archdiocese should preserve for the long-term viability of
the Church in the
I pray that you will change the decision and keep Sacred Heart open. I believe very strongly that you will strengthen the Church as a whole by keeping this small and precious treasure a part of the greater Boston Archdiocese.
I believe that the reason Sacred Heart has been selected to be closed could not be its ability to pay for its operating costs, nor could it be the lack of attendance or the absence of strong involvement by its parishioners. I must attribute the decision to the concern held for the insufficient number of young men joining the priesthood. I don’t know what the answer is for the concern on the projected lack of priests – but I do believe that future priests are more likely to come out of communities such as Sacred Heart that encourage and nurture a deep and binding connection with Jesus and our Church.
Very sincerely yours,