Lexington, MA 02420

June 1, 2004

Dear Archbishop Sean O'Malley,

It is with great sadness, yet hope, that we write this letter to ask the Archdiocese to reconsider its decision to close Sacred Heart Church in Lexington.

One of our friends, in an effort to comfort us, pointed out that a church is just a building. That is true in some sense, but a church is the faith community that has grown within it, and this one, at Sacred Heart Church, is a vibrant and unique community. We can tell you that 24 years ago, when we first moved to Lexington, though Roman Catholic in upbringing, we were "fallen-away" Catholics. Here was this community, meeting in the parish hall on folding chairs every Sunday, as the church was undergoing renovations. We visited several of the other churches in the area, and yet, although sitting in folding chairs in the parish center, the beauty of the liturgy and the people drew us back each time. Imagine our surprise to find that such a beautiful little church would eventually be housing these liturgies and add even more meaning to them. The simplicity, beauty and intimacy of this small space should not be underestimated. And not only were we drawn in as parishioners, but we have served in many different ministries over the years.

We hope that the Archdiocese will re-evaluate the criteria used in determining the specific parish closings. The criteria appears to have left little room for a small, yet vibrant church to remain open. Should not the criteria be focused on the number of sacraments in relationship to the total number of parishioners and size of the church, rather than just shear numbers/volume? This would surely better reflect the energy of a parish such as Sacred Heart. Should not the criteria be focused on the sacraments that signal the addition of new, young and energetic younger families, that ensure of the future of such a parish? The growth of our religious education classes over the last ten years has driven some our classes to be held in the rectory, the parish center hallways and private homes to accommodate the children. This is a cause for celebration.

Because we are a parish of caring and understanding, we have been keenly aware of all the issues that confront the archdiocese at this time. We do understand why some closings are necessary. But I hope there might be instances where the archdiocese could be open to an arrangement that would allow a vital and generous, though small, parish to remain. If not with their own pastor, can there be an in-between ground that allows us to continue towards to the future in a different configuration. Our visiting priests are warmly welcomed members of our parish. Could we not move forward sharing a pastor with one of our neighboring parishes, with the support of our visiting priests and our parishioners.

We realize that this is a difficult time for the Archdiocese, as well as each and every church, but we believe that the special qualities of Sacred Heart Parish in Lexington will continue to draw new, active parishioners to our church, and we hope that you can find a way to give us the opportunity to take our parish into the future.

Thank you for your time and consideration on these issues.

God Bless