Abandoned

A group of recusant parishioners in Natick, Mass., are peeved at their pastor because he’s not supporting their bid to buck their parish closing order. The pew-sitters are saying that Fr. Joseph Sylva is abandoning them in their effort to “save” Sacred Heart Parish.

“I can’t believe someone’s so interested in destroying a parish community like this guy is,” said Quigley, a member of the Parishioners and Friends of Sacred Heart group fighting the church’s closure. “He hasn’t gone to bat for us,” said Anne Green, also a member of the Parishioners and Friends group.

“This guy?” They don’t dsound very respectful.

And why should Fr. Sylva go to bat for them? After all, he probably sees the need for the closing and they are just 12 people out of the whole population of the parish. Evoking images of Abraham’s bargaining with God, should the recalcitrance of 12 people put on hold the process by which whole parishes of people move on to the future? Does that sound fair?

Of course, these 12 people have threatened a sit-in if things don’tgo their way.

N.B. I love the fact that they claim that Sacred Heart is the “most involved” of the three Natick parishes, but yet they don’t even have an active parish council. Plus the claim is bunk on its face. Anyone who knows anything about the area knows that St. Patrick’s is the most active and spiritually alive parish around. They have perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and people drive from miles around to pray there. Remember to take everything these people say with a grain of salt.