A Massachusetts state representative is lobbying Archbishop O’Malley not to close his parish. Once again, he misses the point.
State Rep. James Murphy asked O’Malley not to close any of the three parishes in Weymouth, especially his own parish of St. Albery the Great, which was the one selected by the cluster for recommendation. Murphy says that all of the parishes have good finances and that there enough priests in Weymouth to serve them all. But of course, if Weymouth was its own diocese that might be enough, but it’s not. What concerns the archdiocese is whether there are enough priests to distribute throughout the cities and towns of eastern Massachusetts, now and especially in the future as today’s elderly priests retire without successors to take their place.
Oy, I forgot about that. I have personal experience with Fr. Coyne. Nice guy in person, theologically way out there.
I lived with him for a few weeks a couple of years ago (when I lived in a rectory). He knew where I stood, I knew where he stood, and we didn’t talk about anything except the Red Sox.
One exception that I’d make for a parish closing: no parish would be closed over the objections of its members if the parish “produced” a priest in the last, say, 20 years.