Well yesterday, Saturday, Mar. 5, 2011, some of the neighborhood Folks gathered on a cold windy day to watch the beautiful artifacts be carried out of St. Patricks's Church on Sixth Ave. It was like attending a funeral, standing outside waiting for the Casket and your deceased loved one inside, come out. Inside of going into a waiting Hearse, these Statues and other other wonderful items, bought and paid for by the Parishoners were being slid into a dirty old BUDGET RENTAL TRUCK! How depressing it was to observe this, very slow process. Outside on the top step stood a Chubby man with long curly hair, speaking on the phone with someone, when he hung up he said 'ok, goodbye Father', goodbye is right. Goodbye to the church, goodbye to your faith, and goodbye to the future.
When asked questions, we ignored us. When asked if we could go inside, he said 'no'. When asked who he was and I took a picture of him and a picture of the inside of the church through the door, he closed and locked them. Everyone, read this carefully, this is your Roman Catholic Church, the Church you grew up in and supposedly who taught you to have faith, be honest, slamming the door in your face! I for one, will never set foot in a Catholic Church again to attend Mass. The only time they 'might' see me is to attend a Funeral. And believe me when I die, MY services won't be in a CHURCH, if anyone drags my Casket in one, listen carefully, as you will hear me scratching to get out. The miracle will begin, I will push the lid off and you will hear my big mouth all over again and I will be, hollaring at everyone, 'what the hell is the matter with you??" OUT OF HERE! EVERYONE, what did you do..FORGET?? Bishop Hubbard, we will never forget, ever, you better leave town too. But not by way of a Church as you will have closed them all, what a Saint you are. I just can't wait to see, when we all die, where you end up.
Is this harsh? You BET it is! Is this warranted? You BET it is! Shame, shame, shame on him. He can put this on no one else but himself, His Church, his neighborhood, his disgrace. Not once did he come out to talk with the Parishoners who were begging to leave this church open. Nope, Bishop Coward, just hid in his little fort and sent his Henchman out to do his dirty work.
Catholics, where ever your church is still open, if you still attend Mass, when they pass around the basket, inside of putting your hard earned money in it, put in a slip of paper, not a I O U, but a U owe US! And then leave...forever!
Although raised Roman Catholic, I left the church in the mid-80's when the rector of St. Pat's referred to my son as illegitimate and refused to baptise him. You see, Roman Catholics only recognize marriages that occur in a Roman Catholic church. Since my marriage occurred in an ecumencal military chapel, Fr. Cronin refused to recognize the marriage. I decided right then and there that WAS NOT what I believed.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Bishop Hubbard took his marching orders as far as the church closings are concerned from his higher ups. I can't fault him there. Where I fault him is that he did not ONCE speak out in favor of keeping the church in which he was ordained open. That's right folks, St. Pat's his is HOME parish. As I see it, he treated that church just an illegitimate child that he couldn't WAIT to be rid of. Shame on him.
The stripping of what was once called "the most beautiful Church in the Albany diocese" by the Bishop himself continues. I'm only guessing that all the statues, stations of the Cross and the altars are already gone. This fly by night outfit that is doing this won't let anyone see nor will they tell what is going on. From the amount of bricks that are being taken from inside of the church, it's my guess that they are removing doors and woodwork as well. Can we really imagine this monument of a Church becoming a parking lot. Pray that this does not happen. !!!
ReplyDeleteJust as a update: The side altars, the high altar and communion rail is gone. Also the chandeliers have been taken down. There are pieces of the large windows on the side that are missing, thus letting rain & birds access to the building.
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned previously the people doing this will not offer any information to anyone. Why the secret, only God knows.
It appears that only the marble pieces are being taken from our Church, since the large crucifix is still within the Church.
Under Hubbard the church has become a social work agency and given where catholic charities gets the balk of its money an extension of the state. It is no longer a place where people learn how to live this life and prepare for the next. One more for the Dark Lord.
ReplyDeleteI was baptized in St. Patrick's Church,and remember church school every Wednesday and Sundays after Mass, my First Holy Communion, and my Confirmation. I received my Mater Dei Girl Scout Award there, and received my counseling, before I got married, at St. Patrick's church. I was married there, my husbands family was born and raised there. My children were baptized there, and received their First Holy Communion there, as well. My husband was buried there, way too soon, as well as my Grandmother, Aunt and Uncle who were raised within the area of St. Patricks Church. What happened, we never expected it? It's all been about money, and not about Christ. No wonder the Baptist and the Methodists are so far ahead of us. Our church and our religious leaders crumbled and disappeared, in front of us. So, where did everyone go and what are they doing, now? We are scattered among the churches, maybe not going to any Catholic Church, but to another Christian Church. Where did the Christianity go, after St. Patrick's Church, was taken from its parishoners?
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