Diocese: Close 7 churches in year, 9 by 2011

Half of the Roman Catholic churches in Greater Hazleton would close within three years under preliminary recommendations released this week from the Scranton Diocese.

[harry]

when churches start to close...you know the end is near.....

[St Michael]

it is a sad day in the world when churches close....there is no real reason for this to take place....and the Bishop knows this!!!!!! first the devil breaks up family...and then he goes for the church...and the Bishop let's it happen!!!!

[vance]

its not the devil, its the priests and you know it! most priests are gay. i grew up catholic and was taught that being gay is the worst sin. well if a child happens to be gay and thinks there going to hell there whole life they think they can avoid it by being a priest. then they turn to petifile because they are surrounded by little boys. not girls, not women. any way premarital sex with a women would be a major sin, theres not much in the bible about doing kids!

[Joe]

It is a shame. Most of the churches are the ethnic ones that serverd particular groups, like the Poles or Italians. Some even held mass in the langauges. I think it is great to expose people to other languages while still allowing them to keep their own. Cultures and traditions are a bad thing to change.

[stan]

you are all most welcome to become members of the Byzantine church,it is a beautiful Mass,and it would be nice

[Mary Hammond]

harry wrote:

when churches start to close...you know the end is near.....

Really- is that how you see it? Well, since you can see consolidation, a smaller more faithful church as a good thing, I guess you won't be missing much when your churches close, will you?
Personally I see the dwindling Catholic population and church closures as a good thing- all will be left will the ones in it for the long haul.

[Dawn]

I'm inclined to believe that church-attendence is dwindling and churches are closing because more people are COMING TO THEIR SENSES. They're becoming less dependant on religious-mythology to explain "life, the universe, and everything", and living their lives with their eyes and minds wide open.