Plans, consultation led to closing of church

By PAUL QUIRINI- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

The future of St. Thomas's had been uncertain since last September, when its pastor, Rev. William Kelleher, retired. Prior to that, officials from the diocesan Priests' Personnel Board, Office of Pastoral Planning and Comptroller's Office had been meeting with parish leaders for nearly two years to prepare for his retirement, according to Rev. Geoffrey Burke, diocesan chancellor of personnel and public information.

Parishioners knew that another priest wouldn't be assigned to St. Thomas's permanently.

Diocesan officials decided last October that St. Thomas's Church would be closed, based upon the deteriorating condition of the building and the declining number of parishioners, Father Burke said. In 1994, there were 500 active and 100 inactive families registered in the parish. That number dropped in 1998 to 150 families total.

Diocesan officials have been meeting with Catholic Charities representatives about possibly using St. Thomas's Church for social service programming. (PQ)

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