The following is my prediction of the blueprint that Fr. Tanck and co. will follow in Irondequoit as a result of the recent announcement that the parish is in financial trouble:
1. It is highly unlikely that Blessed Kateri parish will be able to eliminate the deficit, especially the one caused by the CMA tax.
2. In order to eliminate this deficit, Fr. Tanck will propose cost-cutting measures to make the parish financially viable. As part of these measures, Fr. Tanck will propose eliminating unused or underused facilities in the parish. This will include the St. Thomas and St. Salome campuses. How convenient that would be since he eliminated all Masses there, making these churches underutilized.
3. Fr. Tanck, in collaboration with hand-selected lay persons, will make a recommendation to the bishop that the STA and SS properties be sold in order to pay off the debt caused by the other churches in the parish. He will throw out the usual fluff, that we are all in this together as one parish, that we should all work together for the survival of Catholicism in Irondequoit, and that we can’t be paying to operate facilities we don’t need (again, it was his own doing that St. Thomas is not being used right now when it can and should be).
4. Bishop Clark will support the decision by deferring to the recommendation of Fr. Tanck and his hand-selected lay persons.
In order to preempt this likely progression of events, it is my opinion that parishioners of St. Thomas should recommend that STA be used in place of one of the other costly churches if the financial burden is as serious as it sounds. We knew all along that St. Margaret Mary and St. Cecilia were not financially viable.
Also do not forget that costly expansion is still required at St. Cecilia. STA is ready to accommodate extra Catholics without any expansion. STA and SS should not be sold in order to (temporarily) bail out two debt-ridden churches. We’ll be right back where we are now in a few years, and the resentment this would cause will lead to even further departures and less collection income.
Tags: Bishop Clark, Church Closings, DoR If I Only Had a Hart, IPPG
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I honestly don’t understand why they don’t utilize the largest parish in the community. It makes no sense whatsoever. Downsizing the buildings and at the same time enlarging the parish makes absolutely no sense financially or physically. It only supports my belief that complete morons decided what parishes to close.
Kevin,
They weren’t morons. They knew exactly what they were doing. The DoR couldn’t stand STA. STA didn’t “play their game” and they wanted it gone regardless of the cost – physical and spiritual.
Exactly my point though. It’s why complete idiots choose which parishes to close and not. Kind of makes me want to volunteer again with the Diocese. I did a few years ago for a month. Wonder if I could do anything good for a change.
Naturally- selling the property at STA and SS is the next step. If it were up to Norm Tanck, the property would have been put up for sale on November 15th. The flys in the ointment, however, are those pesky loose ends: the grave of a beloved, accomplished priest, the required permissions that need to be obtained, and the fact that closing a parish is not a slam dunk in Rome anymore. The overturning of parish closures (based on the lack of justification rather than procedural flaws) is a real problem given the manner in which the IPPG operated. No doubt he is being told that a sale of the properties is just not possible (right now). To expensive legally – but they will jump at the chance as soon as they can. It will get desparate when CTK school opens in Fall 2012.
It’s going to take quite a long time to sell the STA property, if and when Msgr. Burns’ remains are reinterred. I doubt the STA property can be sold before a new bishop is appointed.
Why is it so hard for my fellow ST THOMAS parishioners to understand that bishop Clark wants Msgr Burns’ Legacy money? That’s why we’re “closed”. And we’ll stay closed until Cluck is removed, one way or another.