After the glow of the Immaculate Conception/Guadalupe feast wore off, I began to feel uneasy about Father Anthony's departure and what it might mean for the fate of St. Mary's. These are my concerns:
- The organist did not know in advance that this would be Father's last Mass at St. Mary's. He heard the announcement with the rest of us.
- He likewise had no idea who would be saying the Mass this coming Sunday.
- In a parish merger, one church is designated the parish church. Other churches are secondary. In our case, St. Peter's is the parish church and St. Mary's is secondary.
- Canon law only requires that 1 Mass/year be said at the secondary church, on the Feast of its Patron, in the case of St. Mary's this was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. A second annual Mass may be required on the anniversary of the dedication, but only if the walls had been anointed with chrism.
- The unexpected last Mass of Father Anthony on December 8th satisfied the canonical requirement of celebrating Mass on the patronal feast. The Archdiocese of New York has no further canonical obligation to hold Mass at St. Mary's in the near future.
- Preoccupation with the Feast of Guadalupe could serve as a distraction from these kind of suspicions.
And here is what I am praying:
- That the Archdiocese of New York continues to be kind to the people of God at St. Mary's and continues the weekly Mass.
- That a priest has been made available to say that Mass.
- That my fears that St. Mary's is one step closer to being sold and demolished are groundless.
- That when I arrive at St. Mary's on Sunday morning the doors will be open for us.
No comments:
Post a Comment