May 31, 2009 7:02 pm US/Eastern
Worcester Parishioners Saddened By Church Closing
By JIM SMITH, WBZ Reporter
WORCESTER (WBZ) ―
-
-
Our Lady of Fatima Church in Worcester will close later this year.
WBZ
A handful of parishioners leave the 11:30 Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Church.
When the church opened 57 years ago, 400 people attended the first Mass. But times have changed, and now the church is closing -- only the latest in a long list of parishes shutting their doors.
"We've had a lot of history here -- births, deaths," said parishioner Cindy Cesaitis. "My kids had their sacraments here. It's hard."
Some blame a shortage of priests for this closing and others. Declining parish enrollments and church financial issues are other factors..
Our Lady of Fatima almost closed before, back in 1978. It managed to survive then, but not this time.
Peter DiPadua doesn't know where he will go to worship now.
"It's sad," DiPadua said. "This is a beautiful church. We just have to bear with it, that's it."
It used to be a Lutheran church, but the Catholic Church bought the building in 1951 because of the demand for space. That demand isn't there anymore.
"I sat in my car and cried" at news of the closing, said Donna Jose, who has basically spent her whole life at Our Lady of Fatima.
"I started here when I was 7 and made my first communion. I just retired a few weeks ago so it's precious."
By fall, many of these.parishioners will attend Mass at nearby St. Berrnard Church, but they say it won't be the same.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
