Who pays twice

Upon reading Bruce Frassinelli’s poignant and truthful editorial in the July 24 edition of the Times News, the issue came out in the open as to why the group rejected the offer to buy St. Katharine Drexel church and pose the question: Was this a real offer or just an attempt to quell the unrest in the community?

When the church was built at the turn of the century, the people of the parish had money involuntarily deducted off their paychecks to pay for the construction and contents of the church. Need I remind anyone, most of these parishioners were coal miners and factory workers, living a miserable existence on less than meager earnings. One would readily assume the church and contents would be turned back to the community upon closing.

Not necessarily. About 80 years ago there was a rift within the church as to who really owns the real and personal property of the church. Through a broad and far-reaching interpretation of Adverse Possession and Irrevocable Gift laws, the court decided that all property belongs to the diocese, not the people of the community, regardless of who gave what.

No matter how unkind or unethical their acts may seem, the diocese is well within its legal rights to take everything and leave nothing. As well as sell something back to the community it already paid for.

The questionable actions of the diocese did not stop there. While under appeal, the church was never maintained to reasonable standards as required by canon law. If the group won the appeal in Rome, the diocese could then claim there was too much damage from stagnation (mold, mildew, etc.) to make the church viable.

Aside from that, the Lansford Council proposed a referendum to make the church a historical site and save the building from demolition. Upon hearing of the proposal, the diocese quickly removed all of the windows from the church.

Either way the group had absolutely nothing to go back to. The diocese was quick to quote canon law stating the windows are sacred. If that’s the case, why do some windows remain in Catholic churches years after closing? Are some windows more sacred than others and at whose discretion? Again enter canon law; the diocese applies canon law only when it favors their circumstance. May God have mercy on the souls of the leaders of our church, and may he look past their obsession of self-preservation and insatiable greed.

Respectfully,

Joe Pavlis

Lansford