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One year ago on July 23, 2011, Diocese of Youngstown Bishop
George Murry and his hatchet man co-celebrated the last Mass said in
Wellsville. It was a bitter sweet moment for the
Wellsville faithful. Many of the
Immaculate Conception parishioners are decedents of the very men and women who
sacrificed to build, maintained and support their church. A lot of them were baptized, educated and
married in the building that is located at 11th & Main Street. They
raised their families in the Catholic faith there. They buried many of their loved ones with the
funeral Mass in that building. Their
very history is intertwined with memories of events that took place in their
home parish only to see the doors of their church closed, locking them out.
A committee was formed to appeal that decision as a result
of the many controversial events that led up to the closing. That appeal is pending with Catholic
officials at the Vatican in Rome, Italy.
That group is called the Committee To Save the Immaculate Conception
Church Parish.
Members of the Committee to Save the Immaculate Conception
Parish will commemorate the one year anniversary of the closing of Wellsville’s
Catholic Church with a prayer service on Saturday, July 21. Although Diocesan officials do not permit
them inside their church, the service will be held within site of the very
building the Wellsville Catholics call home.
All former parishioners and the public are invited to join in
petitioning the Good Lord to unlock the doors and reopen the Immaculate
Conception Church.
ole nib
3 comments:
It's always sad when I read about my childhood parish having been closed. Memories I have that stand out are when Father Gerald came to be the pastor at the time the elementary was remodeled inside. I remember the whole parish came together, workmen donating their time to help with the construction, and how the last week before school was schedule to start an all out total effort was made and success of a job completed just in time for school to start. And I remember the Ox Roast celebration that was held afterwards. Good memories.
Hoping to see the support of our community this Saturday at 3:30 pm.
It's been a difficult year, having Immaculate Conception Catholic Church closed.
The appeal process takes a long time. We pray, wait patiently and continue our effotts to get the curch re-opened.
Please keep Immaculate Conception Church in your prayers.
Marc - We remember Fr. Curran fondly. He was his own boss when it came to running the ICC parish and wasn't always accepted by some of the parishioners. He just wouldn't kow tow to some of them and for that we considered him a man of his word when he stood up to what he thought was right.
May he rest in peace.
nib
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