If you close church, school will follow

Dolores Palmer, of Hudson, Fl. , formerly of North Camden and Cramer Hill

Mt. Ephraim: Sacred Heart Church Celebrating 70th Anniversary

If you close church, school will follow

http://www.nj.com

To the Editor:

I'm writing in regard to the planned closing of Most Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic Church in Deptford Township. It's a very sad thing. It affects so many people young and old.

I was married in that church in 1960, so I have been there for quite awhile.
I don't believe that Diocese of Camden Bishop Joseph Galante thought through the closing of this church very thoroughly. First, St. Patrick's Church in Woodbury (into which Most Holy Reedemer and St. Matthew's Church in National Park are to be merged) doesn't have sufficient parking spaces to accommodate three parishes.

The steps in front of St. Patrick's are very steep. The school there was closed for lack of students. They were sent, with the St. Matthew's students, to a combined school that now operates at the Holy Redeemer site.

We have a very nice regional school that accommodates students from all three sites. There is room to add on to the school, if this is needed in the future.

I read in the paper that the Holy Reedemer church, once closed for regular worship, would be made available for the schoolchildren to go to Mass on holy days. You mean to tell the people that the diocese will keep up the maintenance on the church, such as heat, electricity and whatever else it needs? Isn't the bishop defeating his purpose? Why close the church down, then?

I think that when the church closes, the school won't be far behind. Then what?

The bishop only wants to keep churches open that bring in large amounts of money and to close the rest. The churches that are bringing in the most money are not closing or merging.

If this regional school closes, where will the children be bused to? Wake up, people. All this closing and merging isn't for our benefit.

Most Holy Redeemer has a lot of new people, younger ones with new ideas. We have everything at this church, including a school, rectory and convent. Why close it when we have everything there already?

JOAN McCONNELL

Westville Grove

NOTE: This letter originally appeared in the Gloucester County Times, http://www.nj.com