November 7, 2003 - Response to recent Letters to the Editor of the
Salem News
To the Editor:
I write in response to a number of letters to the editor that have recently
been published in your newspaper regarding the closing of St. Mary’s
Parish, Salem. In many instances, the spurious charge has been leveled
that the Archdiocese of Boston closed St. Mary’s Parish in order
to be able to sell the property and pay off the legal settlement arising
from the clergy abuse crisis. The facts say otherwise.
St. Mary’s Parish was closed in January 2003 after a long process.
In 1999, the pastors of the Salem cluster recommended that St. Mary’s
be closed, but a later decision was made to delay the process. In October
2001, two months prior to the onset of the sexual abuse crisis in January
2002, Fr. Keohan, the pastor of St. Mary’s, came before the Archdiocesan
Presbyteral Council to discuss the closing of the parish. The reasons
at the time for this discussion, and the eventual reasons for the closing
of St. Mary’s Church were clearly laid out: the fact that there
were over seven Catholic churches that served the city of Salem, much
too may for the present needs of the Catholic population; the reality
of the decrease in the number of priests available to serve in these
parishes; the fact that number of parishioners, baptisms, weddings, and
funerals had dropped dramatically in St. Mary’s Parish over a number
of years; and the reality that the weekly parish collection could no
longer meet the financial needs of the parish. The process of closing
the parish continued over the course of 2002 with no positive signs of
things getting any better in the parish. By way of example, in the final
year (July 1, 2001 - June 30, 2002) of statistics available on St. Mary’s,
there were only 13 baptisms and 3 weddings in the parish. While the small
community that remained at St. Mary’s was a vibrant and faithful
group, the realities that the Church faced did not allow for the Archdiocese
to continue to maintain the parish.
It is absolutely understandable that members of that community would
be and continue to be upset and hurt at the loss of their parish. While
this letter may not eliminate those feelings, I hope it, at least, clarifies
this matter for them and for your readers.
Reverend Christopher J. Coyne
Spokesperson, Archdiocese of Boston
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