Nobody freak out and read what I am writing clearly: Resurrection Church – is not closing - at least not just yet.
Apparently, there was a meeting last week held by Father Farrell and it came out that Resurrection Church (constructed in 1953) may have to close their doors because of low attendance.
Ironically, this highly publicized meeting was not very well attended since they only publicized it in their bulletin.
At the meeting attendees discussed openly the problems with the parish and tried to figure out ways to possibly save the parish. A handout was passed around for people to submitted written answers to questions like “What are the greatest signs of vibrancy and life that you see in our parish?”. These questions and questions like it are to try to figure out a way to keep the church together. One of the main reasons why people felt was the cause of the lack of attendance was was the closing of Resurrection School. Many feel as though the decision “ripped the heart” out of the church and may be the eventual downfall of the church.
Ultimately the decision for Resurrection to close is up to the diocese and a decision is expected to be made sometime around September. The diocese will be looking at many factors like the solvency of the church, attendance, the building conditions, monies. Resurrection has all of those things going for them except for the attendance.
There are some things you can do to prevent this from happening: Resurrection is not asking for your money (although I’m sure they wouldn’t turn down your donation). However they are asking for your participation and attendance in your community church.
There are no easy answers, but here are a couple of suggestions:
A family mass – where we can bring our children without having to be sent to the "quiet" room. A mass where we won't get dirty looks if the kids make noise.
Don't penalize a baby for his or her parents trangressions. It's a shame we have to go elsewhere to have our babies baptised if the parents aren't married (I don't care to get into the morality of having children outside of wedlock here … but would Jesus really deny baptism to a child whose parents' aren't married? I think not.)
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Why have your baby baptized if you do not go to Church? That does not make sense to me.
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Who said we do not go to church? We just don't go to this church.
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So then go to your church & get the baby baptized! There that ends that!
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We did go to our church (Resurrection) initially … we now do not go to Resurrection because of their denial. We did have our baby baptized elsewhere, and are now members of that church. Too bad I pass Resurrection on the way to that church.
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If you want to have a baby without getting married that is your choice but don't think the church has to accept it.
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and that attitude right there is why attendance is down…resurrection may not have to accept it but other parishes will
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Again … I don't want to debate the morality of having a baby outside of wedlock. I will leave that to Jesus to judge not any man or any church. I know Jesus would not have shunned a child because of so called "sins" committed by his or her parents.
I wil not judge you and your beliefs either.
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I’ll bet that Jesus loves the baby.
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You’re an idiot. Check the spelling of your “name”. You can’t even get that right.
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That is not for you to judge-and that-in a nutshell-is why ALOT of people gave it up. Holier than thou, do as I say, not as I do judgemental pretend Catholics. gbproud, do you use birth control and still go to church? That wouldn't make sense either.
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I couldn't agree more with "WOW". I know a handful of parents who were "rejected" by Resurrection because they could not baptize their children due to certain circumstances. They then went to Good Shepherd who opened their arms. Why go to a Church that rejects your childrens' baptism under their roof??
And a family mass is an EXCELLENT idea. If these things were implemented I would consider changing to Resurrection and have my 2nd son baptized there. My 1st born was not baptized because they didn't offer baptisms during lent at the time.
And to Anonymous: I believe "WOW"s reply was simply to offer suggestions to Resurrection and help have a greater attendance. Ignorant comments like yours deter others from offering ideas and advice. She/He was simply trying to help out. Maybe you should do the same.
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i believe Good Shepherd has had a Sherpherd who leads and helps his flock, a true gentle understanding and caring man. Where as some parishes have, let's just say people with other ideas. Let's admit it people in the past, and I'm not saying now, there has been a winner or two leading this flock
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Call a spade a spade, Msgr. Fahey killed Resurrection parish.
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The man that everyone is talking about was a caring man he wanted desperately to save the school but could not. He had his idea of the way the church sould be run and that's the way he ran it. I am sorry he has disappointed and upset so many people but if you personnally went to him with a problem he tried to help, anyway he is gonme now and has been for sometime. And yes I had my problems with him too, my daughter went to Resurrection school. I was devestated when it closed but I did not go running to GS. As long as Resurrection is open I will be a parishioner there and hopefully my children and their children.
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I know for a fact Good Shepherd turned away a young couple ( several years ago) because she was pregnant. They married in another parish….good and bad in each place…
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Maybe it was the same person I know who was turned away and it was NOT because she was pregnant it was because she wanted her wedding on certain day at a certain time and Good Shepherd said this si when we do weddings, take it or leave it. They were right, they're not going to flip over backwards and change things.
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I can assure you they didn't care when the date/day was; it was because she was pregnant. doesn't matter now; parents are married for a number of years and very happy!
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How do you expect them to learn not to be noisey brats as you so lovingly say unless they are taught by coming to church and learn when to be quiet and to love Jesus.
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And I respect your desire to have peace and quiet while you worship … thus the idea of a family mass … where families can go to worship without bothering anyone.
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Or what about a childrens mass,as when many of us were kids?
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I remember you from SNL, “church lady”.
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I know who u are your a nasty old bitch, an a hypocrite I personally think from personal experiance evil!!
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I do agree with you on the Family Mass, but everyone is always welcome to attend Mass every week no matter what other people say. However, premarital sexuality is against the Catholic Church and if the parents have the intention of raising their child in the Catholic Church then they must set an example for their children.
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I could understand somewhat if there were financial problems as well as low participation. But this doesn't seem to be the case at this time, and as Gerritsen Beach is a unique community geographically, closing this church will only decrease the number of Catholics participating in the larger church community of Brooklyn.
Penalizing churches that have low attendance seems to be unfair, and hurtful to those who do participate.
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With out people to run programs and participating at church – there is no church community. We need people to keep this going.
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Resurrection is NOT going to close. The Diocese is doing a reconfiguration in which a number of factors are considered.
If Church attendance was better, that would help.
We have an income in the rental of the school. The finances of the parish are solid.
The Bishop will make a decision bt September.
Don't jump to conclusions.
Evangelize those who do not go to Church.
The meeting was advertized in the Church bulliten. There were 4 specific questions which were discussed as a part of the process.
The process was open to everyone, not many chose to attend.
It is funny to me that some are up in arms that "Resurrection may close," but Mass attendence is lacking, most families send their children to Good Shephard when our school was open, and only a few support the parish.
Let us pray for the Bishop as he makes difficult decisions for the future of the Diocese.
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Every parish in Brooklyn and Queens had this meeting and the same questions were asked everywhere. I gather the Bishop's Staff is on a fact finding mission and I would guess that Parishes that still have schools had better turn outs than the one's without.
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A church is nothing without the community. So Gerritsen Beach people what are you going to do? We need YOU!!! PLEASE COME BACK AND GIVE YOUR CHURCH A SECOND CHANCE. If you're not happy about something try speaking to Father Edwin, or Father Farrell. If you don't go, someday when you need the church it may not be there.
I know alot of you had problems with the way things where done before. But you need to give these new guy's a chance. AND TALK TO THEM, you may be suprised.
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If you are a catholic you should have no problems at any church. Show up for mass, tithe 10%, and follow the 10 Commandments. Amen.
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AMEN HUNTERGIRL!! We need everyone to get involved.
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I totally agree.Give your Parish another chance,help bring it back . Speak up but please come back.
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so of a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to see it does it make a sound?
If you put an announcment in the bulletin that no one reads does anyone know about it?
Did you contact gbnet to promote your meeting? I guess your fine with no one coming to the meeting.
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"People who do not attend obviously don’t care because they do not go."
gbproud, I strongly disagree with your observation.
The people who are parishioners at Resurrection and choose not to attend mass there are the very people that needed to attend this meeting. They would have expressed their reasons why they left our parish and perhaps their issues could have been addressed.
That's why the announcement of this meeting should have been widely circulated.
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I agree with trainman.
Besides disagreeing with the way they do things, there are a lot of people in GB who go to other churches because they have more convenient schedules than Resurrection.
I used to go to school all day on 2 week days & work the other 5 days (including all day Saturday & Sunday). When I tried to tell a priest who asked me why he hadn't seen me in awhile, his answer was that I should quit my job. Awesome way to support struggling parishioners!
I know people who go to St. Edmund's cause they have great heat & air conditioning.
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Are you kidding great heat and air conditioners? People who go to St. Edmunds go because their Children probably go to the school and if they don't go to that church they are fined an out of parish fee.
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People with no kids…
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If you know attendance is low and know that people who don't attend mass @ Resurrection why would you expect to fill the Church with people. If you are looking to bring people back to the Church then it should have been posted elsewhere as well as the
bullentin so that people could attend and have their voice heard.
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the main office in Rome should help it's children,not dump them because the cup is not full
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if rome wants to keep it open ,,,it's stays open
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They close down that church and it will be a temple in no time.
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no unfortunately not a temple but a mosque!!!
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I am sorry, but I see more skirts closer to my neighborhood than I see head wraps.
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They are looking for places to open a mosque in Sheepshead Bay. If any church closes I think they will jump on it the second they can.
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We should find out what works so well for Good Shephard & try to implement it at Resurrection. We all know it works very well for Good Shephard.
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Good Shephard has half our people, that's what works so well.
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Good Shepherd does not make it seem like they are only interested in your envelopes. They make people feel welcome, regardless of certain social situatations. I doubt Jesus Christ would tell an unmarried couple that he wouldn't baptize their child unless he sees envelopes coming in steady for a year. It also seems to me that Msgr. Fahey was the beginning of the end.
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I understand they might have 1/2 of our people BUT there is a RESON why they left that is what NEEDS to be implemented here!
If the people of this congragation are not happy with the way it is being run then they will move on obv they have and are continuing to do so.
If the church does not realize that there people are unhappy with the house hold they should make them feel more comfortable like the other churches do. If the church (Resurrection) can become more warm and inviting again I'm sure the people will come back!
Maybe having a later mass would help. Along with some other changes it seems!
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Shame on this reporter. This is sensational journalism at it's best.
Every parish in the Brooklyn Diocese is being evaluated by the Bishop and was asked to hold one of these meetings so that the Pastor could report back to the bishop's staff. This is not an issue that is only effecting Resurrection.
Let's face it – the number of Catholics in Brooklyn has dropped significantly. And so has the number of Catholics attending mass each week. Does it make sense both financially to have all these half empty buildings open each week? Or should the finances even be considered?
Does it make sense spiritually? The number of priests in the diocese has also dropped significantly. Can the priests adequately serve the parishes? What does it do to the spirit of a catholic to worship in a half empty building where there is a feeling of a dying parish? Wouldn't it be better to travel the extra mile to a vibrant community?
And finally, look at the neighborhood. Are the people supporting the parish or the school? Frankly if my children were attending school in another parish – that's where I would go to mass as well.
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I attended the meeting last week in Resurrection. I do agree with some of the comments made here. It should have been made known in other areas as well as the bulletin. Some of the same comments voiced here were voiced at the meeting (example: people going to GS because of difficulties with PAST Pastors…)Again this was mentioned at the meeting. One thing that wasn't mentioned was that Resurrection, specifically, was going to close. Yes it was mentioned of the down Mass attendance, and about Resurrection parishioners attending GS. It was also mentioned about combining different parishes. The decision will be made in Sept. Resurrection has a lot going for it …(its solvent, buildings are in good shape, an active sports program and other things….) As far as it becoming a temple I hope not; and I think Good Shepherd is the changing neighborhood by far for a temple. So, people, start trying to save YOUR parish….attend Mass, Volunteer and maybe support with a little money!
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The 600-lb. gorilla in the room–if the Church were not the Church, but another community organization with the same scandal that has been reported and proven many times over, would anyone join the Church except out of family habit? Spiritual folk have found other places to go outside the Catholic Church and all parishes suffer from the taint of the continuing abuse scandal. The weaker parishes suffer more.
Good Shepherd had the newly retired Msgr. Brady in charge for many years and he did create a different atmosphere from Resurrection. There was a criminal incident in the parish some years ago and he was goaded by a loaded question from the media on justice. All he said was, I'm glad they caught they caught the guy and nobody got hurt. Does Resurrection's pastor send the same message?
And, the rent from the private school should be floating the ark, unless they are mismanaging it or have other expenses that no one knows about. Other than insurance, light, heat, water bill, maintenance, and a few salaries, and assuming there's no real estate tax, they should be in the black or raise the rent when the lease it up.
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There is no question, the previous Monsignor had a narrow, impatient and seemingly unforgiving attitude. This was part of the problem in the decline in parishioners at Resurrection Church. He was only human, and expressing what he had believed was Church doctrine. I know of a few families who had encounters regarding Baptism of a child. Not only did they walk away when turned down by the Monsignor, they went to Good Shepard, and were told, a call of forewarning had been made to further prevent the Baptism. Regardless, the children were baptized at Good Shepard.
As for Brooklyn Q, "this is sensational journalism at it's best"… What is being reported is important to the people who make up Resurrection Parish. Reading beyond the headline, the reporter made clear that a study is being made by the Diocese. Just reading the many "pray, in case this may be done, and pray, it is in the best interests, and pray, even if your church is one that must close, is enough to concern anyone who can read. Had he added, how can they be trusted in light of the drain on each parish for money to pay off the deeds of the errant priests, it would have been 'sensationalism'.
Unfortunately, the Church is in need of younger men (and maybe it's time for women in the priesthood) to add some energy to the role of the priesthood. What cannot be over stated is the demographic changes that have come over New York. New York has always been a constantly changing city, which from time to time has been dominated by one ethnic group or another, or one religion or another. If the people in this parish want to keep their church–which they built and paid for brick by brick–it's time they go to church and take their children with them.
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The “seniors” knew about the meeting. They were the ones that were there. They go to church & read the Bulletin & The Tablet. So the headline did not cause any hearts to stop or skip a beat.
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Thanks for interpreting all those hidden messages for me! I had no idea I was so naive to not realize them.
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i went to resurrection until i started talking to mgnsr fahey. then i stopped. but attendence is down at all churchs
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I think the reason why that the diocese is thinking about closing Ressurection beacuse of low attendance. The low attendance is because Msgr. Fahey asked for monel aloth and told people whos child is crying to go outside. But Msgr. Fahey is gone Fr. Farrell and Fr. Edwin don`t ask much and if Ressurection gets turn into a temple that is going to shut down so the fact is Ressurection needs people or else Gerritsen Beach will get more housing,strip malls,and etc.
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in my opinion, if THIS church wants to improve attendance they should reach out to the community…they should perhaps attend most of or all gb community activities…like the parades, clean ups, octoberfest, and halloween-thats a start…just having a friendly presence i think would change the current reputation of the church which is not so great right now
a personal experience of mine is i wanted to say my wedding vows in church(i was already legally married)…i thought it would be nice to say our vows and then christen my newborn son-Resurrection didnt think it was a good idea so my husbands parish in staten island preformed the "celebration of the family" service for us-it was lovely, but i was sad i couldnt say my vows where my parents did and baptize my son where i was. My next child i didnt even try resurrection, i went straight to good shepherd
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I agree however we only have 2 priests doing all the work. They are trying, did you notice they were at the Little League Parade. Give them a chance you have to meet them half way.
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Fr. Farrell & Fr. Edwin DO attend GB activities, whenever possible. But they are only 2 priests, with a lot of duties. There are many things that the people of the parish could volunteer to do. If more people volunteered a few hrs. a wk. or even a month, that would make their work load a lot lighter.
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But they only want certain people. I know alot of people who have tried to volunteer for various things, and have never been accepted
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Catholicism is a belief, a FAITH. Church or mass is in my opinion merely a business that allows the faithful to express their faith. I personally choose to go to mass. Like any business you have to put on a good show or no one will come. Most aspects of todays mass do not appeal to young people except for those of great faith. A charismatic pastor/priest can change that. Lets face it mass is slow paced, music is outdated, and many a sermon in many parishes are just pointless and not tailored to young peoples lives. Young people, thats where the money is, thats who the mass should try to capture. I go to a parish that does this, seating on Sunday is limited unless you come early, it can be done. Resurrection should try to change who it appeals to and Im sure it will be fine. It is a beautiful church.
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I heartily disagree. Prior to Vatican II, Masses were filled to capacity with entire families. Granted, the world has changed, but attendance began falling off dramatically when such monumental change came about. When people began to see previously inflexible rules change, going to Mass and Catholicism in general was taken considerably less seriously.
I love the traditions and dignity of the Mass. I love that I can walk into any Catholic church anywhere in the world and participate. I can't stand gimmicky Masses for entertainment value. Are we all three years old?
If you look at the changing face of South Brooklyn, which group's religious presence has remained steady for generations- Orthodox Jews, whose observance is as traditional and inflexible as can be.
Having family Masses where those with children may feel welcome (& those without may avoid) are a great idea. A more Protestant eye toward fellowship following Mass may make parishioners, particularly younger members, feel more included. Outreach for Parish organizations is always a good idea but changing the religion should never even be considered. I firmly believe it's what got us in this mess in the first place.
I should mention that Resurrection is no longer my parish but my current parish is addressing these same concerns.
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With all due respect, in bringing up Vatican II, you are placing yourself as part of an older generation. Obviously the ultra-conservative approach doesnt work anymore, as the world changes so must the church. Good Shepherd does so well because the priests for the most part have always been charismatic, the same goes for Fr. Jamie in Mary Queen of Heavan and Fr. Matonti in St Columba. These are priests that know how to talk to other people. Maybe Im a product of the times but I dont feel like I need to be in the company of other people to validate my beliefs, nor do I need to wear my religous orientation on my sleeve. I can pray anywhere. When I go to church I like to feel like not only did I celebrate the Eucharist (which you are right you can do anywhere) but I learned something, or better yet learned more about myself. I dont need to be entertained, but if I can see mass celebrated anywhere, why not go where the experience will be good? As catholics we are raised with "guilt", a poor experience at mass doesnt have to be a penance, it can be uplifting, if your are not going to church I encourage you all to seek a church that will fill your needs. Remeber it doesnt have to bore you to death.
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If you want to see a neighborhood parish that is thriving come to Mary Queen of Heaven on any Sunday especially the 10 AM children's mass. Monsignor Jamie is an excellent pastor and he has done a great job with the parish esp. as the population becomes more diverse.
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I agree that a vibrant parish is something to aspire to but I don't care for any dog and pony show nonsense. My own pastor shows so little interest in the parishioners that I rarely attend Mass at my parish.
As far as I'm concerned, the Mass itself is inviolate. There's no reason why there can't be plenty of other parish activity before, after and at other times. I know it does work at other parishes.
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I feel sad to hear the Resurrection may close. I don't go to mass because the whole thing pretty boring to me. The folks there can tend to be a bit odd. I would go if a little life was breathed into it, alas I am not willing to do it. I will grieve the passing.
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Yes, some people were turned away from the church by the past pastor. But, Fr. Farrell has been at our parish for a few years now. He has done wonderful things for our parish and will always be willing to talk to you on any issue. The Catholic Church has certain rules regarding the way that things should be done and some parishes can "let certain things slide" which shouldn't be done according to the Cathecism of the Catholic Church. For those of you that turned away from your faith, please find your way back and we hope to see some of you in the weeks to come. We need to go through this process TOGETHER. Also, all parishes have to go through this process as a means of evaluation for each parish. As others said, we are lucky to be a finacially stable parish and have some of the best programs and events. Try to make a difference in this parish and find ways to bring others to our parish and help our parish to grow. Thanks
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As a life time member of Resurrection Parish and Gerritsen Beach, I have to say that I am very disappointed in the people of this community. Everyone of you that has stated a certain person has chastised you for bringing children to church and then left should be ashamed of yourself. Resurrection is in the situation it is in not because of him but because YOU had let one man run you out. No matter who is up on that alter it is STILL YOUR CHURCH All I have to say now is he has been gone for a few years and the issues you bring up are no longer relevant. So come back to your community church and see the difference.
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it's not that easy. when one person who is seen as the representative of the church turns you away, or makes you feel like garbage, you are not going to return. to be lectured by some one who is unfamilier with family life or out of touch with the midern world is not going to make some one come back week after week.
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no but you as I said the past is the past!
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But it seems like nothing has changed. Its the holier than thou attitude that turns people off. We are all children of God, and therefor should all be treated equally. If someone got pregnant out of wedlock, and they want to baptize their child, they are at least trying to do the correct thing by bringing the child to God. And doesn't God teach us to forgive? Then why won't "our" parish forgive these people who have made a "mistake" in judgement. If that baby wasn't meant to be, then why did God put it here?
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The fact is that people were made to feel uncomfortable and unwanted. To expect some one to forget that or to forgive an establishment that did not offer forgiveness is not really logical.
When parents wish to baptize a baby or be married in a church and are told that it is impossible to do so for some reason (pregnant out of wedlock, parents are not married, one has been divorced), why should the church be forgiven and given a second chance when one wasn't offered? people ae made unwelcome and feel rejected.
On top of this, what about the baby? the church would not offer a sacrament to an infant because of the parents. all the church did was lose a parishioner.
The sad fact is that a lot of people are gone for good
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I personally would not return to Resurrection unless some changes are made. Everyone should be treated equally. Isn't in the Bible "Do Unto Others as you would have done to you." ?Well, I guess unless you are in the group of a few select families that "run" the church and all its activities and reign over all, you and your children are nothing. The first thing they need to do is stop people who run certain aspects of the church and its activities, and allow others who want to do things in. Maybe if we weren't so rejected and unwanted because maybe we weren't born and raised in GB, there would be more families attending church here instead of other parishes. Like I have said before, treat everyone equally. Nobody in this world is better than anyone else. You want more attendance, listen to the people as to why they have left.
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In response to Brian on Aprial 28. The money from the school is what is keeping the church going right now. What the church needs know is for the people to come back and bring the attendance up. We have two wonderful priests that are trying their hardest to revitalize the church. Again I say give them a chance come and check out a mass or two. Spirituality can be found in Catholic churches.
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Why is no one referring to Msgr fahy by name?! It's creeping me out.
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Everyone first of all needs to stop fighting over this board. It's immature and won't help anybody prove their point. Resurrection is in danger of closing because for some reason many people have suddenly come to the conclusion that they don't have to go to church every week— like it's not necessary. God will still love you if you do or don't go to Church, but in order to properly fulfill your obligations to your church, you need to go every week, not just be a Christmas and Easter Catholic and then complain when the Church is in danger of closing because of low attendance. With that said, our Church is in need of attracting new parishioners, especially the younger generation. The main thing we can all do is pray and show our support by practicing what we preach.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I used to go to Resurrection until I found out how phoney they all are. Father Farrell has marched in parades, then stood in the Knights hall drinking liquor and smoking in front of little kids. That is not quite the example of a priest that kids should see. What is done in private is no ones business, but in front of kids, very bad example.
Also, Mrs. Parente, I know she does alot for the Religion program, but she is extremely nasty and unfeeling to both the parents and the children. The only few that she is nice to are her own little personal group that she likes. Anyone else cannot get anywhere with her, or have their children be involved in anything. She constantly picks the same few parents and kids for everything, that is why we left. My kids all made their communions at Good Shepard, and we will stay there as long as that mean nasty person is allowed to treat people the way she does. She DOES NOT practice what she preaches!
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Dear Former Attendee
Did you or a family member ever have a drink or smoke in front of your kids or any kids. Are parents not to be looked up to as role models or held to the same standards as a priest? So "Former Attendee", just because you drink, get drunk or smoke in "private" and in front of your children makes it ok. Who is the hypocrite or "PHONY" here.
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angela Parente has been running religous ed for 20 + years. How many people donate that kind of time & talents that you know of. Maybe she picks the same people to do things because their dependable. Go up to religion on a monday night and you will see the same parents volunteering week after week. Most parents drop their kids off at the curb and come back an hour later. Alot of parents don't even get their kids to mass or get a card signed. Of all the kids she taught how many still come back to mass after confirmation. After putting in the kind of work she does that would be enough to discorage me, but she goes on. My ex-wife was'nt taking my sons to religion. When my sons came to live with me she personnally caught them up ontheir lessons so they could receive their sacraments. She cares about what she's doing. She's not nasty, she,s just serious about what she does .THANK YOU ANGELA for all you do. You too Theresa.
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Maybe then its time for her to retire, she is still iving in a time over 20 yrs ago and hasn’t caught up to present day
Thank you for your years of service but its time to move forward and not stay still
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Why don’t YOU volunteer to do Angela’s job??? Then she CAN retire & “move forward”!!!!
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Volunteer ????? its a paid postion, just check with the Doicese
I think some people will help with the move if needed
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i don’t drink or smoke in front of my children. Whats done in private is done in private. I just feel this is something children need to know about at such a young age. And I don’t think there is a need for a priest who is supposed to be showing the utmost example of how to live to drink liquor and smoke in front of small children.
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Did people really leave their parish because they were asked to take their screaming kids outside during mass? It's common courtesy to take a screaming child outside whereever you are. The noise is disruptive to everyone and allowing it to continue is just disrespectful to everyone who can hear.
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I was once at mass at St Coulmba, a baby screamed, the mother went to remove the baby from the church and from the altar Fr Motanti stopped her. He told her the baby is a member of this parish, we love her voice. Now talk about making people feel comfortable!
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I also had the same thing happen to me at St.Columba church the Father told me the kids voices were music to his ears which was very nice, but like someone said you do take a screaming or crying child out of anywhere for common courtesy.
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You should go back then because many priests have been prosecuted for that horrible crime.
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You are 100 percent right Michael. Did anybody notice in the financial report that the diocese of Brooklyn paid 12 million dollars out because of pedophile priests? Six million from insurance and six million out of pocket. The worst criminals in the world were protected by the Catholic church and the vatican. History will not look kindly on the Catholic church and this era. A large amount of priests were pure evil. I believe this is the main reason churches and schools are closing.
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A crime no doubt, luckily the priesthood is not the center of the religion. The Catholic church will go on.
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Without the priesthood, you cannot have eucharist.
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How ignorant.
Catholics are not the only religious group being hit with these types of lawsuits.
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They have the most lawsuits by far.
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You’re right! But we are the only religious group being put in the spotlight….
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Because they don’t have lawyers and politicians in their back pocket.
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Let the priests marry & these crimes will be greatly reduced. It would also help with the shortage of good young men who would like to join the priesthood but know they have HEALTHY desires.
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there are married pedophiles too!!!
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anon what is your point then? Is all hope lost? There are priests that dont moles children too!!!!
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my point? It is that pedophiles are in all walks of life; some are married, some are single….not all priests are pedophiles and not all pedophiles priests!
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Rabbi’s are married and they have the same problem
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Not to the same extent. Also there is no Rabbi shortage. Let the Priests marry & have natural release for thier basic human needs.
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I am sorry about the low attendance in our local churches, (St. James included) but they do not give their congregations what they need.
When I was young I came out of church high as a kite (not drugs, never used them at any time) with good feeling, knowing that I was one of God's children, loved by a kind and loving and forgiving God. I have not felt like that in any church for many years. I found my faith again in my home. I need no man or woman to speak to God on my behalf. I can do than on my own.
The subject of priests molesting children is horrific but it is not only in the Catholic church where this abuse takes place. The shame of Rome is the way they buried it to protect the church. In the long run they made a terrible mistake. They have lost catholics by the millions, money and respect of their own congregations and they are still trying to cover it up. The news in the past few weeks shows that they have learned nothing.
Religion is a personal faith. I don't believe in organized religions, Catholic, Protestant or Muslim. Organized religions haved caused more havoc, death and destruction than any war.
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anonymous your observation of religion is as close to mine as can be. I also think we need a physical entity to congregate
and to bring order and meaning to structure our religion. I think baptism, communion and confirmation or necessary to introduce our young to a moral sense of life. I always said if we just followed one of the 10 Commandments then Heaven would be a place we live in now. The commandment is:
Do unto Others As You Would Have Them Do unto You.
Everything else is redundant.
Oh, one more thing. The people who think that if priests were able to marry than we would not have any problems with pedophilia in the church. From what I understand a pedophile who marries is not cured. If it was that simple a lot of psychoanalysts be out of business. It’s a known fact that pedophiles seeks out positions of power that work closely with children. Like Boy Scout volunteers, gym teachers and also priests. I never understood when news surfaced about the problems with pedophilia and the subsequent cover-up, the lack of anger displayed by parishioners was disturbing to me.
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There was an article in the NY Times last week about a popular priest in South America who has just been accused of abuse by several young men. The people in the parish are very angry with the accusers. It’s amazing. I guess it’s the way some people can be blinded by religious ferver, I think it’s dangerous to be so brainwashed and never had any taste for it myself. They’re all cults. Imagine no religion………..
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As a semi-practicing A & L (Advent & Lent mostly) Catholic it seems simple to me what needs to be done.
1) Go to mass as often as possible
2) Contribute as much as you can afford.
3) If you have kids get them to religious instruction and see that they get their sacraments on time.
4) Encourage young adults to at least consider a religious vocation.
5) Participate in as many church functions & organizations as possible.
The Catholic church is like many other large organizations in that they have some bad people & have made mistakes in the past but they still have lots of good people & they still do good work in many places, especially amongst the poor in third world nations.
6) Oh yeah a bit of prayer couldn't hurt.
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I have a friend who proclaims herself to be a grocery store Catholic – she takes what's convenient and leaves the rest on the shelf.
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Please register….
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I can remember in the 60's and 70's they posted the names of the families that gave the most in the collection basket. The list was in the back of the Church. I don't know if it was weekly or for Christmas. This was a turn off, even though I was only a kid. The biggest turn off was protecting and transferring pedophile priests.
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I use to attend the church in bergen beach an the preist would tell the parisoners that instead of going out to eat or to a movie they should but it in the weekly envelope. I was very turned off by that but the mass was always overflowing.
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That's it jumping ship over to St. James. Though a temple wouldn't hurt property valves will go through the roof. Maybe GB can be the next Holy Land.
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But you'll finally get your traffic light.
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Here's a plan…how about everyone that commented on this post goes to Mass every week and prays that their efforts will help the parish!
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Everyone is talking about how the people left for other churchs meanwhile Easter Subday 11:00 mass was briming with people you couldn’t get a seat even with the loft open. So where are these people everyweek??? Obviously not at other churches cause on a holiday is when you wanna be at your church the most.
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very true
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At a mass like Easter look around, Ill bett even though the church is full, many of the people you wont even recognize from the neighborhood. Alot of people “go To chucrch with grandma”, loads of visitors. And the rest wouldnt go to church on a regullar week regardless of the church, the priest, the parish
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Almost every face was recognizable from the GB neighborhood. So if they wouldn’t go on a reg week why bother at all??? For that matter why is midnight Christmas eve mass jammed also noone is visiting their grandmas then!!
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That is simply not true. Ive been to many holiday masses at Resurrection and always note how many people are fom the beach. Ive been here my entrie life. And….unless they are hiding under woodchips….there are many unrecognizable faces. Many sitting with recognizable ones…I assume they are extended family of beach residents.
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if there are 60 people at a reg Sunday mass and 300 people on a holiday how many people are they bringing??? Please!!! Don’t make excuses for the neighborhood people who only know God on high mass holidays!! Every person that I saw om Easter I see every Sunday an all they had with them was their family that is with them every week. Really when u go visiting your family at 9 0r 11 am church is where u wanna go?
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Frequently, we DO meet at church. OCCASIONALLY we have out of town guests. Especially on Christmas many peoples tradition is to meet at 5pm mass and then have dinner, or even meet at the midnight mass (Resurrection does not have anymore). Now no doubt GB COULD fill Resurrection, but I wonder what the number of current registered parishoners is, rather than debating this semanticaly.
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when I am putting my weekly enevlope in all I see in the baskets are dollar bills so it seems like noone is registered. I wasn’t talking about 5 o’clock mass. Every face that I saw in Esater Sunday mass in from this neighborhood! Not only were there phony asses in church but they were also on the communion line. I WAS THERE an SAW the same people u see at keyfood the library the park littering outside the bars when I drive by…you know nrighborhood people!!!
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I wasnt at that mass so ill have to take your word for it
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phony asses? there's that 'holier than thou' judgemental attitude!
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believe me I am not holier then thou…but I am realistic. If you don't go to church on a reg basis an never grace confession then you most certainly do not belong on the communion line. So if Good Shepard condones that then they are revising the rules of the church, no?
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Honestly gbgirl, you dont know what people do, you dont know if they may go to another church, it is very unfair of you to judge people like that. If YOU truly claim to be Catholic, your words rught now dont reflect that attitude. We the faithful will all be judged someday, probaly not by gbgirl though…….
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Honestly we all judge people, do we not? All I am saying is that almost everyone said they prefer a different church so why are the holidays so filled. And yes weren't all we catholics brought up to believe that we had to have sbsolution before we could recieve?
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Yes but who put you in charge of deciding who has absoultion and who does not?
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Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
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Only a priest? What about our Lord Jesus Christ?
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Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
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gb girl or church lady?
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100% gbgirl….30 with kids and also not there every single week but someone from my household always is representing for us.
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This is not the forum for a problem like this; if your sister thinks she was violated she should contact the diocese and district attorney.
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This doesn't belong here !!!!!
If she doesn't remember any abuse then how do you know anything may have happened, maybe its in her mind.. Maybe she is losing her mind
I don't remember him being around in the 50s, maybe he was but I don't remember him from then.
Again this doesn't belong here and maybe someone needs to see a doctor
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She should see a doctor, one who can hypnotize her and bring repressed memories to the surface. She should then see a lawyer. I can't believe after all the scandel that we have seen and are still seeing come out, that you would right away say that this woman is losing her mind. Thats how victims are victimized a second time. When no one believes them, or when things are covered up and abusers are simply moved somewhere else. It's a terrible thing to carry abuse around with you your whole life, it's well documented that these experiences are so traumatic that they are often repressed. The truth will set you free! I hope that she has the courage to find it, whatever it may be.
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there are no reputable doctors who can hypnotize people. And how about victimizing some one by making a completely unsubstantiated claim?
I've alwas like the comments mon this site, but to commpletley let this horrible statement go through is criminal. And i mean really it's libel.
I might as well say danny cavanagh molests little rabbits
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It's true that this woman needs follow-up to explore if she was indeed molested but this is not the place for it. First of all, did the OP even ask her if it was all right to divulge something so personal on a message board full of strangers? Why give this such public attention if you really have no idea whether or not anything actually happened.
I hope that this will be followed through professionally and privately before accusations are made. If there is any indication that something did happen, it should be brought to the proper authorities. I don't really know what kind of closure can be expected 50 years after the fact but I hope that she'll at least get the answers she's looking for.
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SERIOUSLY, THIS DOESN'T BELONG HERE AT ALL . People CAN trust priests
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Slandering a reputation based on a hazy 50 yr. old memory is despicable. Your opinion regarding the Church and the good people who have done so much for so many because of a small percentage of deviants is absurd. By your logic, you might as well burn down all the synagogues and summer camps and round up all Boy Scout leaders because I can guarantee that wherever you find children, you'll find perverts waiting for an opportunity to take advantage of them. The mistake is in blaming the many for the actions of a few.
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Well said and don't forget to close down all the schools, since teachers are reportedly now having sex with their students
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What does, what may or may not have happened 50 years ago have to do with the topic of the church closing or its failure to keep people. The truth is if it did happen and I pray it didn't for the victim's sake, it still has nothing to do with the present day and recent failures. What may or may not have ocurred in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, when the church was full every week, has absolutely no bearing on what has been happening over the last few years.
Could this just be someone deflecting the truths spoken about the failures and unhappiness that many have experienced with someone
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Everyone is WELCOME in any parish. If the parish does close (which is highly unlikely), then people should feel comfortable to attend Mass ANYWHERE.
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