Churches throughout the 8-county diocese have filed appeals in protest of Bishop Richard Lennon's decision to close or merge parishes in what the Church is calling a "reconfiguration". Urban areas like Cleveland, Akron and Lorain have borne the brunt of the closings --- a reflection of population shifts, a declining number of available priests, and various money concerns. Marika Megymori of St. Emeric's on Cleveland's near westside argues that her parish has imported a priest from Hungary, is financially in the black and has a vibrant parish community.
MARIKA MEGYMORI: Don't tell me that we don't have enough parishioners, we don't have enough money, our buildings are in disrepair and we don't have a priest --- those things are not true.
The Diocese has declined to comment on the specific reasons for closing or combining individual parishes. In a written statement yesterday, a spokesman said "the Bishop has received letters of appeal and will be responding to them within 30 days of their reception." He added that any appeals must be well-grounded and they generally succeed only under unusual circumstances.
