Rhode Island’s founding father, Roger Williams, famously said “God is too big to be housed under one roof.” But for plenty of Rhode Island families, one roof can house their relationship with God.
Often under the roof of a single church, entire families have celebrated life’s milestones for generations: baptisms, first communions, weddings and funerals — not to mention holiday traditions that people treasure all the more the less they change.
A parish church brings continuity to a community – in some cases, it defines that community. So closing one of them is a big deal.
West Warwick recently lost two.
“This is certainly sad news for those who love their parishes and have heroically supported them for decades,” said Bishop Bruce Lewandowski in a press release announcing the first in what’s expected to be a wave of closures and consolidations across the state.
Our Lady of Good Counsel and Saints Peter and Paul Church both served dwindling populations. The former reported fewer than 100 parishioners attending weekend Masses this year. Saints Peter and Paul saw only about 130 parishioners at weekend Mass, according to the Diocese of Providence.
“Both of those parishes had pastors who were retiring,” said Michael Lavigne, the secretary of pastoral planning for the Diocese. “We just didn’t have enough priests on the bench even to fill those two situations.”
Our Lady of Good Counsel — which old-timers still call Notre Dame — traditionally served French Canadian mill workers and their descendants.
“That was my church. I got baptized and made my sacraments there,” said Denise Cotnoir who lives in nearby Phenix Park. “I didn’t get married there, but made my sacraments there.”
She’s sad to see part of her childhood shut down.
“It is a loss,” Cottnoir said. “People put a lot of effort into their church and they love it. It’s sad to see these churches close.”
Bill Streeter, who runs William’s Barbershop down the street from Saints Peter and Paul, says he understands why these churches are closing.
“There aren’t as many people going to church,” he said. “In my years, every church was full— especially Saints Peter and Paul. I guess people are doing something else on Sunday mornings.”
It’s often said that a Diocese doesn’t close churches, parishioners do. Communities age. Kids move away. Or, maybe, they stop going to mass. Priests retire. And, these days, there are fewer seminarians to replace them.
Last year just two new priests were ordained in the whole Diocese of Providence.
The two parishes closed in West Warwick have both been absorbed by Saint Joseph’s Church, one of the town’s biggest parishes. The priest there already does double duty as pastor of Sacred Heart Church as well.
Many parishioners at St. Joseph’s are delighted to welcome their neighbors into the fold.
“It brings us closer together,” said Kathleen Sylvia. “More people can come here because they were scattered. Few here, a few there. So we can make it one big happy family.”
St Joseph’s now includes French Canadian, Italian, Irish, Portuguese, and Polish Catholics — communities that all used to have their own parishes. Now they worship together.
“We’re all Americans now — that’s the beauty of it,” said Francis Maguire, another longtime parishioner.
“We’ve had 300 people join our parish in the last three years — that’s unheard of in America today,” he said. “Father had to put on an extra Mass to take the overflow. So we’re flourishing. Thank God for that!”
The way he sees it, the West Warwick Catholic community is evolving. But it’s still strong.
