Published: June 24, 2008 12:20 am            

NORTH TONAWANDA: Problems persist at churches

St. Albert the Great church is now called St. Jude the Apostle.

St. Joseph’s, also in North Tonawanda, held their last Mass Sunday and parishioners there will join members at Our Lady of Czestochowa beginning this week, and under the continued leadership of the Rev. Lou Dolinic.

Kevin Keenan, of the Buffalo Catholic Diocese, said the process of deciding what churches are closing or merging is done.

“That phase that began three years ago is complete,” Keenan said. “We’ve made all the parish announcements. The parishes are in a lot of different places right now.”

He said out of 33 mergers where the combined parish was given the option to change the name, 25 have done so, including St. Jude the Apostle, which had been called St. Albert the Great since its founding about 60 years ago.

A vote was held in early May in which three names out of an available six were chosen and sent to Bishop Edward Kmiec of the Buffalo Diocese for consideration.

The process and the way it was conducted caused some controversy.

Now the combined St. Joe’s, OLC parish will have to decide whether or not to take the same route.

The Rev. Ted Jost, who orchestrated the name change at the former St. Albert the Great parish, acknowledged the name change was never required as part of the overarching plan by the diocese, but said it ultimately was the choice of worshippers there.

A 19-member committee was created months ago and Jost said about eight individuals on that committee initially opposed to a change gradually dwindled to three.

More, however, felt the process didn’t include them.

“I think that really, as difficult as it is for folks, in the long run it was needed because there is just a natural feeling of inequity when two parishes merge,” Jost said.

Dolinic, former pastor of St. Joe’s and new pastor at OLC, was pleased with Sunday’s Mass and subsequent picnic to celebrate the church’s 61 years in North Tonawanda.

Many say they think a name change won’t likely occur for the new congregation at OLC.

Dolinic, in a church bulletin published in May, stated no desire to initiate such a change, but left the option open for a decision by members of the church.

“Although I understand the reasoning behind the idea, the initiative for a name change will not come from me, but from the people ... .”

Sunday’s Mass to honor the end of St. Joseph’s had a number of notable differences, Dolinic said, including a choir made up of members of both congregations, as well as the formal removal of the gospel book and altar stone in a procession from the church where worshipers were allowed to “reverence” the items.

Doves were released at the conclusion of ceremonies, and prior to a picnic.

“Everybody I think enjoyed it even though it was a sad occasion, it was a time to get together and look forward,” he said.

Problems persist after name change

As “A Journey in Faith and Grace” continues, many have taken exception.

Organizers with the Catholic Diocese, who cite a declining number of Catholics, declining population and a shortage of priests as providing the need for the shuffle, say local leadership has played a key role in the often painful process.

Some, however, simply couldn’t tolerate the way the changes were made.

Jack Seedorf and his wife, Mary Lou, left St. Albert’s shortly after Jost took over there. They then joined St. Joseph’s knowing it would soon close and will now make the change to OLC, although their pastor, Dolinic, will remain with them as part of that arrangement.

“We weren’t comfortable there anymore,” Jack said of St. Albert the Great. “The pastor of a church is the leader of the church and (Jost’s) directions and actions — we couldn’t handle it.”

Jost said he knows there have been problems, and said he thinks attention has fallen unduly on the negatives — such as his calling the police on one parishioner who walked up on the altar and attempted to speak as ceremonies were being conducted a couple of weeks ago.

That parishoner, Carmela Rybczynski, one of several members who are against the name change, said Jost had the church organist drown her out as she began to speak before he called police. Rybczynski was not charged, nor was she removed from the church.

Jost said he has never seen somebody attempt to speak during that part of the ceremony before, and “needed to take some action.”

Recently, 911 was called on account of an ailing parishioner, and several individuals say some confusion ensued when a dispatcher was told to respond to “St. Jude’s,” in North Tonawanda.

By all accounts, the confusion created by the new name was of little or no medical consequence, but it was enough to prompt Rybczynski to send a letter to the bishop.

On the other hand he said enrollment in church programs and the number of packed pews is up. Jost said 85 families from St. Joseph’s have signed up with his parish, and that, ultimately, the restructuring is working.

“There are just some people who want to point their finger and say “’ook, that’s why you shouldn’t have changed the name,’ ” he said. “There’s so much that’s positive that’s going on it’s a shame some people want to (dwell) on that. We’re still a place at 800 Niagara Falls Blvd., no matter what it’s called.”

Contact reporter Neale Gulleyat 693-1000, ext. 114.

        

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