Dear Editor,


On behalf of Catholics who are losing a mass, which we know will lead to the closure of the church, I ask if any of the people behind the curtain in Oz have actually talked to the people in the diocese.  

Have you spoken with the elderly parishioners who tell us they will not drive out of town to attend Mass? Many are no longer physically able to do so. They now face two heartbreaking choices: watching Mass alone on television while already struggling with loneliness, or leaving the Catholic parish they have faithfully attended for decades and joining another church in town. Other churches are welcoming them with open arms. These are choices our elderly faithful should not have to make.

Have you spoken with the business owners and restaurant operators in the towns that are losing Mass? They understand that fewer people gathering in town on weekends will have an impact. The regular routines that connect faith, family, and community life will be diminished, and local businesses will feel that loss as well.

Have you spoken with Catholics at all about how these decisions are affecting them?

Many of us are confused, hurt, and angry. We have churches that appear to meet the requirements for the future, and there seem to be enough priests available to celebrate the Masses currently being offered. At a time when families, employers, volunteers, and caregivers are continually asked to do more, it feels as though our Church is asking less of itself and offering less to its faithful. In a nation where the Catholic population continues to grow, why are opportunities to gather for worship being reduced?

Since no one has asked me, I will tell you how I feel.

I have remained faithful through difficult times in the Church. I have attended Mass regularly, formed lifelong relationships, taught religious education, shared in the Eucharist, participated in parish life, and prayed with my church family. This church is not simply a building to me—it is part of who I am.

Today, many of us feel as though something precious is being taken away. There are days when I struggle to breathe under the weight of knowing that my family, my community, and I may lose the church that has been such an important part of our lives. We are asking our leaders to see us, hear us, and understand what this loss means to the people in the pews.

So I ask: Will you find a way to preserve and strengthen the faith communities that have remained faithful, or will you allow them to fade away?

I send my prayers and goodwill to those making these decisions. I sincerely hope that the same care and concern are extended to the faithful whose lives will be changed by their decisions.

Sincerely,

Tressa Walton