Where Have All The Flowers Gone?

I should probably start this post by explaining that I used the word "Flowers" in the above title as merely a play on words. Depending on when you were born, most of us might look at this familiar title and immediately reflect back on the popular song by Earth, Wind & Fire back in 1972. But, in this case, the "Flowers" I'm referring to are Catholic churches and schools. So, the question I'm really asking is... "Where Have All The Catholic Churches & Schools Gone?" And, more importantly, I want to know why they have abandoned the inner-city in particular.

Hallowed grounds in many Philadelphia neighborhoods are not what they used to be. Many Catholic churches are being left vacant, put up for sale, and in some cases, converted into condominiums. More secular than perhaps ever before, the city's population is now witness to a sell-off of places of worship by many denominations, but most notably the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

According to a recent statement by one real estate consultant who prefers to remain annonymous, the Archdiocese has about 20 buildings up for sale right now. In addition to churches, many of the city's Catholic schools are now closed and sitting vacant as well. In somes cases, they have been sold and torn down to make way for something else. But, there's also a nasty little rumor going around that more Catholic schools are actually being built in the suburbs.

One observer of the city's churn toward fewer religious sites, said the fabric of certain neighborhoods have been torn loose by such sell-offs. "These buildings aren’t just a building, said Patrick Hildebrandt, facilitator of The Philadelphia Church Project. The PCP is a website that focuses on religious architecture in decline. "They are a living history, of a person, a family, and a neighborhood... to take away one of these buildings is to take away from the fabric of the community.”

The Church of the Assumption on Spring Garden Street is the most prominent example: The city Historical Commission voted on September 10th to permit demolition of the twin-steeple building, which Cardinal John Neumann helped consecrate in 1854. "Every denomination in the city is suffering the same issue," said Bob Jaeger of Partners for Sacred Places, a national non-profit organization that helps maintain historic religious properties.

It also seems that North Philly has been hit the hardest by church closings, especially Catholic churches. Lux Rivera, along with her husband, owns and operates a laundromat on Diamond Street. She attended St. Boniface Catholic Church at Diamond and Hancock streets for eight years before it was shut down. Rivera is pictured above with the now vacant church in the background. When it closed, items from the interior were either sold or given away.

Rivera said her daughter's godfather purchased the church's Stations of the Cross for $100 at a parish sidewalk sale and Rivera had a new door to her home crafted from its wooden pews. It's very sad that the church closed," said Rivera. She now attends Mass at a Catholic Spanish chapel located at 19th & Spring Garden Streets.

Anyone who knows me, should also know that I'm actually Baptist... and I have no intention of converting to Catholicism anytime soon. So, you might be wondering why I even care about all of this because I'm not Catholic. Well, I work for a religious organization and I'm actually no stranger to the fact that "traditional-style" neighborhood churches of all denominations seem to be in trouble these days. Many of them are struggling financially due to lack of membership, and some of them are literally dying. The so-called "mega church" seems to be the big draw for many people these days. Personally, I feel that the tide may do a 360-degree turn on that some time in the future, but that can be another post for another day.

I confess that my primary interest in this story centers around the closing of so many Catholic schools in Philadelphia. And no, I didn't go to Catholic school when I was growing up... I actually attended public school. But, it's no secret that the state of public education in our fair city and many other inner-cities around the country is deplorable. For many years, generations of families made the necessary sacrifices to meet the financial commitment and chose to send their children to Catholic schools so they could get a better education. Now that this option has disappeared from most of our neighborhoods, what are parents to do if they can't send their children to charter or private schools?

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has explained that Catholic schools within the city are closing because "they can no longer afford to keep them open". As much as I would like to believe that, I can't help but wonder why they don't have the money to keep an existing school open, but they do have the money to build a new school elsewhere? I know people who live in the more economically affluent areas surrounding Philly and my sources tell me that the rumors about new Catholic schools going up in the suburbs are true. So, you do the math... it seems to me that they have consciously and deliberately decided to abandon the inner-city for "greener" (mo' money) pastures.

Meanwhile, the neighborhood children left behind when these schools close their doors can't even pray for things to get better while class is in session, thanks to a woman by the name of Madalyn Murray O'Hair. She was an atheist who is best known for the Murray vs. Curlett lawsuit, which led to the landmark Supreme Court ruling ending prayer in American public schools in 1963. Ironically enough, she was eventually murdered along with two other members of her family in 1995. Well Madalyn (wherever your soul is right now), class ended for me a long time ago and I succeeded in spite of your efforts to remove God from my public learning environment. So, this is my prayer for all public school students on this day...

Almighty God: Please make a way for the educational needs of our children to be met, in spite of any difficulties and inadequacies they may face in the days to come. We know that, no matter what the circumstance or situation, they will never be forgotten or overlooked by You, Heavenly Father. Amen.