AccountDeleted Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/22/abandoned-churches_n_3954972.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003 Here is just a sample (more on the link) An abandoned church in Pennsylvania is filled with construction detritus below the graceful arches. Though the stained glass still shines brightly, this Pennsylvania church is in a sad state of disrepair. An abandoned Catholic school in France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tab'le De'Bah-Rye Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 wonderful, hopefully someone rich renovates them and uses them as a hall,museum,art house or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quietfire Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 They're closing churches around here too. So sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfink Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Do you have sources on these images? I want more. ^_^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloysius Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 they're on the huffington post article, and there are more there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 They're closing churches around here too. So sad. Don't be sad, this is just one of the enormous fruits of the post-Conciliar era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfink Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 (edited) Don't be sad, this is just one of the enormous fruits of the post-Conciliar era. And certainly wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that many rural areas in the US (and probably abroad) are becoming completely destitute. Nope. Nothing at all. EDIT: The huffpo article doesn't give more details. That makes me sad. Edited September 29, 2013 by arfink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Article does give states and countries, and a few cities, but not much more than that. Around here EVERY closed church becomes a new venue for the Academy of Art College.... I guess they can use the display space and public venues, but sheesh it makes me sad... Most of our churches closed NOT because of changed demographics, but because of the reality of living in an earthquake zone; after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, archdiocese ordered ALL of the churches to either retrofit or abandon the buildings. Some of our most beautiful churches were locked because they lacked reinforcement to their masonry... My parish was spared ONLY because we were able to raise $8 million (and it ended up closer to $11 million with inflation... and then they found out about the $10 million we'd need for window and roof repair. Sigh. Buildings are like people... around age 80, they need some major joint work..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 (edited) And certainly wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that many rural areas in the US (and probably abroad) are becoming completely destitute. Nope. Nothing at all. EDIT: The huffpo article doesn't give more details. That makes me sad. No, I guess it doesn't, which is why lots of Churches have closed in San Francisco and other urban and suburban areas. Edited September 29, 2013 by Apotheoun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Sadly, a lot of the Churches pictured in the article are a lot prettier than the Churches that have remained open in the Diocese of Oakland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Apotheon, respectfully, I don't think you are exactly playing fair. I know you aren't enamoured of the Oakland diocese (to say the least!) but it isn't OK to act like all the parishes in Oakland are disaster areas, either! Some parishes have closed, some of the churches are ugly... but I bet that is true the world over! I saw some churches in Rome that really horrified me! I can't speak for the Oakland diocese on this, but I do know what is going on in the San Francisco archdiocese regarding combining/closing/leaving open various parishes. The churches that were closed and merged in San Francisco had largely to do with either the demographics having moved around such that there were Churches with congregations of 100 or less persons just a few blocks from others that were viable. Often the buildings the were abandoned (St. Joseph, St. Brigid, Sacred Heart in San Francisco) were unreinforced masonry structures (UMS) that were deemed UNSAFE unless earthquake retrofitted. (and that danger wasn't just a myth, btw... St. Dominic's tower fell into a busy street and part of its roof crashed in in Loma Prieta...it was closed for MONTHS and nearly was demolished) Parishes that could NOT afford to do that couldn't keep the buildings open. There were people who weren't happy with that decision, but that was the reality. There were several other parishes that kept their beautiful, older, UMS buildings, but the price tag was about $8-$10 MILLION to fix each one. St. Paul (the Church used in Sister Act), St. Dominic and I believe St. Vincent de Paul all had to have that kind of retrofitting. St. Mary's Cathedral SF in my mind is ugly, but it was built after the old one burned down on my birthday in 1963. The archbishop at that time liked Japanese architecture, and wanted a Cathedral that would withstand earthquakes... so he based the new plans on St. Mary's in Kyoto Japan. I don't like the building, but it is a beautiful building if you like modern architecture, and a very respectful place in which to worship. In much the same way, I may think that St. Thomas More is one of the ugliest churches I have ever seen... but the parish is vigorous, and the location is excellent. It serves not only the usual Roman parish, but also is a hub for the Burmese Catholics, the Arab Catholics, and as the Newman Center for SF State University. It's also right next to a huge retirement place, and has a ton of parking. It made more sense to have this building kept, even if it is ugly. (I would be the first to suggest donating them a few million so they could build a prettier Church!!!!) St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Oakland had to be demolished due to 1989 earthquake damage. A lot of the older Church buildings are still being used there, but the city is one of the poorest in the country, and it doesn't surprise me if churches/parishes are being combined and closed. I know of a friend who attends a beautiful old Church within that city. It is poor, and the congregation is VERY poor... but God is loved in that building, and it shows. I will also give you that their new cathedral is super-ugly... as is the one in LA. Not all new Church architecture is inspired! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 (edited) Interesting article about several SF Churches (Catholic and other denominations) with this problem.... http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/assignment_7&id=8832147&pt=print and check out the video in the same article through this link: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8832146&pid=8832147 Edited September 29, 2013 by AnneLine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 (edited) Apotheon, respectfully, I don't think you are exactly playing fair. I know you aren't enamoured of the Oakland diocese (to say the least!) but it isn't OK to act like all the parishes in Oakland are disaster areas, either! Some parishes have closed, some of the churches are ugly... but I bet that is true the world over! I saw some churches in Rome that really horrified me! The vast majority are quite ugly, and I say this as a person who has actually visited some 30 parish in the diocese over the 25 years that I have been Catholic. Are there a some nice ones? Yes, St. Catherine of Sienna parish in Martinez is rather lovely looking, but it is not representative of the majority of parishes. Edited September 29, 2013 by Apotheoun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Interesting article about several SF Churches (Catholic and other denominations) with this problem.... http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/assignment_7&id=8832147&pt=print and check out the video in the same article through this link: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8832146&pid=8832147 The Archdiocese of San Francisco, unlike the Diocese of Oakland, still has a large number of magnificent Churches, and I have a attended liturgy at many of them (St. Cecilia's, St. Dominic's, Star of the Sea, the parish of St. Charles Borromeo, St. Patrick's, Notre Dame de Victoire, St. Ignatius', the historic parish of Mission Dolores, the Convent of Cristo Rey, etc.). Sadly, many of the Churches in the Oakland Diocese have been built since Vatican II, and the older parishes - probably the vast majority of them - have been remodeled over the course of the last 40 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 The parish closest to my house looks - since it was remodeled a few years ago - a lot like the Walnut Creek United Methodist Church of my youth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now