Eighty-nine years ago, Shirley Palmer was baptized at Christ Church. She was married there and saw her son baptized and confirmed there. Nineteen years ago she attended her husband's funeral at the 245-year-old building on the town Green.
And last year Palmer was there when nearly all of the congregation left to form their own church because of the national Episcopal Church's stance on gays and other issues.
On Sunday, Bishop Laura J. Ahrens of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut told the congregation the final services in the building will be July 26.
It is closing.
"It sort of broke your heart," Palmer said. "But you have to go on."
John W. Spaeth III, director of administration for the diocese, said the building will close because of "fiscal prudence" and the diocese will be working with the congregation to determine how it could proceed.
The Rev. Stanley C. Kemmerer, priest-in-charge of Christ Church, said about 20 members who were at the meeting -- of about 50 he said would consider themselves related to the church -- immediately discussed their options.
They could stop going to church. They could join another church. Or they could find a church to sponsor them so they could continue to meet at a new location as a member of the Episcopal Church.
"It's not news any of us wanted to hear," Kemmerer said of the meeting. "But it was kind of ... now we go on. Now we know what we're dealing with. Now we can make plans. Let's get to it."
More here-
http://www.rep-am.com/News/420032.txt
2 comments:
I spoke at a clergy association meeting at Christ, Watertown, maybe seven or eight years ago. It is a stunningly beautiful building but set in a declining community. A sad story.
Bruce Robison
Is anybody counting how many churches are closing where the current controversy has an effect?
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