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Archiver > IA-IRISH > 2004-02 > 1075623417


From:
Subject: Re: [IA-IRISH] St. Paticks Deserves Better
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 03:17:00 EST


Don't get me going on what the Sioux City Diocese does to its churches!
There has to be a "Bishop's Committee' down in Sioux City who marks the fatal
"X" on certain churches that are deemed fit for no further use.
Research a bit about what happened to St. Thomas Church in Emmetsburg,
Iowa,(another Irish community) when it was decided that the diocese
couldn't/wouldn't staff it any longer. For the record,(a red brick and sandstone Gothic
structure, built in 1905)) it was burned in February, 2000 as a "controlled burn" by
the fire department.
I've seen its stained glass windows auctioned on E-Bay by a salvage company.
It was structurally much "sounder" than the other Catholic parish building
still standing. The same number of people are still there, just crowded into a
lesser space. The official story is that the local church council approved it.
The story I heard is that many parishoners just didn't/couldn't carry on
the "fight" anymore, when the cause appeared to be doomed. I understand about
liability and upkeep . It just seems that the realm of possibilities of other
uses was not totally explored.
As someone interested in genealogy and history, and a former parish member, I
am still a bit 'inflamed' about the decision. I just wish I were
independently wealthy; I think I could've come up with an appropriate use for the
building. M Holmes

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