Every time I bring visitors, family, and friends from outside the Pioneer Valley and drive past St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Northampton, I inevitably get the remark, “It’s beautiful.”
And every time I tell them it’s closed and for sale, I get the same puzzled look. “Why?” they ask.
For years I had been a happy parishioner of St. Mary’s. I felt edified whenever I was inside the church. There’s a reason why different religions build beautiful edifices in celebration of their members’ faith. Structures such as St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican and the the Blue Mosque in Istanbul glorify their God and lift the spirits of their worshippers.
Hence, when the archdiocese decided to close down St. Mary’s, I became dispirited. For a time, I tried attending Mass at Sacred Heart but did not feel the same. Not only did structurally the church not appeal to me, but I also did not find the same community that I had at St. Mary’s, where as a person of color and a gay man I felt very welcomed.
I laud Deacon Bernard Fleury and Dana Carpenter for not giving up the fight (“St. Mary’s remains at heart of church consolidation controversy,” July 25). I think they have argued convincingly why the two main concerns of the archdiocese — parking and maintenance costs — are not compelling reasons for the closure of St. Mary’s.
I would add another reason: St. Mary’s is a true “community” parish. It contributes to the economic health of Northampton as it sits right in the heart of downtown Northampton. Its iconic structure draws parishioners and nonparishioners, residents and visitors alike.
I would like to suggest that the mayor, Smith College, residents and business owners in downtown Northampton and the archdiocese sit down together to discuss how St. Mary’s can be saved, if the archdiocese is still willing to again reconsider its decision.
Richard T. Chu
Northampton