Letter from North Salem Church
Posted on 6/15/2005 10:30 PM
To the Members of St. Joseph Church from North Salem Church:
It is with deep sorrow that we hear you are closing your doors for worship. We will miss seeing the cars lined in front of your church every Sunday, as we come to worship. We will miss you summer festivals and pork chop dinners.
Although we have never worshipped together, we have so many things in common. The founders of our two congregations came from Germany, settling in Salem Township as farmers. One of the first things they did was to establish a place to worship God. The first church for St. Joseph was a log cabin chapel on the Shumaker farm, across the road from where North Salem would organize the following year. During these 157 years we have shared many things in common. We both experienced a disastrous fire and were able to survive. We both survived the depression years during the 20’s and 30’s.
We closed our one room schools and for 100 years continued our education in Salem Centralized School. We enjoyed many athletic successes and social events. It was a sad day when our school was closed, then destroyed.
At the present we are both struggling to find ways in this modern world to continue our worship of God. Again it is similar. We at North Salem have started a new program. We have a part time Pastor that also works with the family and youth at St. Paul and First Lutheran in Upper Sandusky. You are combining to form a new Parish of Transfiguration of the Lord of St. Joseph, St. Peter and St. Mary.
Yes, our school has changed, but our children still get an education and play basketball. Our churches are changing, but we still worship our risen Lord. It is our hope that St. Joseph church will not be destroyed like the Salem school. We hope some use of this beautiful church can be found. We hope to come to worship every Sunday and still see the steeple of St. Joseph pointing high in the sky for many, many years more, and please know that the members of St. Joseph will be in our prayers on Sunday morning as you begin a new stage of your faith journey.
May the Peace of God be with you.
North Salem Church
Posted on 6/30/2005 Posted by Gary Logsdon
Thank you to everyone,
Sunday June 19, 2005 was a very difficult mass for Teresa and I, we have
shared our music for only 10 years with St. Joes which leads me to wonder
how MaryLou Derr truly feels. She has been playing EVERY Sunday for 40 plus
years! WOW!
Teresa and I will miss our Church greatly. I pray that my bitterness will
diminish one day but I'm not sure how.
I've commented to Fr. Kent my frustration with the fact that Fr. Ron Shock
stood up for his parish in the Northern Cluster but Fr. Kent did NOT stand
up for us.
Fr. Kents only statement in return was "The situation in the Northern
Cluster is only temporary."
Well...in our case...I would love TEMPORARY about now.
At this point in time I truly feel that only ONE Man can be our judge and
jury and one day He will judge the poor decisions of our Pastor and Bishop.
I hurt (like many) due to the fact that our own small parish has been torn
apart at the seams.
JESUS or anyone in His likeness would NOT do this to us or to anyone.
I've heard many excuses over the months and years about the Bishop and our
Pastor just carrying out the plans of their previous counterparts, well
since Bishop Hoffman is deceased, the only constants in the equation is Mr.
Michael Wasserman and Sr. Joyce Lehmann.
We've all experienced their PROFFESIONALISM during the Deanery Meetings for
18 months so I guess I shouldn't be surprised at their RECOMENDATIONS.
Enough Said,
Gary Logsdon
Posted on 6/30/2005 Posted by Gary Logsdon
To Whom it may concern:
Or maybe I should start this letter saying…
Is there anyone concerned anymore?
In reference to the closing of our doors on July 3,2005.
We the Parishoners of St. Joseph Catholic Church of Salem Township have requested assistance or back up from our Pastor Fr. Kent Kaufman but that never happened. We have sent many letters to Bishop Leonard Blair in Toledo only to receive responses from Sr. Joyce Lehmann, or Mr. Michael Wasserman.
Then we asked the Fransiscans in Carey if they would assist us and WOW!
A true response from Fr. Peter Damien. Thank you!
The Fransiscans were putting priests in at the Shrine during mid July so they offered to provide us with a Priest for Sunday mass. They told us that they may not be able to make every Sunday but we would have a prayer service if need be in it’s place.
We all were extremely thankful and hopeful for Fr. Peters offering.
This Gracious offering by Father Peter changed everything according to the criteria for closing St. Joseph originally.
You see our current pastor Fr. Kent could not handle saying Mass at three parishes on a given Sunday. If you look on a map, Kirby St. Mary, Upper Sandusky St. Peter and Salem St. Joseph is just too far for Fr. Kent to travel. (our cluster of parishes were probably the closest of any cluster previously in existence) At any rate the Bishop stated that these closures were due to 10 years of audits. Well I personally attended 18 months of Deanery meetings in Tiffin and I personally witnessed Sr. Joyce and Mr. Wasserman stating that Bishop Huffman had no intention of closing these small parishes and breaking up families. Well God rest his soul, He’s probably spinning in his Grave for what Bishop Blair has allowed to take place.
Again, our Thanks goes out to Fr. Peter and the Fransiscans for giving us the only hope we had, you see prior to 2003 our parish was under the Fransiscans in Carey since 1912 I believe.
Even though this was the eleventh hour that we received the gracious offer from Fr. Peter, the Bishop “Blair” refused to allow St. Joseph to accept the offer. Bishop Blair said that the closing of our church was just too far along to change venue now.
What a line…
What a leader ? ? ?
The Bottom line is this…
MONEY talks and B.S. walks.
Just where is the CATHOLIC Church going?
With Deepest Sympathy,
Gary P. Logsdon
|
