![\"\"](\"https:\/\/bp3.blogger.com\/_TzorWGX-a9A\/R35seQRW-XI\/AAAAAAAADV8\/gqd04wroCCg\/s1600-h\/abandoned+church.jpg\")
<\/a>For sometime I had been debating if I wanted to return to my parish. I wrote out a long heartfelt note to my parish priest letting him know my desires to no longer be a member at his church. In the end I decided it would have been too prideful on my part to send\u2026 that and I doubt he\u2019d much care. I\u2019ve sort of been a heel in his side I suppose. My redesign for the church interior was \u2018too traditional\u2019 and my remarks about the music director sounding like a tortured cat didn\u2019t play over well either. It\u2019s been other things too. <\/p>\nOver the course of 6 months I watched as contemporary style worship dominated each mass, guitars at the ambo, applause after mass and the out right mocking of a very devout cassock clad seminarian. Some 2 months prior I ended my fight for the mass in the extraordinary form, even though we have a priest that knows the Latin. The only shining ray of hope was the installation of the new schola choir\u2026 which was abruptly replaced by previously mentioned tortured cat lady. <\/p>\n
Slowly I began to notice the dwindling numbers of parishioners each week. It was painfully obvious Christmas morning when the church was only half full. My parish is losing it\u2019s congregants. Many of the more devout Catholics, those heavily involved in parish functions, have begun scaling back their ties to the church. All the while, the little Ukrainian Catholic mission church continues to grow each Liturgy. <\/p>\n
It was a painful final decision, but one I couldn\u2019t drag out. My last Sunday at said parish my son wanted to hold my hand during the Lord\u2019s Prayer. When I tried to instruct him otherwise, he said \u2018every one else is doing it\u2019. That was my cue that it was time to move on. <\/p>\n
The promise for Charlotte was access to the TLM in 2008. It will be interesting to note it\u2019s affect on the liberal and contemporary churches in this diocese. I wonder if it will finish the job that my priest has started\u2026 the death of a parish.<\/p>\n
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