People of the parish won't know the difference." But the parishioners will know the difference if they wake up one morning and their church is closed; which many fear will be their fate.
If that happens many parishioners feel they would be lost without their church. Theresa Henry stated "I would be devastated if they closed this church. I found solitude coming here, it's helped me through hard times." Before anyone should panic however, Father Peter was quick to comment on the potential closing of Holy Cross Church stating "There's an ongoing planning process, it would be foolish to close down Holy Cross." He also attempted to raise moods by telling parishioners that there would be no decision any time soon and that a final decision won't be made for at least "two years."
Parishioners at Holy Cross Church in Times Square can read...
While official spokesmen can rationalize the choice of an administrator over a pastor, the fact that a pastor is usually appointed for a six-year term, can be seen as an indication that the Archdiocese doesn't believe that Holy Cross needs someone for that long. The Church may feel that a temporary administrator, someone not too familiar with the parishioners, may be better suited to handle the expected resistance to the closure. This only fuels the speculation and unnerves the parishioners. If the Church is to be closed, then the Archdiocese should be straightforward with the parishioners who have been so loyal and faithful to it.
