Roman Catholics Want Their Church, but as Episcopalians
Episcopal News Service. February 21, 1992 [92049]
Marie Rohde, Religion Reporter at the Milwaukee Journal
Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Conrath, Wisconsin, has long been the heart and soul of that town of 92 residents.
When Roman Catholic Bishop Raphael M. Fliss announced that the 76-year-old church had to be closed because of a shortage of priests, the initial reaction was predictable -- people were angry.
But the next response from several of Holy Trinity's parishioners was not expected. They decided they wanted to become Episcopalians. And they want to buy the church.
"When we first told them [the Roman Catholic diocese] that we were going to be forming our own church, they just laughed and said no one would show up if we held a second meeting," recalled George Schwerzel, 70, a longstanding member of Holy Trinity.
"Well, we held the second meeting, and just as many people showed up, and it's gaining momentum. That scared them, and now they're pussyfooting around, sending us all letters, trying to bring us back into the fold."
For Schwerzel and others, the Roman Catholic Church's efforts have been too little, too late.
Not true, said Fliss, head of the Diocese of Superior, which had to close 15 other parishes. But the perception is still strong.
Father Paul Walter, an Episcopal priest who has a mission in nearby Ladysmith, is leading the community. Those interested in becoming Episcopalians have been invited to attend a series of weekly classes.
Holy Trinity officially closed on December 31. Although the church has been vacant since, and unused except for two funerals and a baptism, a number of its former members have been attending services at the Congregational church, the only other congregation in town.
The move to the Episcopal Church, according to church history experts, is rare. But what's happening in Conrath could be a sign of things to come for the Roman Catholic Church as the number of priests continues to dwindle.
The Diocese of Superior covers 16 counties in northwestern Wisconsin, a total area of 15,715 square miles. It has 68 priests serving 115 parishes and missions and 19 priests working in nonparish ministries. By 2000, the diocese expects to have only 45 active priests for a population of 83,000 Roman Catholics.
Fliss said that the decision to close the parish was made after years of difficult deliberations.
The events have created an uncomfortable situation for Episcopal Bishop William Wantland, whose diocese covers the northwestern part of the state. He and Fliss are two of the three bishops who lead a statewide organization intended to improve relations among Lutherans, Roman Catholics, and Episcopalians.
Wantland said that members of the Conrath congregation approached his priest in Ladysmith. "We told [members of the congregation] that if there were some theological reasons that would make this desirable for them, and if they would otherwise be without any pastoral care, we would talk to them," Wantland said. "We're not saying that every time you close a parish we will be there to snap it up."
Crossing over to the Episcopal Church might be easier for some of the Conrath Roman Catholics than for others, Wantland said.
About half the congregation had been members of a Polish National Catholic Church, which traditionally had strong ties to the Anglican Communion, an autonomous group of churches throughout the world that evolved from the Church of England.
The Anglican Communion is united by a common loyalty to the archbishop of Canterbury, its titular leader. Polish National priests can serve in the English wing of the church, but relations with the Episcopal Church in the United States have been strained for more than a decade, because the American church allows the ordination of women, Wantland said. This historic connection makes the move of members of Holy Trinity to the Episcopal Church more natural, he added.
Of the 52 families in the parish, 11 have joined the Roman Catholic church in Ladysmith, about 10 miles away, 15 have expressed a desire to become Episcopalians, and 26 are waiting to see how things turn out, Wantland said.