We had been talking about the controversy swirling around the decision to merge Notre Dame de Lourdes parish for about 20 minutes when I finally asked the question I had been wanting to ask.
My thanks to Notre Dame parishioners Kerrigan McKay, Monica Wiegand, Kerry Lawlor and Sue Houseman for joining me last night for out 'Live From the Newsroom' show.
Clearly the emotions and passion are raw at Notre Dame in light of the stunning decision by the archdiocese to shut them down and have them merge into Our Lady of Peace, about a mile and half away in the Milmont Park section of Ridley Township.
So I asked them this: Does this decision make you question your faith.
I often struggle with my faith and I honestly wanted to know their feelings.
Their responses were some of the best material I've heard since I started doing this show a couple of years ago.
Each one spoke honestly about their feelings, saying that for the most part, it did not make them question their faith or religion, but rather the human beings who make some of these decisions.
The parishioners at Notre Dame are not going away quietly. They have filed a formal appeal with the archdiocese. If, as expected, it is reject by Archbishop Charles Chaput, they have every intention of taking their case to the Vatican and Pope Francis.
I get the feeling in talking to them, as well as parish spokesman Tom Donahue, who could not be with us last night, that what they really want is for someone from the archdiocese to simply talk to them, and tell them honestly the reasons behind the decision to close Notre Dame, and not Our Lady of Peace, which was the recommendation from the parish "study" group.
Not surprisingly, the archdiocese spokesman respectfully declined our request to join us last night. They might find the good people from Notre Dame de Lourdes a little harder to avoid.
If you missed the show, you can watch the replay here.
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