Foreclosing on Faith

We have covered over the years the sorrowful story of the many conflicts and tragedies that have arisen, both in the New York area and beyond, as the Catholic Church seeks to “downsize” – and at the same time reap a dividend from the real estate and art of closed parishes.  Simply search this blog for the whole appalling story. Now a filmmaker – from outside the US – has attempted to put in organized form the whole matter in a documentary:

FORECLOSING ON FAITH

Given the background of the filmmaker and judging from the film stills, the loss of Hungarian ethnic parishes seems to a main focus. But the scope is much broader than that. From the film’s promotional materials:

Heroic battles, passionate protests and widespread resistance are being witnessed across the United States. But this isn’t politics, it’s a war raging within the Catholic Church to preserve countless spiritual homes. Churches are being shuttered at an alarming rate. At stake are issues of ethnic and cultural identity and the well-being of communities across the land.

The U.S. Catholic Church justifies the closings with claims of shrinking parishes, priest shortages and lack of vibrancy. Some of the faithful cry foul and say it’s all about raising money to balance the budget of the diocese or bankroll sins of the past.

This is impacting ethnic communities as well across America and their struggle is the focus of the documentary, “Foreclosing on Faith”. The film documents a heroic battle for preserving cultural identity against all odds. One manifestation of cultural identity can be traced to strong ties to churches. These aren’t just buildings with steeples and stained glass, for many, they’re second homes, places of refuge to preserve cultural and historical identity. Every time a church is closed, a small piece of the community fades away. Churches provide a social safety net and that net is unraveling.

I have not had a chance to view this documentary. But this well-received film seems to be the first serious attempt to analyze what is going on in the US as parish after parish is closed. We will see if we can arrange a screening in this area.