Catholics plan to work together to keep both Norwich churches open

NORWICH – The Catholic churches of Norwich are taking unified steps away from being divided and conquered, officials said Tuesday.

Following a meeting with church leaders, consultants and parishioners Tuesday, Committee to Save St. Bartholomew’s legal representative Thomas Vitanza said the biggest development is Father Douglas Cunningham openly supporting the push to keep both St. Paul’s and St. Bart’s from closing.

“Father Cunningham is 100 percent for keeping both churches open,” Vitanza said. “We’re confident we can accomplish that.”

Cunningham said the belief that he has been one-sided has been false, and that following his orders as an extension of the diocese put him in a position that may have appeared to be in opposition of his parishioners.

“I love both churches,” Cunningham said. “I’ve been working behind the scenes trying to talk to the diocese all along.”

Now the two-church priest hopes that a display of unity and positive action will be enough to save them both.

“We all agree that we have a vibrant Catholic community here in Norwich,” he said. “We have to show Syracuse we are unified as a community.”

In March, Syracuse Diocese Bishop James Moynihan announced in a letter that one of the two churches, either St. Paul’s or St. Bartholomew’s, would have to close its doors. It was first reported and believed that the closing was aimed at St. Bart’s, a decision that rocked the parishioners of the “little cathedral,” which was built “to last the ages,” by Italian immigrants in the 1920s as a testament to their faith and hard work.