Raleigh St. Paul closes after 44 years
By Fabvienen Taylor
RALEIGH — St. Paul parishioners and Trinitarian Father Joe Keenan celebrated the last Mass at the mission parish on Sunday, Jan. 25.
Known in town as the “little rock church,” St. Paul is located near the edge of town on Highway 35.
It is a mission of St. Stephen in Magee and since 1992 both have been served by priests of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (ST), or Trinitarians. Before the Trinitarians diocesan priests and a priest from the Congregation of the Mission (CM) staffed the parish and its mission.
St. Paul parishioners received official news of the closure — not unexpected by most — from Msgr. Elvin Sunds, vicar general of the Diocese of Jackson, who met with them in November 2008.
“Raleigh is closing because the Trinitarians, as well as our diocese, are experiencing a vocations shortage and they are having to also cut back on staffing parishes,” Msgr. Sunds said.
“It just so happens Magee/Raleigh is where they are cutting back. All dioceses and religious communities throughout the country are experiencing a shortage of priests in staffing parishes and missions as they have previously done,” he said. There are 39 diocesan and 20 religious order priests serving in the Jackson diocese which has 103 parishes and missions spread over 65 counties. Of the 39 diocesan priests, five are over 70, the age when priests can retire.
A priest from another religious order, Society of the Divine Word (SVD) Father Darrell Kelly, pastor of Jackson Holy Ghost Church, will be sacramental minister for St. Stephen.
In the near future, according to Msgr. Sunds, the diocese is planning to hire a part-time lay ecclesial minister (LEM) for St. Stephen.
Assigned to St. Stephen and St. Paul in April 2007, Father Keenan thanked the parishioners for their help and invited them to attend the 12:15 p.m. Sunday Mass at St. Stephen.
The noontime Mass gives Father Kelly time to drive to Magee after celebrating the 9 a.m. Mass at Holy Ghost.
Father Keenan told St. Paul parishioners the shortage of priests is widespread, not something singular to the Jackson diocese.
“Unfortunately this is the reality of the church in the 21st century,” he told the 30 people spread among the pews in the small church, which comfortably seats about 50.
Father Keenan said parishes in New York, New Jersey and in other states are “closing down like wildfires.”
“Wherever you go I know you will take the spirit of St. Paul with you. You did a lot of work here, took care of this place and everything,” Father Keenan said.
“The faith you kept alive in this part of Smith County is something you can be proud of and something that needs to be acknowledged.”
Some members of St. Paul, upon hearing Father Keenan was being pulled from the diocese and would not be replaced, did not want to accept that fewer priests was the reason.
“That is a really hard thing for some in our church to understand,” said Susan Hutchinson, whose family (Sullivans) helped establish the mission parish in 1964.
Several years ago Hutchinson and a few other parishioners participated in the Mission and Ministry meetings held for all parishes and missions in the diocese to address the priest shortage.
Missions and parishes in proximity to each other met as a group and devised a plan to insure the availability of the celebration of the Eucharist to all Catholics in their area.
Every parish in the diocese has a copy of their area plan. “At one of the big meetings we went to we told them we would be willing to close our church because we knew about the shortage,” said Hutchinson.
Following Mass some moist-eyed parishioners lingered and reminisced about St. Paul.
“My heart is just broken,” said Therese Grant, who attended St. Paul with her husband, Dale, and son, Frederick, when the doors opened 44 years ago. “I could just cry my eyes out,” she said.
“We all worked together here and did all we could for our church,” said Grant who lives less than a mile from St. Paul.
The Grants, whose son now lives in Texas, are in their 70s and after St. Paul closes, will drive to 20 miles to Magee for Mass. “At our age that is going to be a hardship for us,” she said.
Delia Hodge, one of five Sullivan children who grew up in the parish, was shocked to learn St. Paul was closing.
“It reminds me of the businesses here that closed up and left. I know Susan said St. Paul closing wasn’t about money but I think it is. It has always been a challenge to have a church in Smith County,” she said.
With no resident priest ever, St. Paul parishioners did everything from bookkeeping to teaching religious education to maintaining the building and grounds in taking care of their church.
With only 16 households registered, parishioners are close.
“We’re all like family here,” said Hutchinson, who with her mother, Florence Sullivan, three sisters and their families fill up a number of pews.
The Sullivan clan and the Hammons, another large family, could easily fill up one side of the church, Hutchinson said. In all about 25 people attend regularly.
Most parishioners live somewhat scattered out in Smith County.
“Most of the people come 15 to 20 miles to St. Paul,” Hutchinson said. She and husband Bruce will register at St. Stephens, which is about the same distance as St. Paul from their home in Mize.
“We have daughters in Hattiesburg and Brookhaven so I will be going there for Mass sometimes so I can see them. Everyone of my sisters are all going to different churches because we live in different parts of the county,” she said.
During the last few weeks, a list of parishes from Magee to Pearl to Paulding to Forest to Laurel and Hattiesburg was provided to St. Paul members.
For a while after Mass, a group of people sat talking and drinking coffee around a table. Among them was Hutchinson’s mother, Florence Sullivan, 83, who, before St. Paul was built, traveled many miles with her family to Sunday Mass.
“We went clear to Jackson, then later to Sanitorium, then later to Magee, then later to Forest,” said Sullivan, who with daughter Eileen and her husband Gilbert and their children will attend Pearl St. Jude.
“I hate our church is closing. We were so proud when it opened. I feel bad and so do my girls. I know it’s because there are no priests. But this will always be my church,” Sullivan said.
There are 39 diocesan and 20 religious order priests serving in the Jackson diocese which has 103 parishes and missions spread over 65 counties. Of the 39 diocesan priests, five are over 70, the age when priests can retire.
