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1.
Argument: Sacred Heart Church suffered significant damage in the 1989
earthquake. |
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Rebuttal:
The archdiocese own engineering report says it did not. Some small
pieces of ceiling plaster fell many many years ago. That is it! There
are safety nets up just in case. But, yes it does require retrofitting
under the UMB codes. |
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2.
Argument: Retrofit cost of $6 million |
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Rebuttal:
(A) New technologies have lowered the cost of retrofits. (B) First
estimates from years ago have been proven high. Most new estimates
come in sometimes 50% lower. (C) Several engineering firms are
willing to do new surveys, pro bono, of the Sacred Heart building
to prepare a base for new retrofit estimates. |
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3.
Argument: Sacred Heart parish could never raise the $6 million retrofit
cost on their own. |
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Rebuttal:
(A) No parish has been left solely on their own to raise funds nor
relied solely on donations from within the parish geographical boundaries.
(B) Parishioners were halted when they began action to create a capital
campaign fund. They were told it was not necessary at that time. We
are confident we can raise the money. |
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4.
Argument: Sacred Heart is a poor parish. |
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Rebuttal:
Sacred Heart fiscal records are in the black. We meet all our financial
obligations. We have over $200,000 in our bank account. We can look
at additional means of income such as renting out the parking lot
for events. |
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5.
Argument: We did everything possible to save Sacred Heart church and
parish. |
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Rebuttal:
No they did not. The archdiocese earmarked Sacred Heart as the only
church to be demolished in its February 15, 1995 letter to the Direct,
DBI, categorizing all it UMB buildings. Furthermore, five years ago
placed a congenial man but an inadequate leader as pastor. I have
been told that this was done purposely so the Sacred Heart Parish
Mission would continue to decline providing the archdiocese the ammunition
to close the church. |
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6.
Argument: Not enough parishioners. |
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Rebuttal:
In the 1950’s Sacred Heart mass attendance averaged only 30 people
and it grew. The Western Addition neighborhood is currently undergoing
a great transformation with the removal of the Central Freeway and
the opening of the Octavia Corridor. Our numbers will grow again. |
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7.
The City needs affordable housing. This is the best use of the building.
Attempt to preserve the exterior but convert interior to housing. |
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Rebuttal:
The City and the Western Addition also need affordable meeting halls,
community use facilities… The parishioners are not adverse to
"shared use." This is the national trend and it is not contrary
to Canon law. In fact such a plan was drawn up a few years ago. Parishioners
and community members were not allowed to be part of the process nor
even see the plan. There has been no explanation why it was taken
off the table. |
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8.
Argument: Sacred Heart parish council were participants in the decision. |
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Rebuttal:
No they were not. A 2001 letter from the archbishop expressly stated
that the parish would remain alive. The Sacred Heart parish council
was invited sporadically to meet the archdiocese pastoral planning
council to hear their plans of shared and alternate use of the church
building. They were not part of the process. As one member of the
Sacred Heart parish council said, “We were talked down to like
we were ignorant folks right off the plantation wearing shoes for
the first time.” They were never told of a final decision to
close the church building and dissolve the parish. |
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9.
Argument: The archdiocese is helping to transition parishioners to
whatever church/parish they wish so they can remain together as a
community. We will provide shuttle buses. |
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Rebuttal:
Sacred Heart church is the last predominately African-American Catholic
parish in the Western Addition. They don’t want to move. Many
travel from all over the city to pray at Sacred Heart. The transition
doesn’t work and has never been successful. Many just stop going
to church, which is what happened at All Hallows Church. Three years
after the closing of St. Edward’s church a poll found the parishioners
scattered to seven different churches including three Episcopalian. |
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10.
Argument: Shortage of priests. |
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Rebuttal:
Sacred Heart is willing to share a pastor with another church. Called
"twinning" and allowed in Canon law. |
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11.
Question: What will the archdiocese put in the place of Sacred Heart
to compensate its loss in the Western Addition community? |
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To my knowledge this has never been discussed.
For further information on how to get involved please call 415-646-0429.
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March, 2005
A Look into Sacred Heart
November, 2004
Alan Martinez, Friends of 1800 Co-Chair
Sacred Heart, St. Bridget and
St. Thomas Aquinas
September 10, 2004
Robert Pritchard, Parishoner
Sacred Heart Parish Needs Your Help!
Sacred Heart Parrish in Perspective
A brief chronology of Sacred Heart's place in San Francisco
history.
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SF Chronicle - December 27, 2004
Final
Mass at Sacred Heart
SF Chronicle - September 27, 2004
Sacred
Heart Gets No Help from Above
SF Chronicle -September 25, 2004
Plan
to Close Church Lamented –
Sacred Heart Needs $8 Million in Repairs
SF Chronicle - September 20, 2004
Closure
Draws Crowd to Mass; Some Parishoners Hope for Miracle to Preserve
Church
SF Chronicle - September 18, 2004
Parishoners
Decry Plan to Close Church.
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