This past weekend, my priest spoke about new normals in his homily.

As I listened to the Rev. Allen Hoffa speak about new normals, both in our personal lives and also in our faith, some things hit home.

This week, we are preparing to make a shift around in the layout of our building here at the Times News, and as I cleaned out my desk to prepare for the move to our new floor, I found a Where We Live column I wrote in August 2008 called “Catholics: A dying breed?” I received a lot of both positive and negative feedback from our readers after that column ran because many were and still are upset about the diocese’s decisions to close so many churches in the area. I lost sleep over some of the harsh comments I received from parishioners, but I tried to remember that the people are in pain over their losses and anger is a natural part of the grieving process.

My column ran shortly after the first consolidation of the churches in the region, and I spoke about how a parish is not the building in which you worship, but rather the people who come together as one to worship.

In the column, I said, “Religion is more than just the bricks and mortar that make the place of worship. It is a belief, a way of life. It is treating others the way you want to be treated. It is learning to love unconditionally and without question. It is helping your fellow man in ways he could not help himself.

“I saw all of these things during the closings in July (2008). Men and women, children and elderly, all mourned the closing of their churches, but they became closer. They supported each other young and old and they were welcomed warmly into the new parishes that they were asked to attend.”

I went on to speak about a priest’s homily that touched my soul at that time.

The Rev. Scott Ardinger, who was the interim priest at the then newly formed St. Francis of Assisi parish, said that “the church is not the parish. The people are the parish” and illustrated his point with Jesus’ disciples, who did not have a place of worship, but were considered the first “parish.”

Ardinger’s words hit me like a ton of bricks in 2008, much like Hoffa’s words rang true in 2019 and I realized their messages of faith and new normals are what I believed my whole life.

We are a parish (now consisting of 11 parishes that came before St. Joseph Parish of the Panther Valley). We are the people who keep this faith alive and it is evident each week as the pews in St. Joseph are filled with parishioners coming together. Church buildings may have closed, but as long as our hearts remain open, our parishes will never perish.

Now 11 years after that column, we are continuing to build new normals for both our personal lives and as a congregation as we work to strengthen our faith. Many of the church buildings we so loved may now only be a memory — and don’t get me wrong, I am heartbroken seeing these beautiful historic buildings, many I had the pleasure of celebrating Mass in growing up, now sitting idle — but the new normal is standing in front of us, waiting with arms wide open.

So I repeat the question I asked in 2008, “Are Catholics a dying breed? I still believe that answer is no.”