Twenty-six years ago, Niagara Falls, New York, had 14 Roman Catholic parishes. However, due to the fact that the city loses about 1,000 citizens a year (death and a mass-migration to southern climes), as well as a sex scandal that has had a stranglehold on the Diocese of Buffalo since 2002, the number has dwindled to just five full-time parishes. Since my parish was one of the latest to close, I’ve been trying to find a new church. That search took a one-two punch recently.
On the vigil for Christmas, I went to the oldest church in the city—founded by St. John Neumann himself. One of the reasons I favor this particular parish is that it is where my parents now worship (their church closed back in 2007). Also, it has a pipe organ and a choir that really belts out the hymns from the choir loft.
However, during Holy Communion, as I was making a Spiritual Communion, there was a solo, to the accompaniment of a piano. It sounded quite beautiful, and for about a minute I could not quite place the tune. Then the singing started: “I heard there was a sacred chord/ That David played and it pleased The
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