Catholic churchgoers in the east of the country are angry because their church has to close, while the church can remain open a little further away. That reports RTV East. Many church buildings have to close because of the declining number of churchgoers and the resulting shortage of money.
Parishes across the country have been merging for years in various ways. In some places, church buildings are sold because few people come and maintenance is very expensive. The money goes to the umbrella parish. Churchgoers who have donated money do not decide what it is spent on.
In Overijssel, many parishioners are convinced that rural churches have to close just to keep city churches open. They do not think that is fair, because they would often contribute much more money.
According to Johan Schintz of the faith community in Schalkhaar, the rural churches around the Broederenkerk in Deventer contributed much more to the merger than the parishioners from the city. He says nearly 90 percent of the wealth comes from the surrounding village churches. “And we’re talking several million,” says Schintz.
Collection proceeds much higher in villages
The Broederenkerk has been appointed as a parish church on 1 April and will remain open. The church in Schalkhaar used to have that function. Schintz calls the course of events “very special and incomprehensible”. In addition, the revenues of the annual Kerkbalans fund-raising campaign in the villages around Deventer are said to be much higher than in the city.
–
