Historical Summer 2023 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
The relationship between St. Roch and Skinker DeBaliviere reminds me of a story about my cousin Ed. Ed was working in Texas.
He lost his job and had a breakdown.
His parents brought him back to Massachusetts where the rest of the family lived. Ed reentered community life by volunteering at a shelter for dogs.
There he found Woody, a black lab mix.
He thought he rescued this dog but the dog also rescued him, providing the love and comfort he needed.
When our neighborhood began to transition racially, many thought it would soon become all Black, much as the area north of Delmar had done.
But St. Roch joined with two other churches and Washington University to stabilize the neighborhood and keep it diverse. At the 100th anniversary of the church, Msgr. Polizzi referred to the 75 families who had remained within the parish boundaries.
They stayed and helped to insure the church as a fulcrum of activity to create diversity.
The priests worked in their own way to keep the parish and school alive. And, unusual in urban neighborhoods, ours did not tip. Many of the residents who remained were part of the church. Parishioners and parish were stalwarts in enabling a new phenomenon, racial and economic integration. Msgr. felt the 75 families and the role of the church made the difference.
The parishioners and school families provided the support needed by the church.
As in Ed’s case, reciprocity led to successful outcomes.
The story is not over and closing St. Roch will only damage the church’s role in our neighborhood but also delete the Catholic presence in our midst.
We need to face the future together, to continue working for the goals that have United us. Our neighborhood needs St. Roch. St. Roch needs our neighborhood.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, Summer 2023.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2023_06.pdf, printed page(s) 7; PDF page(s) 7.
