This June not only will be closing, but now will be losing its pastor of five years.
Father Anthony Trapani is his post as pastor of the church, now in its in the heart of Lindenhurst Village.
His last day will be . The 99-year-old school is slated to a few days later at the end of the school year.
(Read about the reaction it stirred among parents .)
"It's been a difficult decision, but I've submitted my resignation as pastor of this church, and the Bishop [William Murphy of the Diocese of Rockville Centre] has accepted it," Father Trapani told parishioners on Sunday morning, following the announcements at the end of Mass.
"I'll be leaving at the end of June," he continued. "I've written a letter in this week's bulletin, and included as much detail I could to explain my decision."
The Pastor's Decision
He first announced his decision at Saturday evening's Mass, and then subsequently at each following Mass this past weekend.
The letter to which the pastor referred was also posted on the OLPH Church website.
In the letter he described the enthusiasm he had when he first arrived in 2007 and how that's changed.
"There are many factors that have worked to erode my enthusiasm, most of which I will not put in print," Father Trapani wrote. "As the issues of the school became clearer...and the support became less, I've had to bear the suffering of name-calling and the attempt to defame my character as a priest and pastor."
He continued: "As long as I am here this negative attitude will not go away, and since it's addressed at me, I can only rid my life of it by looking for an assignment elsewhere that will enable me to be the priest God has called me to be."
He concluded by thanking his parishioners, predicting that "with the closing of the school, the parish's financial picture with gradually improve," and assuring that he'll leave the parish "in good order" for the next priest who will succeed him pastor (though no one has been named yet).
(See the above PDF files and images for full text and summary of the parish's 2011 financial report for fiscal year ending August 31, 2011 that was also available at Mass this past weekend.)
Father Trapani Lindenhurst Patch when the news of the school's closing broke in December that the parish has been absorbing much of the school's debt in the last few years and keeping it open with subsidies that have been covered by the Diocese.
And despite fundraising efforts, he said, the economic tide turned against the school, forcing the closure.
