Catholic Church continues shutting parishes in Maine -- even as Bishop funds anti-gay referendum

As we know, the Diocese of Maine is leading the charge to repeal the state's new marriage equality law. The Bishop, Richard Malone, donated $100,000 from a mysterious fund to the anti-gay campaign. The spokesman for the Diocese, Marc Mutty, is the chair of the anti-gay campaign. Same-sex marriage is clearly the obsession of the Catholic Church in Maine.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church in Maine continues to close churches while the numbers of both priests and parishioners continues to decline:

Monsignor Rene Mathieu announced Sunday that Notre Dame de Lourdes and St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Biddeford will close at the end of this year, as part of a statewide consolidation that started in 2004, shortly after Bishop Richard Malone was installed. St. Andre Church in Biddeford will close at the end of 2010.

Also Sunday, Monsignor Marc Caron announced in Lewiston that he plans to ask Malone's permission to close St. Joseph and St. Patrick churches, and he will discontinue their use in October.

The consolidation reflects declining numbers of priests and parishioners.

One would think that this loss of parishes, priests and parishioners might be a top priority for Bishop Malone and Marc Mutty. But, they're too busy obsessing about gays and same-sex relationships.

The Catholic Church is financing the anti-marriage referendum, along with the National Organization for Marriage. Our side needs all the help it can get. We can win, but the campaign needs money. Donate here via our ActBlue page. It's easy, safe and all the money goes right to the campaign. It helps to get money in early. And, in Maine, any and every contribution helps.