Bronx —
Tears and questions echoed from the pews of the historic Shrine Church of Saint Ann in Norwood as Rev. Francis Scanlon announced last weekend that the Catholic church will close for regular worship by next year.
St. Ann’s parishioners will now have to celebrate Masses and sacraments alongside the congregation at St. Brendan Church on East 206th Street, according a letter from the Archdiocese of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan. “I read this letter to you with great sadness and many, many questions,” a tearful Scanlon told his parish at weekend Masses. The merger is slated for August 2015.
