1.0The Deacon's Benchhttps://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/deaconsbenchDeacon Greg Kandrahttps://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/deaconsbench/author/gkandrarich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="ekI1sMnbo5"><a href="https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/deaconsbench/2008/09/on-these-rocks.html">On these rocks …</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/deaconsbench/2008/09/on-these-rocks.html/embed#?secret=ekI1sMnbo5" width="600" height="338" title="“On these rocks …” — The Deacon's Bench" data-secret="ekI1sMnbo5" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> This may be the very definition of “pro-active.” Faced with the inconvenient truth that their churches would probably be closing, two parishes in Massachusetts voted in 2006 to consolidate. They did this on their own, without any pressure from the diocese. And now they are getting ready to break ground for their new church. As…http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0DySLTT4PWo/SMbUcxOxWlI/AAAAAAAAC8A/KzFV1GmJK4Q/s400/539w%5B1%5D.jpg