Letter to the editor: St. Ladislaus Church should be a shrine

I speak on behalf of thousands of active and deceased members on the heartbreaking closure of St. Ladislaus Church. People will say, “It’s only a building.” Tell that to the Polish immigrants who with pride and love in their hearts dug by hand with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows, sacrificing to build the foundation.

A parish does not age the way the world does. It is ever constant in bringing our immortal souls closer to God.

St. Ladislaus, in its untouchable architectural beauty, does that exactly. It is the rock, the true gem, the little Vatican of the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s Upper Allegheny Valley Grouping. It is the heart of Natrona. Why wasn’t it designated to be a shrine?

It’s more than a closure. It’s a tragedy. It’s a sin.

Karen Stempkoski

Harrison