"It's too new," Joe Weschules, Pottsville, said as he and his wife, [Janet Weschules], exited St. Barbara's, founded in 1913. "It still has to sink in. There's going to be a lot of people who will be upset."

"I'll go to St. Jerome's," he said. "Its sad to see this church close. But we can't say we didn't see it coming."

"I was straight forward with you in February," he said. "You'll be getting literature in the mail. The important things is to join a parish. I'm not going to tell you which one. It's up to you. It's like voting. But if a death occurs, if you're not a member of a parish, it's likely there will be no Mass of Christian burial. It's not enough to say you were a member here for 30 years."