Preserve St. Joseph Church

To the Editor: 
Sea Isle had been my home for 27 years prior to moving. Born and raised here I had, as so many other children did, the opportunity to grow in a neighborhood of good and honest people.
Locking our doors at night was something we never considered. Trust was never questioned, parents knowing their children would be taken in if ever they had a problem; parents being called.
What school one attended, what sport in which one was involved, whether or not you were a scout, or what religion one practiced was never an issue. You were who you were and that was accepted.
Families were independent with a deep feeling of community. This and so much more was due to the respect we had for one another.
We learned that respect from our parents, of course, but also from our aunts and uncles, friends and parents, teachers, public servants as well as our religious leaders.
We, as children, put our trust in each and every one of those adults to guide us toward a good future, to instill in us the importance of family, love, respect, and honesty, and to bring us closer to those who would help clear a path to God.
At least once a week we were asked to come together as a community in a church where we could celebrate our beliefs together as one. Being a Catholic, I celebrated in the church of St. Joseph where every visit was a precious moment spent with God.
The doors were always open for one to enter and sit quietly with the spirit that surrounded you in such a magnificent way. Love, total love. That spirit, that love, for most, is and always will be within that church.
Have so many of us celebrated our sacraments, attended mass, and financially supported the original St. Joseph Church? Absolutely. It goes further than that, much further.
The spirit that is within us, all around us opens up to us within St. Joseph in a way no other church can do. No matter what reason is given for the preservation of St. Joseph Church, its history, fulfilling our sacraments or its tremendous spiritual gift, all three reside in the hearts of us all.
In a time when there is so much divisiveness, this is a tremendous opportunity of healing. This house of worship has always brought us together no matter what our feelings may have been. St. Joseph, the church we all love, should remain standing.