Open letter from the St. Catherine’s Players Board and Production team to the Parish of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes in response to the church’s decision to reclaim the parish hall and storage space used by the St Catherine’s Players.
For 45 years, St. Catherine’s Players (SCP) has been far more than a theater company. It has been a home.
SCP was a ministry of the Parish of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes and was a place where youth found confidence, where parents created alongside their children and where individuals of all abilities were welcomed not as outsiders, but as family. In a world increasingly marked by division and isolation, SCP became sacred ground for belonging, creativity, friendship and healing.
45 years. 1,000+ participants. 10,000+ audience members. 100,000+ parishioner and participant volunteer hours. All would appear to be a welcome sight to a church community looking to advance its mission, engaging and expanding the parish.
The recent decision by the Parish of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes to end the St. Catherine’s Players ministry and displace it from its longtime home is disappointing and disheartening.
SCP is a distinctive part of the church and the broader community. The decision to end a long-standing, cherished institution in the name of storage space and as yet, unidentified uses for the Parish basement theater, reveals a lot about how art, community and human connection are valued.
It appears that square footage and scheduling flexibility were valued more highly than ongoing support and collaboration with a thriving community ministry that had been flourishing within those walls for nearly half a century. SCP were not simply tenants of the hall; they were filling it with life, purpose, mentorship, inclusion and joy – tenets aligned with the church.
Church leadership framed the decision as a choice to focus on ministries more directly tied to spiritual growth. But anyone who has spent time with SCP knows that what happened in that hall was ministry. It was ministry when a shy child stepped into the spotlight for the first time. It was ministry when families struggling through difficult seasons found support and purpose backstage. It was ministry when people who never felt they belonged elsewhere discovered acceptance within our cast and crew.
Faith is not only formed in classrooms, retreats or at bible groups. It is formed in community. In compassion. In creativity. In shared joy.
The St. Catherine’s Players did not compete with the mission of the church. For 45 years, we lived and contributed to it.
That the SCP Board and Production team were not engaged in any sort of discussions with church leadership about the evolving thinking of SCP’s fate, much less any exploration of any compromise solutions, is dismaying and sad. Our Board and the broader SCP community were shocked to learn of the decision.
We humbly request that church leadership reconsider the decision to terminate the SCP ministry and engage with us to explore paths to compromise and continuation of a St. Catherine’s tradition.
As we await your response, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the parishioners, participants, volunteers and audience members who contributed so much to 45 years of creativity, learning, service and community building. Your outpouring of disappointment is heard and your support cherished.
We look forward to continuing to live and create with you all in the years to come.
The St. Catherine’s Players Board:
Tom Casazzone, Parishioner, Co-Producer & Board Member
Denise Casazzone, Parishioner, Co-Producer & Board Member
Colm McDermott, Parishioner & Board Member
Amy Adorney, Parishioner & Board Member
John Merrill, Parishioner & Board Member
Doug Pulick, Parishioner & Board Member
Cyndy Pulick, Parishioner & Board Member
Kelly Thompson, Parishioner & Board Member
Katie Suss, Parishioner & Board Member
Kathy DiGiovanna, Parishioner & Board Member
Lynn Carbino, Board Member
Jody Breakell, Former Parishioner, Co-Producer & Emeritus Board Member
Wendy Blumenthal, Former Parishioner, Co-Producer & Emeritus Board Member
The St. Catherine’s Players Production Team:
Lauren Nicole Sherwood
Matthew Blank
Zachary Kampler
Allen Jackson
Bill Wright