The Diocese of Springfield officially announced the closing of six of the Pittsfield's 10 churches, a spiritual blow for area Catholics.

"People were crying from the opening prayer," says Geri Dahrouge, a parishioner at Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

The closings are the first in Western Mass since the release of the Mullin Report. The study was done to help respond to a projected loss of almost 30 priests in the next several years. The report recommended closing only two Pittsfield area churches, and consolidating several others, but it was actually parishioners and parish leaders that rejected that plan in favor of additional closings.

"Priests and people said that's nuts," says Monsignor John Bonzagni of the Diocese of Springfield. "Why are we running back and forth?"

So the decision was made, St. Francis Xavier, St. Mary of the Morning Star, St. Theresa, Holy Family, All Souls and Our Lady of Mount Carmel will close come July 1.

"We are in a dwindling community," says Anne Dunham of St. Theresa Parish. "It's still a city, but it's not the population from when I first moved here."

Many Pittsfield-area Catholics were prepared for the announcement, but parishioners at Our Lady of Mount Carmel say they didn't know their closing would come so soon.

"We have a Stigmatine pastor," says Dahrouge. "And we always thought as long as the Stigmatine presence was available, we would stay open."

Diocesan officials felt it was important to move as a community, a move that will eventually be made across the Diocese, but on a smaller scale.

"I don't think you'll see anything on the scale of six buildings in one swoop," says Monsignor Bonzagni.