Editor:

I read with great interest Mr. Frassinelli's Times News July 13 editorial "Tradition vs. Reality." Although Mr. Frassinelli made some valid points, I feel it is necessary to shed some light on the real reasons and effects upon the Panther Valley communities of the 2016 merger.The appeal group is more concerned about the spiritual health of the Catholic faithful rather than the upholding of ethnic traditions as Mr. Frassinelli believes.We understand that church attendance is steadily declining and mergers are a fact of life, but this merger of 2016 is way out of line and should be reversed entirely. The question we raise is which church can really serve the public by both location and size. We were told by Father Kenneth Medve that the repairs necessary were beyond financial reproach. Some parishioners found this hard to believe. While the church was still open, some of the parishioners climbed to the tower and discovered no significant damage or leaks. There are correct pictures to support these findings.Furthermore the appeal group hired a licensed, professional drone pilot. The drone was equipped with state of the art cameras. Pictures were taken both close up and overall of the tower, the roof, the eaves and the flashing. Those pictures showed no damage and were reviewed by a professional structural engineer.The current situation of the merging of all the Panther Valley churches into St. Joseph's church in Summit Hill is unconscionable. Why have the faithful been forced into a church that holds around 260 to 290 people, where St. Katherine Drexel can easily accommodate 580 comfortably. Secondly, all parking facilities are paved and most are off the street. Decide for yourself.We firmly believe St. Katherine Drexel and St. Francis of Assisi be reopened and that St. Joseph's should remain open to fully serve the Panther Valley Catholic faithful as well as surrounding communities.The 2016 merger should be nullified as it was poorly planned and implemented.In conclusion, look at it this way: when you cut a large tree down in your backyard or neighborhood, do you cut it at the trunk and let it do damage? No, you cut a branch off, one at a time, until there is no tree left.What has the diocese done?Think about it.JOHN J. ZONCALANSFORD