Fells Point church closing because of cost of repairs and parishioner movement, not Madoff investments

In response to Dan Rodricks' article ("Madoff's Baltimore Catholic connection," June 2) on the link between the closing of St. Michael's and the Redemptorist losses in investments with Bernard Madoff, I would write that Mr. Rodricks overlooked two points.

First, the church at St. Michael's, majestic as it is, has reached a point where the cost of repairs has gone beyond the value of keeping the church open. The Redemptorists invested millions of dollars in the 1970s and 1980s to repair stone facing, roofs and the steeple. All these investments were made before any involvement with Mr. Madoff. Now, millions more would be needed to keep the church open for worship.

Second, a survey done by the archdiocese and the Redemptorists shows the Latino community moving eastward toward Sacred Heart. Already many Latinos worshipping at St. Michael's drive to church from the suburbs, and they will find better parking at Sacred Heart. If the church could be fixed at a reasonable cost and the Latino community were not on the move, the Redemptorists would find the money to continue, as they did in the 1970s and 1980s.

Father Joseph Krastel, Annapolis