To the Editor:

The Peoria Diocese, which includes 262 parishes, is a very wealthy diocese and receives revenue from all these parishes. Their net worth of all the property they own is very, very substantial — over $250,000,000.

If the bishop of Peoria was a CEO in the business world, he would be fired given the problems he has caused closing and suspending the churches in our area.

Unfortunately, the Catholic Church does not operate as a private enterprise, but as an ecclesiastic institution governing every aspect of church society.

In the business world, when you reduce your operations the other employees have to work a little harder to keep up productivity.

The bishop of Peoria is "failing" to adapt to changing ecclesiastic times. I see no reason "why" the bishop does not require the remaining priests to work a little harder, and say a one hour Mass to accommodate the parishioners of other churches that are now without a pastor.

The people of the suspended churches (St. Thomas More of Dalzell, St. Gertrude's of Seatonville, St. Benedict's of Ladd and Sts. Peter & Paul of Spring Valley) are asking not only the bishop of Peoria, but the abbot of St. Bede Academy to "wake up" to the problems they could solve without very much effort.

CARLO OLIVERO

Dalzell