Editing South Deerfield, Massachusetts (section)

== Religion ==
South Deerfield is home to a single unified Roman Catholic parish.<ref name="americancenturies_44">{{Cite web |title=People, Places and Events |url=http://americancenturies.mass.edu/people_places/view.jsp?itemtype=2&id=44 |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=americancenturies.mass.edu}}</ref>   Until 2008, it was served by two parishes, [[St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr's Church (South Deerfield, Massachusetts)|St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr]], intended to serve the Polish immigrant community, and St. James.   In 2009, the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts|Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield]] announced that the two parishes would be merged,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newsroom |first=The Republican |date=2008-08-12 |title=Diocese to close 10 more parishes, 9 buildings in Western Massachusetts |url=https://www.masslive.com/news/2008/08/diocese_to_close_10_more_paris.html |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=masslive |language=en}}</ref> with the new parish, Holy Family, to occupy the former facilities of St. Stanislaus.<ref name="americancenturies_44"/>  The former church building and rectory of St. James were sold to a private purchaser, with a deed provision to ensure that the property not be put to any use inconsistent with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McKIERNAN |first=KATHLEEN |date=December 20, 2013 |title=Cheshire woman buys former St. James Roman Catholic Church in South Deerfield |url=https://www.gazettenet.com/Archives/2013/12/DEERCHURCH-HG-122013 |website=gazettenet.com}}</ref>  Additionally, in order to address a perceived lack of influence in church governance, in 1929 a breakaway group from St. Stanislaus founded Holy Name of Jesus church, affiliated with the [[Polish National Catholic Church]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=People, Places and Events |url=http://americancenturies.mass.edu/people_places/view.jsp?itemtype=2&id=350 |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=americancenturies.mass.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Church |first=Eastern Diocese Of the Polish National Catholic |title=Eastern Diocese Of the Polish National Catholic Church |url=https://easterndiocesepncc.org/our-parishes |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=Eastern Diocese Of the Polish National Catholic Church |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Holy Name of Jesus Parish |url=https://www.holynamedeerfield.org/page/page/5078249.htm |website=www.holynamedeerfield.org |access-date=4 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201060024/https://www.holynamedeerfield.org/index.html |archive-date=Dec 1, 2022 |language=en |url-status=live}}</ref> A parish of the [[Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church]], Descent of the Holy Spirit (formerly Descent of the Holy Ghost) was founded in 1920 as part of the Ukrainian Catholic Diocese of Stamford, and is active to the present day.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Massachusetts Parishes |url=https://www.stamforddio.org/massachusetts-parishes |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=www.stamforddio.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Descent of the Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Church - About Us |url=https://dhsparish.com/about_us |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=dhsparish.com}}</ref>