Boston archdiocese, parishioners reach accord to end 11-year stalemate at closed church
December 23, 2015
The Boston archdiocese has reached an agreement with the leaders of a group that has maintained an 11-year vigil at a closed parish church.
The Friends of St. Frances Cabrini, who have fought a long rear-guard battle against the decision to close their parish in Scituate, Massachusetts, have agreed that they will abandon their occupation of the church if the US Supreme Court does not agree to hear their case. The group, which has lost a series of decisions in canonical and secular courts, has until March to file its plea for a Supreme Court hearing.
In return, the Boston archdiocese has agreed not to pursue legal efforts to evict the Friends of St. Francis Cabrini from the church building. The archdiocese has been spending over $80,000 each year on maintenance for the building.
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Further information:
- Scituate: Archdiocese of Boston and Friends of St. Frances Cabrini Reach a Temporary Agreement (95.9)
- Court orders end to 11-year vigil at closed parish in Boston archdiocese (CWN, 10/15)
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Posted by: JimKcda -
Jul. 18, 2016 7:27 PM ET USA
They had my sympathy untill I got to the parts about the "Masonic temple" and their "former, married priest." A sad tale indeed! But I wonder if the archbishop couldn't have made some sort of reasonable accommodation which might have saved these poor misgued souls? It reminds me of the cruel, ruthless treatment of so many faithful lifelong Catholics who, after VAT II, only wanted to preserve their traditional liturgy, music and devotions, only to be justified by Benedict XVI, 40+ years later.
