Boston, Mass., May 18, 2016 / 06:11 pm (CNA).- Former parishioners occupying the long-closed St. Frances X. Cabrini Church in Scituate, Massachusetts say they plan to end their continuous 24-hour vigil after the Supreme Court refused to hear their case, May 16.
A statement issued by the group Friends of St. Frances X. Cabrini notes that they will vacate the premises after holding a meeting "to finalize their transition," and a celebration on May 29.
Jon Rogers, a spokesperson for the group, said, "We are proud that we have brought these important issues to the U.S. Supreme Court and are confident that other parishes in similar closure situations will build on our shoulders to carry these matters forward to a successful decision in the Court."
"From inception of this journey we promised two things: to exhaust every level of recourse, be it canonical or civil, and that we have done. The second promise was that the Friends of St. Frances X. Cabrini will remain together as a faithful Catholic worship community and go on with or without the Archdiocese of Boston. The next phase of this faith journey will be a transition into an independent Catholic community -- without the archdiocese," he continued.
The former church was closed as part of the archdiocese's 2004 Parish Reconfiguration process. At that time, the archdiocese "suppressed," or legally dissolved, 70 parishes and subsequently closed most of their church buildings. In response, former parishioners at 11 parishes filed appeals with the Vatican and some occupied church buildings to keep them from closing. St. Frances X. Cabrini is the last former church with an ongoing vigil.
In March, the group asked the Supreme Court to take up their case, which had argued that the former parishioners held an "equitable interest" in the property -- claiming that the archdiocese held the property in trust.
Previously, in October 2015, the Massachusetts Appeals Court affirmed a judge's ruling that the property belongs to the archdiocese and the former parishioners are trespassing. On Dec. 3, Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court denied any further review of the case.
The group took their case to civil court after losing numerous challenges to the closure under canon law. The canonical process ended in June 2014 when the Church's highest court, the Apostolic Signatura, ruled against the former parishioners, rejecting their final canonical appeal.
In reaction to Supreme Court's decision the archdiocesan spokesman Terrence Donilon said, "We appreciate the Court's review of this matter. Given the denial of the Friends of St. Frances Cabrini's petition, we ask them to end their vigil and leave the property within 14 days in accordance with the agreement filed with the Superior Court. The parishes of the archdiocese welcome and invite those involved with the vigil to participate and join in the fullness of parish life."
Gregory L. Tracy contributed to this report.
This article was originally published in the Boston Pilot. Republished with permission.
Article Archive
Group to end 12-year vigil at closed Massachusetts church
Related Articles • More Articles
null / Orhan Cam/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 26, 2024 / 12:30 pm (CNA).The addition of "gender identity" in the Biden administration's interpretation of anti-discrimination rules could jeopardize state laws that restrict women's sports and women's locker rooms to only women, according to legal scholars.Late last week, President Joe Biden's Department of Education redefined the prohibition on sex discrimination in education, enshrined in the 1972 Title IX provisions, to include discrimination based on a person's "gender identity." The new guidelines prohibit any policy and practice that "prevents a person from participating in an education program or activity consistent with their gender identity."Although the new guidelines do not clearly explain how the mandate would be enforced, experts at the legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and the conservative Heritage Foundation told CNA that it could force educational institutions to allow men who...
Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne attends a German Synodal Way assembly on March 9, 2023. / Credit: Synodaler Weg/Maximilian von LachnerCNA Newsroom, Apr 26, 2024 / 13:57 pm (CNA).Four German bishops on Wednesday distanced themselves from the controversial Synodal Way's plans for a permanent body to oversee the Church in Germany, instead appealing for unity with the universal Church. The four bishops are the same who have previously blocked funding for this body: Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne and three prelates from Bavaria: Gregor Maria Hanke, OSB, of Eichstätt; Stefan Oster, SDB, of Passau; and Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg.In a joint statement, the prelates confirmed on April 24 that they would not be parties to a committee charged with setting up a German "Synodal Council, as this would conflict with the sacramental constitution of the Church."The four bishops also rejected the view that the German Bishops' Conference could legally establish a "synod...
Families, donors, and others gather with Bishop Erik Pohlmeier for the dedication of the "Precious Ones Baby Mausoleum" at the San Lorenzo Cemetery in St. Augustine, Florida, on April 23, 2024. / Credit: Fran Ruchalski/courtesy of the Archdiocese of St. AugustineCNA Staff, Apr 26, 2024 / 09:51 am (CNA).Families gathered with St. Augustine Bishop Erik Pohlmeier on a sunny Tuesday this week for the dedication of the "Precious Ones Baby Mausoleum" at the city's San Lorenzo Cemetery.Six years in the making, the 44,000-pound granite mausoleum is designed for babies lost at a young age through miscarriage, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or stillborn births. A brick walkway marked by a charcoal cross leads up to the brilliant white mausoleum, which is full of burial spaces that are ready to honor little ones. Miscarriages are common events, and women often suffer through them quietly, one 2018 study found. About 10% to 20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, usually be...