Some Appeals Successful, Vatican Mediation Sought
Cleveland
After Bishop Richard Lennon announced on March 14 that he would close 52 parishes in the Cleveland diocese, FutureChurch assisted parishioner groups from at least fifteen parishes who downloaded appeal and prayer resources from the FutureChurch website. They then received daily updates and extensive canonical information individualized for Cleveland so they could decide whether to appeal or not. At least 14 parishes did write formal appeals to the diocesan chancellor, most with the active support of the pastor or pastoral administrator.
Two large landmark churches, St. Colman and St. Ignatius of Antioch, which were slated to close despite recommendations from a 17-month reconfiguration process that they stay open, succeeded in their appeals. After thousands of letters from parishioners pledging financial support and vigorous intervention from members of Cleveland City Council and other political leaders, the Bishop agreed to a reprieve for both parishes. Bishop Lennon said he granted the reprieves because he had come to a better understanding of the social and community services provided by the parishes, the importance of the demographic areas served and future financial viability, provided parishioners step forward.
At this writing an estimated six to nine other parishes whose appeals were denied are appealing to the Vatican. Many came together to create an independent Cleveland coalition of parishes to support one another and are presently planning future activities.
In a number of cases, Lennon’s decisions to close a given parish went against the recommendations of his own staff, parishioners and the Diocesan Priests' Council. Easily half of the parishes slated to close were in poor urban areas of Cleveland, Akron and Lorain. Most have active congregations with important ministries in struggling urban areas.
Smithtown, New York
After a four year struggle Diane Stobodzan, a parishioner of the Byzantine Church of the Resurrection, is jubilant because her efforts to bring her parish back from the brink of destruction have finally borne fruit: "I may have been an army of one but I was persistent and never bad mouthed anyone….It has been a long difficult and painful fight but the outcome is wonderful!!! The Church is perfectly named as we are going to do it again."
According to Resurrection parishioners, trouble began in October 2005 after former pastor Rev. Daniel Bitsko, who had run the parish for 38 years, was forced out with only three days notice by the Eparchy of Passaic. The next pastor closed the nursery school and, with little warning, cancelled the church’s annual bazaar, which was a major fundraiser. In succeeding years several buildings on parish property were also demolished. Parishioners believe financial gain motivated actions by the Eparchy since the parish sits on a 5 acre property worth about $2.5 million. Weekly attendance plummeted but Stobodzian did not give up. She organized a committee who wrote letters to church authorities, political leaders and newspapers. She took many photographs and obtained legal and financial documents under the freedom of information act. Her group circulated petitions, staged non-violent protests and sought mediation in Rome. All of the hard work paid off. On May 14, the new bishop installed Fr. John Custer as permanent pastor at the Church of the Resurrection.
31 Parishioner Groups Ask Vatican Mediation
On April 7, Peter Borre of the National Council of Parishes hand delivered a request on behalf of 31 parishioner groups in eight U.S. dioceses, asking the Vatican Secretariat of State to "instruct its departments and courts to suspend reviews of appeals against parish closings, and to instruct American bishops to enter promptly into mediation with these parishioner groups." The parishioner groups were from the dioceses of Boston, Allentown, Pa., Buffalo, Cleveland, New Orleans, Scranton, Springfield, Mass., and New York. In an interview with the National Catholic Reporter, Borre said the 18 page document seeks clarity in the financial responsibilities of both parishes and dioceses and a renewed recognition of the "principle of subsidiarity in diocesan governance." Borre has made four trips to Rome in the last five months to confer with a church lawyer and with sympathetic officials. All of them, he said, held little hope for a favorable legal outcome and advised him to seek relief "through policy." At this writing Borre is enroute to Rome for further meetings with officials in the Curia.
