ParishWatch: Tracking Parish Closings in North America
Here is the information we have about parish reconfigurations in this state. Please send your parish consolidation/reconfiguration news to parishrights@futurechurch.org and we will update our information.
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MASSACHUSETTS
Archdiocese of Boston
Future uncertain for Brookline chapel 6/19/08 http://www.wickedlocal.com/brookline/news/x390613193/Future-uncertain-for-Brookline-chapel
Vatican tribunal denies St. Frances appeal 6/18/08 http://www.wickedlocal.com/scituate/news/x390613112/Vatican-tribunal-denies-St-Frances-appeal
Boston Church Group shares tough tactics to keep parishes open 6/13/08 http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/boston_church_group_shares_tou.html
Losing a space to soar 6/11/08 http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/06/11/losing_a_space_to_soar?mode=PF
Vatican tribunal hands loss to 8 local groups on closings 6/11/08 http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/06/11/vatican_tribunal_hands_loss_to_8_local_groups_on_closings/
Parish unites as it braces for closure 6/8/08 http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/06/08/parish_unites_as_it_braces_for_closure?mode=PF
Diocese offers Indian Catholics use of parish it closed Protesters have been present for 3 years 6/3/08 http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/06/03/diocese_offers_indian_catholics_use_of_parish_it_closed?mode=PF
Diocese to close South End parish 5/23/08 http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/05/23/diocese_to_close_two_more_parishes/
Parishioners appeal closing of Brockton church 5/9/08 http://www.wickedlocal.com/brockton/news/x1192320316/Parishioners-appeal-closing-of-Brockton-church
Vatican ruling bad news for parish-closing opponents 2/27/08 http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/02/27/vatican_ruling_bad_news_for_parish_closing_opponents/
Closed parishes still exact costs from Boston archdiocese 1/19/08
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=56051
E-mail sent to Boston Archdiocese priests 1/18/08
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/01/18/e_mail_sent_to_boston_archdiocese_priests
Boston Area Parish Christmas Eve Service Without a Priest 12/25/2007
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/12/25/faithful_show_resolve_at_service_with_no_priest/
Diocese delays closing St. Ann 12/5/07
http://www.masslive.com/springfield/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1196930711280730.xml&coll=1
Boston Parishioners Celebrate Good Friday on Parish steps. Parishioners from the closed St. Michael's parish held Good Friday services on the front steps of the building. St. Michael's had 800 members with more than $600,000 in the bank before the Boston Archdiocese closed it in June, 2006. "We have a broken heart here. We definitely feel that our ancestry, our heritage, our Polishness has sincerely been attacked," said parishioner Richard Cushing. Nine churches in the Archdiocese of Boston, including St. Michaels have had their appeals accepted by the Apostolic Signatura in Rome. A Vatican response is expected in the fall. In the meantime, five parishes have continued 24 vigils for over two years and five Boston-area parishioner groups have civil suits pending. (Spring 07) http://www.thebostonchannel.com/print/11553190/detail.html
Boston Parishioners Vigil, Continue Canonical Suits Five Boston churches continue 24 hour vigils to keep their parishes open. Four will celebrate their second full year of vigil activity, logging more than 17,000 hours in the pews, day and night. Nine Boston-area parishes have appeals pending with the Apostolic Signatura, the highest court in the Catholic Church. It is surprising that all nine of those who filed were accepted, because the Signatura, like the U.S. Supreme Court, can simply reject appeals, and usually does. According to Canon Law specialists, the Signatura's accompanying decree instructions to Sean O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston, are completely unprecedented: the Signatura formally instructed O'Malley to safeguard all parish properties involving the nine appeal groups while the appeals are heard. Boston's Council of Parishes presented a Friend of the Court brief arguing that Bishops as trustees have a fiduciary responsibility under civil law to safeguard the parishes entrusted to their care, and cannot use parishes as a means of balancing diocesan books. Six Boston-area parishioner groups have filed civil lawsuits against the archdiocese in Massachusetts' courts. The first of these, on appeal from the Superior Court, was heard by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on February 13. (Winter 07 Report from Council of Parishes)
Diocese of Springfield
Rallying To Save A City Church Parish won't surrender 6/24/08 http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_9680893
Countdown to closure: All Souls will celebrate its final Mass tomorrow, and the other five parishes will be shut down by July 6. 6/14/08 http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_9584746
Six Catholic Churches Closing 2/15/08 http://www.cbs3springfield.com/news/local/15528582.html
Springfield Diocese launches church closure plan 2/11/08 http://blog.masslive.com/breakingnews/2008/02/springfield_diocese_launches_c.html
Diocese plans parish reviews 1/16/08
http://blog.masslive.com/breakingnews/2008/01/diocese_plans_parish_reviews.html
Diocese to weigh fate of churches 1/7/08
http://www.masslive.com/news/topstories/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1199694071137540.xml&coll=1
Diocese of Worcester
Parishioners give to the end: Donations collected for the poor 6/23/08 http://www.telegram.com/article/20080623/NEWS/806230589/1116
Church closings unveil a silver lining 5/25/08 http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20080525&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=805250619&SectionCat=&Template=printart
Diocese to close five churches :Parishes were facing ‘serious decline’5/18/08 By Jacqueline Reis TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
http://www.telegram.com/article/20080518/NEWS/805180708/1116
Bishop McManus to head Worcester diocese/Parish closings discussed
www.rcab.org/Pilot/2004/ps040312/Bishop_McManus.html
By Kevin Luperchio
Special to The Pilot WORCESTER — On March 9, an announcement was made in Rome that Pope John Paul II had appointed Bishop Robert J. McManus, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Providence, the fifth bishop of Worcester. Later that morning, Bishop Daniel P. Reilly introduced his successor during a press conference in the chancery.
"Bishop McManus is a very talented and dedicated bishop who has been blessed with good pastoral experience and tested by challenging administrative assignments," Bishop Reilly said. "His years of service to the Diocese of Providence in education and ministry formation have prepared him well for his new responsibilities among us."
Worcester auxiliary bishop Bishop George E. Rueger recalled the words of the diocese's first bishop, Bishop John J. Wright, who said the arrival of a new bishop means that "all can be new again."
"May the years ahead bring fruitful ministry and much happiness," Bishop Rueger said.
Reading a prepared statement, Bishop McManus described it as a "challenging time" to be a bishop or even a Catholic in the United States, especially in New England.
He said the clergy sexual abuse crisis has brought shame and ridicule to the Church in the United States, but the crisis is not the whole story.
"The Catholic Church in the United States has much to be proud of," Bishop McManus said. "While we cannot undo the past, we can chart the course for the future."
The bishop, who is a non-voting member of the Providence diocese's child protection board, said he was not familiar with the clergy abuse situation in the Diocese of Worcester.
He noted that the Worcester diocese received two commendations in the national audit released in January by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Bishop McManus said he wanted to continue the work of Bishop Reilly and be a strong leader to the faithful so as to help restore trust. A by-product of the abuse crisis, he said, is a hesitation on the part of clergy to work with young adults.
"I think that's tragic," he said. "That is something we need to work on."
He said youth are necessary to the vibrancy of parishes and essential in the search for new vocations.
"How can you cultivate vocations if you are intimidated about approaching young men?" he said.
Bishop McManus also spoke briefly about the possibility of closing parishes, a move he said seemed unnecessary at this time because of the diocese's clustering plan. Clustering allows parishes to share resources and ministries, he said.
Bishop Reilly agreed, but said closings may become necessary depending on finances and the number of clergy.
If that situation did develop, the closings would not be of the same scope as those occurring in the Archdiocese of Boston, he said.
"These are two different situations," Bishop Reilly said.
When asked if he had any advice for his successor, Bishop Reilly said Bisho McManus need only be himself.
"He is a man of Church – a dedicated priest," he said, adding that the new bishop would be a natural fit in the diocese.
Kevin Luperchio is a staff writer for the Catholic Free Press of Worcester.
Copyright © 2004-2006 Archdiocese of Boston; all rights reserved
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