Catholics appeal to Vatican to reopen their churches
John F. Brothers | 蘑菇视频
Parishioners from four Roman Catholic churches, Holy Rosary in Republic, St. Procopius in New Salem, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Leckrone, and Madonna of Czestochowa in Cardale; along with followers from other parishes gathered in Cardale Tuesday for a prayer vigil to support local Catholics appealing the merger of their parishes into St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Western Fayette County.
John F. Brothers | 蘑菇视频
Martha Swartz (left) from St. Therese Parish, Laura Illeg (center) from Madonna of Czestochowa Parish and Mary Ann Arnold (right) Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish take part in a prayer vigil in Cardale Tuesday for four parishes, Holy Rosary Church in Republic, St. Procopius Church in New Salem, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Leckrone, and Madonna of Czestochowa Church in Cardale, that were recently merged into St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Western Fayette County, by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg. All Saints Parish in Masontown and St. Thomas Parish in Footedale were also included in the merger.
Members of four local Roman Catholic parishes that were recently merged into the newly formed St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Western Fayette County, are appealing to the Vatican to reopen their churches.
The group includes members of Madonna of Czestochowa in Cardale, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Leckrone, St. Procopius in New Salem and Holy Rosary in Republic, which were merged into St. Francis on June 25 by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg, headed by Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt.
All Saints in Masontown and St. Thomas in Footedale also were merged into the new parish, which is using the Masontown and Footedale churches as worship sites.
The diocese announced the decision May 3, explaining that it is part of a parish restructuring that began eight years ago to address a variety of issues that include aging and declining numbers of priests and parishioners.
Recent local changes also included closing St. Hedwig in Smock and partnering St. Joseph in Everson with St. John the Baptist in Scottdale, Westmoreland County. So these latter two churches now share one pastor. As a result of the changes, there are now 16 Roman Catholic parishes in Fayette County.
Those appealing the merger have formed the Council of Parishes in the Diocese of Greensburg.
鈥淚n reviewing canon law, the Council of Parishes believes that the 鈥榮hortage of priests,鈥� demographics, aging population and an increasing number of deaths of parishioners does not canonically substantiate the closing of self-sustaining and financially sound churches,鈥� the council stated in a recent press release.
The council first appealed the decision to Brandt within days of the announcement of the merger. After receiving the bishop蘑菇视频 response that the merger would continue, the council said it sent a second letter to the bishop and a petition of recourse to the Congregation of the Clergy via the apostolic nuncio, the diplomatic representative for the pope, in Washington, D.C.
The council explained each of the four parishes received a response from the apostolic nuncio acknowledging their letters and explaining their recourse 鈥渉as been forwarded through the diplomatic pouch to the Congregation for Clergy鈥� in the Vatican.
The council also has retained an adviser, Peter Borre, the leader of the Boston-based Council of Parishes, as well as two Vatican canon lawyers in Rome.
鈥淭he Council of Parishes feels confident that our prayers will be answered in regards to the Holy See. The parishioners, families and friends of the four churches have had their prayers answered thus far. We continue to pray. Although it will take time, we will once again devoutly worship at our churches that we faithfully financed and maintained over the years,鈥� the council stated in a prepared release.
Kathy Dunlevy, a representative of the council from Madonna of Czestochowa, distributed the press release at a prayer gathering Tuesday evening on the front lawn of the Cardale church. About 100 people, including members of the four churches and others who supported them, were in attendance for prayers and the singing of hymns.
鈥淓verything that蘑菇视频 been done has been peaceful, orderly and respectful,鈥� stressed William Raho, a representative of the council from Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
Dunlevy said, 鈥淲hen we started, it was understood that it would be peaceful and respectful of all parties.鈥�
Jerry Zufelt, managing director of the diocesan office of communications, said, 鈥淭he apostolic nuncio in Washington has informed the diocese that it has received correspondence from parishioners in western Fayette County questioning the bishop蘑菇视频 decision. As of July 12, the Diocese of Greensburg has not been informed that an official canonical recourse has been filed with the Vatican.鈥�
Talking about the merger, Zufelt said, 鈥淭he challenge is the populations keep declining and that makes it more difficult for smaller parishes to maintain themselves. Bishop Brandt saw an opportunity to combine those resources into a larger entity in order to ensure a strong, vibrant Catholic presence in Fayette County.鈥�
He continued, saying, 鈥淏ishop Brandt understands that change is difficult. For many people, it蘑菇视频 a parish they have belonged to all their lives. Even though the Catholic presence remains in St. Francis, we recognize this is not the parish they have spent their entire lives in. That change requires a coming together, and that蘑菇视频 why Bishop Brandt holds a Mass of Welcome and Remembrance, recognizing the rich history of the parishes suppressed and helping to begin the practice of moving ahead in the new parish.鈥�
Brandt held a Mass of Welcome and Remembrance at St. John the Baptist in Perryopolis on June 27 after the closing of its partner parish, St. Hedwig in Smock. The Mass of Welcome and Remembrance that included the installation of the Rev. William G. Berkey as first pastor of St. Francis that was to take place Saturday night at the Footedale worship site was postponed due to the death of Berkey蘑菇视频 mother Saturday morning. It will be rescheduled.
But the decision has been difficult for those it affected.
鈥淲e were just so heartbroken and devastated,鈥� said Dunlevy. 鈥淚t happened so suddenly.鈥�
The council came together almost immediately after the diocese蘑菇视频 announcement, meeting in Republic, New Salem and Masontown. They said there were 3,708 parishioners in the four parishes that are filing the appeal. About 200 people who are parishioners or supporters have been present at the meetings. They say they also have support from others who have not attended meetings. The council has spent about $15,000 since May in its appeal.
The council is receiving help from Borre, a canon-law consultant based in Boston who fights to save Catholic parishes and parochial schools from closure. He has met with some success, reopening churches in Springfield, Mass.; Syracuse, N.Y.; and Allentown as well as 13 parishes in Cleveland.
蘑菇视频ed by phone, Borre said he is an American who lived in Italy, where he was educated by Jesuits as a youth. He has worked in the energy industry and for the government. Borre became involved in this work when his own parish was closed in Boston in 2004.
Borre said when he suggested to the parishioners in his home parish in 2004 that they file an appeal to the Vatican. Most said no.
鈥淭he world has changed since then,鈥� Borre said, noting that, since then, he has been involved in appealing parish closings in 36 of the 180 dioceses in the United States.
Borre said he operates as a field worker, collecting data on parishes where parishioners want to appeal their closings and taking it to Rome, where he works with two canon law attorneys.
Borre has visited the four Fayette County churches involved in the appeal and said he is traveling to Rome this weekend to present information on them to the attorneys who are preparing the case. That includes financial reports, the condition of the buildings, number of the congregation members who attend worship regularly and the good works performed by the parishes.
The attorneys in Rome will present the case to the Congregation for Clergy, which Borre explained is a department of Vatican government that has direct authority over 220,000 parishes in the world, including 14,000 in the United States.
He said a decision typically takes about a year. If the people lose, they can appeal the decision to the Vatican Supreme Court. The bishop can also appeal.
Asked if there have been any other appeals, Zufelt reported the former St. Stanislaus Parish in Calumet, Westmoreland County, pursued canonical recourse through the Vatican after diocesan restructuring in 2008. The diocese was informed in 2011 that its decision to suppress St. Stanislaw Parish was upheld.
In the meantime, prayer gatherings, such as the one this week in Cardale, are also being hosted by council members and their supporters.
Raho said, 鈥淲e pray that our parishes will be reopened.鈥�