June 14, 2010: Church vigils

 

 

>> TONIGHT ON GREATER

BOSTON.

 

>> IT'S A HOME.

IT BELONGS TO THE MAN WHO

DIED ON THE CROSS.

IT BELONGS TO HIM.

 

>> WHY FAITH TRUMPS REALITY

FOR SOME PARISHNERS AT

CHURCHES CLOSED BY THE

BOSTON ARCHDIOCESE.

PLUS THE GULF OIL DISASTER

AND THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN TO

HOLD B.P. RESPONSIBLE.

AND THE NEW BOOK OF OBITUARYS

ABOUT FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO

NEVER LIVED.¶

 

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>> .

 

>> GOOD EVENING, I'M JARED

BOWEN IN FOR EMILY ROONEY.

OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS THE

BOSTON ARCHDIOCESE HAS

SHUTTERED 62 PARISHES.

OTHERS REFUSE TO GO QUIETLY.

TEN CHURCHS APPEAL THEIR

CLOSING ARES FOR THE VATICAN

AND FIVE HAVE BEEN OCCUPIED

BY PROTESTORS AROUND THE

CLOCK SINCE 2004.

BUT WITH RECENT WORD THERE

WILL BE NO RESCUE FROM ROME.

THIS LONG SAGA OF PARISHES

AND PROTESTS COULD BE

NEARING AN UNHAPPY END.

 

>> FOR FIVE YEARS PARISHNERS

OF ST. FRANCIS CABRINI

CHURCH HAD HOPED THE VAT

WANT WOULD REOPEN THEIR

SCITUATE PARISH.

NOW THEY ARE JUST WAITING

FOR THE BULLDOZERS AND

HANDCUFFS.

 

>> I THINK IT WILL BE A SAD

DAY WHEN THIS CHURCH IS BULL

DOZED, THAT IS JUST WRONG.

SELLING A CHURCH BASED ON

THE VALUE OF THE LAND AND

NOT THE VALUE OF 6 THE

PARISHNERS, THERE'S A

PROBLEM THERE.

 

>> EVER SINCE THE BOSTON

ARCHDIOCESE CLOSED A NUMBER

OF CHURCHES IN 2004,

PARISHES HAVE OCCUPIED THEIR

PARISHES 24 HOURS A DAY.

MARY ELLEN ROGERS SAY

THEY'LL STAY EVEN THOUGH

THEIR FINAL APPEALS TO THE

VATICAN HAVE BEEN DENIED.

 

>> IN REALITY, WE'RE IN

THEIR COURT SYSTEM.

WE KNOW THAT WE'RE PLAYING

BY THEIR RULES.

 

>> WHAT THAT MEANS NOW IS

ANYONE'S GUESS.

THE ARCHDIOCESE WILL ONLY

SAY IT CONTINUES TO SEEK A

PRAYERFUL RESOLUTION.

BUT THE VIGILERS SAY THEY

WON'T LEAVE UNLESS REMOVED

BY POLICE.

 

>> WE HAVE TO PRAY FOR THE

BEST BUT PREPARE FOR THE

WORST.

AND THERE ARE QUITE A FEW

PARISHNERS THAT ARE WILLING

TO GO DOWN WITH THE CHURCH.

 

>> PARISHNERS LIKE NANCY WHO

SAYS SHE IS ALREADY

CONSIDERING THE FASHION

IMPLICATIONS OF BEING

FORCIBLY REMOVED.

 

>> WE'LL TAKE MY GOLD

BRACELETS OFF FIRST AND THEY

HAVE TO HANDCUFF ME IN

SILVER CUFFS AS THEY CLASH.

 

>> BUT SHE SAYS THERE IS

NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT THE

CHURCH HER FAMILY HELPED

BUILD 50 YEARS AGO BEING

SOLD FOR THE PRICE OF ITS

VALUABLE SEASIDE PROPERTY.

 

>> THEY CAN'T DO THIS TO

THIS HOUSE.

IT'S A HOME.

IT BELONGS TO THE MAN WHO

DIED ON THE CROSS.

IT BELONGS TO HIM.

AND WE'RE HOLDING IT FOR

HIM.

 

>> IT'S NOT JUST TRADITIONAL

ST. FRANCIS FAMILIES WHO ARE

SITTING TIGHT HERE.

17-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL RECENTLY

TOLD HIS DEVOUT CATHOLIC

PARENTS HE WAS JOINING THE

VIGIL.

 

>> THEY'RE SUPPORTIVE.

I CAN DO MY HOMEWORK HERE.

IT'S NOT LIKE I'M GOING OUT

AND GETTING INTO TROUBLE.

I'M AT A CHURCH.

 

>> ENTHUSIASTIC YOUNG

CATHOLICS ARE THE FUTURE OF

THE CHURCH.

BUT HE SAYS HIS FAITH IN ITS

LEADERS WILL BE SHAKEN IF

ST. FRANCIS IS TORN DOWN.

 

>> I'M NOT SAYING I WOULD

DEFINITELY, LIKE, LEAVE THE

CHURCH FOREVER.

BUT LIKE, TO FORCIBLY REMOVE

PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COME TO

CHURCH IS AMAZING.

 

>> BUT WHILE THEY MAY LOSE

THEIR CHURCH, ROGER SAYS THE

VIGILERS HAVE FOUND

SOMETHING EQUALLY IMPORTANT.

EACH OTHER.

 

>> THIS IS A VIBRANT,

HEALTHY FAITH COMMUNITY

STILL.

AND WE WILL STAY TOGETHER

WITH OR WITHOUT THE

ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.

 

>> AND WITH OR WITHOUT THEIR

BELOVED ST. FRANCIS.

 

>> THE BOSTON ARCHDIOCESE

DECLINED TO APPEAR HERE

UNTIL THE APPEAL PROCESS IS

COMPLETE.

BUT DID ISSUE A STATEMENT

TODAY READING IN PART WE

CONTINUE TO WELCOME ANY

OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE

PARISHNERS OF CLOSED

PARISHES TO SEEK A WAY TO

HELP THEM JOIN A WELCOMING

PARISH.

AND JOINING ME NOW ARE

EARNEST COLLAMATI A PROVE

CIRC-- PROFESSOR OF

RELIGIOUS STUDIES AT REGIS

COLLEGE AND JON ROGERS A

PARISHNER PARTICIPATING IN

THE VIGIL.

SO IF IT HAS GONE ALL THE

WAY TO THE VATICAN,

EVERYTHING SEEMS FINAL THERE

SEEMS TO BE RESOLUTION IN

TERMS OF JUDGEMENT.

SO ON WHAT GROUND DOW NOW

STAY IN THE CHURCH?

 

>> BASICALLY THAT THE PEOPLE

OF THE PARISH OF ST. FRAP

SIS TOOK THAT HARD-EARNED

MONEY OUT OF THEIR POCKET.

THEY SPENT THEIR TIME.

THEY SPENT THEIR EFFORT.

AND THEY DONATED THE LAND TO

PUT THIS CHURCH ON THE

PROPERTY IT NOW SITS.

IN ESSENCE, THEY CREATED.

 

>> THIS IS GENERATIONS AGO.

 

>> WITHIN THE LAST 60 YEARS.

WE ARE ONE OF THE NEWEST

CHURCHES IN THE ARCHDIOCESE.

IF WE WANTED TO ATTEND MASS

SOMEPLACE ELSE.

WE WOULDN'T HAVE BUILT THIS

CHURCH TO BEGIN WITH.

SO WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS OUR

SPIRIT ALL HOME.

THAT WE ARE THE RIGHTFUL

OWNERS AND WE HAVE DECIDED

TO KEEP IT YOU HAVE TO LOOK

AT THE VIGILISTS.

THEY ARE LIVING PROOF THAT

THE PARISHNERS WILL NO

LONGER STAND FOR ABUSE ON

ANY LEVEL WLCHL IT BE

FINANCIAL OR WHETHER IT BE

PHYSICAL.

WE'VE DRAWN A LINE IN THE

SAND AND WE SAY THAT CHANGE

BEGINS NOW AND IT BEGINS

WITH US.

 

>> EARNEST, ON THAT POINT

THIS IS A HOLY PLACE.

THE PARISHNERS HAVE MADE IT

A HOLY PLACE IT IS NOT JUST

ANY OLD BUILDING, AS YOU'VE

WRITTEN ABOUT AS WELL.

WHY WOULDN'T THE CHURCH

RECOGNIZE THIS AS WELL?

 

>> JARED, THE PROBLEM WE

FACE AND THERE IS A NO-WIN

SITUATION HERE.

BOTH FOR THE ARCHDIOCESE AND

THE PARISHNERS GIVEN THIS

IMPASSE, IS THAT THE

NORTHEAST REGION IS FACING

AN INCREDIBLE DEMOGRAPHIC

SHIFT.

AND THE RECENT PEW SURVEY

NORTHEAST IS HEMORRHAGING

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCHES

AND PARTICULARLY IN THE

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES THAT

HAVE BEEN SO SIGNIFICANT

THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

IN ADDITION, THERE IS THE

CLERGY SHORTAGE.

NOW THE PROBLEM IS WHAT DO

YOU DO WITH A VIABLE

COMMUNITY OF DEVOUT MEN AND

WOMEN AND THE POSSIBILITY OF

CLOSING IS PREDICATED ON THE

ABSENCE OF A RESIDENT PRIEST

IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THIS IS

A NEVER-ENDING PRINCIPLES

BECAUSE IF CLERGY PERSONNEL

CONTINUE TO DECLINE DO YOU

THEN CONTINUE TO SIMPLY

CLOSE CHURCHES.

ON THE OTHER HAND, I HAVE TO

ADMIT R THERE CASES IN THE

URBAN CENTERS WHERE

ESSENTIALLY THE COMMUNITY,

BELIEVING COMMUNITY IS THERE

IN SUCH MINIMAL NUMBERS IT

CAN'T EVEN SUPPORT ITSELF?

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH CASES

WHERE THERE ARE VIBRANT

COMMUNITIES AND THERE LEGIT

MA MATLY I THINK THE PEOPLE

CAN SAY CAN'T WE COME UP

WITH ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF

SUPPLYING ORDAINED MINISTERS

SO THAT THE COMMUNITY WHICH

IS THE BED ROM-- BEDROCK OF

THE CHURCH MAY PROSPER.

 

>> WHAT ONE OF THE OTHER

THINGS YOU DO IS GO TO THE

OTHER CHURCHES THAT HAVE

BEEN MERGED OR A NEAR-BY

CHURCH WHERE YOU CAN CREATE

A LARGER COMMUNITY OF

LIKE-MINDED CATHOLICS, YOU

KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE TO DEAL

WITH CHANGE ALL THE TIME.

I UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENT

THAT GENERATIONS AGO IN A

VERY BENEVOLENT WAY THIS

CHURCH CAME TO BE.

BUT SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE

TO RESIGN YOURSELF TO

CHANGE.

WHY NO GO TO ANOTHER

COMMUNITY WHY NOT FIND

ANOTHER GROUP THAT IS AS

DEEPLY RELIGIOUS AND TIED TO

THE CHURCH AS YOUR GROUP?

 

>> WELL, ANY OF THE CRITERIA

OF RECONFIGURATION WOULD I

SAY THAT YES, THAT IS TRUE.

WE HAD A VIBRANT PAR WISH

3,000 PARISHNERS.

WE NOT ONLY FINANCIALLY

SOUND WE HELPED NOT ONLY

MAINTAIN OUR CHURCH BUT

BASICALLY CREATE A CHURCH-- I

WILL TELL YOU THIS, AS FAR

AS THE VIBRANCY OF THE

PARISH, I THINK ST. FRANCIS

WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE.

THEY BASICALLY HAVE LOOKED

AT ST. FRANCIS AND SAID ARE

YOU SITTING ON 30.3 ACRES OF

PRIME COASTAL REAL ESTATE.

WE NEED THE LAND.

WE BASICALLY NEED TO TAKE

THE ASSET FROM YOU.

AND ONE OF THE THE ARGUMENTS

THEY MAKE ON A WEEKLY BASIS

IS THEY'VE ALWAYS TOLD US

YOUR CHURCH NEEDS A NEW

ROOF.

YOUR CHURCH NEEDS NEW

PARKING LOTS, NEEDS A NEW

ORGAN.

SO EVERY WEEK WE WOULD

RECONFIRM WE ARE THE TRUE

OWNERS OF THE CHURCH.

AND IT IS FROM OUR POCKETS,

LITERALLY, THE CASH FLOW

THAT ENABLES THE ARCHDIOCESE

TO CONTINUE.

 

>> LET ME STOP YOU.

ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU ARE

SAYING, AND WE DISCUSSED

THIS IN THE PIECE.

WE SAW THAT BEAUTIFUL REAL

ESTATE.

ARE YOU SAYING THIS IS ALL

ABOUT MONEY.

 

>> IT A LAND GRAB.

IT IS ABOUT THE ALMIGHTY,

THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR.

 

>> HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT

YOUR QHUFERN WHEN IT BASES

THIS DECISION ON MONEY.

 

>> WE'RE HORRIFIED THIS IS

ONE MUCH THE MOST PAINFUL

PROCESSES THAT ANY CATHOLIC

CAN GO THROUGH.

I MEAN THIS CHURCH IS OUR

SPIRITUAL HOME.

WE HAVE HAD CHILDREN WHO

WERE BAPTIZED THERE.

PEOPLE'S CHILDREN WERE

BAPTIZED THERE.

I WAS MARRIED THERE.

BURIED OUR LOVED ONES OUT OF

THIS CHURCH.

THIS REALLY IS THE CENTER OF

OUR CATHOLIC COMMUNITY, OUR

SPIRITUAL HOME.

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF

SOMEBODY SHOWED UP.

YOU NEED TO REMOVE FROM THE

HOUSE SO WE CAN SELL THIS

AND REPLENISH THE COFFERS.

THAT IS WHAT THEY HAVE WITH

US, A FIGHT.

 

>> EARNEST, WHAT IS IT DOING

FOR THE IMAGE OF THE CHURCH

TO HAVE THE PARISHNERS

REALLY BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT

IT IS ALL ABOUT.

THE PROCESS IS SO

CUMBERSOME.

THE ARCHDIOCESE WON'T TALK

ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T

HAVE THE APPEAL EVEN THOUGH

WORD HAS ALREADY COME BACK

SAYING THEY ARE NOT GOING TO

WIN AND WHEN IT DOES COME

BACK IT IS IN LATIN AND

NEEDS TO BE TRANSLATED.

VERY COMPLICATED.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

 

>> THERE'S ANOTHER PIECE

HERE TOO, JARED, WE HAVE TO

REALIZE IN THE CATHOLIC

TRADITION IT IS JUST NOT A

MEETING PLACE.

IF IT FROM A MEETING PLACE,

ONE COULD STILL HAVE AN

ATTACHMENT, FOND MEMORIES,

ET CETERAMENT BUT THE

CATHOLIC VISION IS ONE OF

SACK RIMENTALIT.

AND SO IF YOU NOTICE, WE

MARRIED THE ART YEARS AGO.

AND WE SEE THESE AS WINDOWS

ON THE HOLY.

SO AS JON INDICATES CAN,

WHEN THERE IS REAL BONDING

IN THE CATHOLIC TRADITION IT

IS NOT SIMPLY THIS IS THE

PLACE WHERE WE GATHER, THIS

IS THE PLACE WHERE WE HAVE

AN ENCOUNT WE ARE HOLY

MYSTERY.

NOT THAT WE CAN'T ENCOUNTER

GOD AND HOLY MYSTERY

ELSEWHERE BUT THERE IS A

FOCAL PIECE HERE.

BESIDES, THE OBVIOUS

INDICATIONS OF COMMUNITY AND

PRAYER.

AND GIVEN THE HITS TO

CREDIBILITY THAT LEADERSHIP

AND THE CHURCH HAS TAKEN

BOTH NATIONALLY AND NOW

NOBODY ALLLY, THE LAST THING

YOU NEED IS LITERALLY

ANOTHER LAYER THAT SAYS WE

CANNOT BE TRUSTED.

 

>> AND IN THAT VEIN YOU HAVE

NOW DEMONSTRATED BECAUSE I

GUESS ABOUT 700 PEOPLE CAME

FOR EASTER MASS.

 

>> THIS A LAY-LED PARISH.

 

>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT

STRIKES THE ME THE MOST

ABOUT THIS IS YOU HAVE A

COMMUNITY WILLING TO BEND

OVER BACKWARDS, TO BASICALLY

MAKE THE CHOICES, THE HARD

CHOICES TO RETAIN OUR

SPIRITUAL HOME WHETHER IT BE

BASICALLY REPURCHASING THE

CHURCH FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE.

THEY ARE GOING IT TO SELL IT

TO SOMEBODY, WHY NOT SELL IT

TO US.

SO WE ARE NOT ASKING IT FOR

A FREE RIDE.

WE ARE WILLING TO STEP UP,

COME TO THE TABLE.

ISSUE AN INVITATION TO COME

TO THE TABLE AND DISCUSS

ANYTHING, ANYTHING PLACE,

ANYWHERE EXCEPT FOR THE

CLOSURE OF OUR PARISH.

THAT INCLUDES THE PARISHNERS

OF ST. FRANCIS REPURCHASING

THEIR CHURCH IT IS NOT LIKE

WE HAVEN'T SHOWN

FLEXIBILITY.

WE BELIEVE WE CAN GO OUT AND

EVANGELIZE AND AS WE HAVE,

GROW OUR SPIRITUAL CATHOLIC

COMMUNITY.

IT'S NOT WHAT THEY WANT.

 

>> EARNEST, LET ME ASK YOU

QUICKLY S THERE ANY

PRECEDENT FOR WHAT HAS BEEN

HAPPENING WORLDWIDE AT THIS

POINT FOR NEGOTIATION FOR

PARISHNERS TO THE VATICAN.

 

>> OH, YEAH, BECAUSE THE

APPEALS PROCESS IS THERE.

BUT IT IS LEGITIMATE PROCESS

BUT THE QUESTION IS WILL THE

ANSWER TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE

VERY FACTORS THAT JOHN HAS

INDICATED IN THESE CASES AND

DISTINGUISH IT FROM OTHERS

THAT IF A REASONABLE PERSON

WERE TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE

IMPLICATIONS AND FURTHER

PROJECTION AND THE

POSSIBILITY OF A SUSTAINABLE

COMMUNITY, YOU WOULD HAVE TO

SAY SADLY IN ANOTHER

GENERATION IT'S NOT GOING TO

BE THERE.

BUT JON'S INDICATION IS HERE

IS A COMMUNITY THAT REALLY

HAD A FUTURE.

WAS SECURE K HANDLE THE

CHALLENGES AND SHOULD IT

NECESSARILY BE PREDICATED ON

WHAT SEEMS TO BE A DRIVING

FORCE IN A NUMBER OF DIOCESE

IN THE UNITED STATES S THE

DECLINING NUMBER OF CLERGY.

WELL, THAT CONNECTED

QUESTION HAS TO BE

ADDRESSED.

 

>> YOU CERTAINLY HAVE

PERSEVERANCE, SIX YEARS AGO,

WE'LL CONTINUE TO CHECK IN.

 

>> THANK YOU BOTH FOR

COMING.

 

>> THANK YOU, FOR HAVING US.

 

>> AND IN A MOMENT THE

PRESIDENT BRINGING MORE TO

BEAR FOR B.P..