BishopAccountability.org
	Members of Churches Set to Close Seek Advice from Some Who Have Been There By Michael Luo The New York Times [New York] January 27, 2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/27/nyregion/27church.html?_r=2&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin&oref=slogin A week after the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York released its final list of 21 parishes to be closed as part of a broad reorganization, some parishioners are digging in for a battle, enlisting help from parishioners in the Boston Archdiocese who successfully resisted some church closings there with round-the-clock sit-ins. Parishioners from Our Lady Queen of Angels in East Harlem plan to march today in their neighborhood to protest the archdiocese's decision to shutter their parish. They have also invited Peter Borré, co-chairman of a group in the Boston Archdiocese called the Council of Parishes that fought church closings, to speak to them and offer advice on how to take on church authorities. The decision to consult with Mr. Borré, 68, who has also been in touch this week with parishioners at Mary Help of Christians in the East Village, which is also on the closing list, could portend a protracted struggle ahead for archdiocesan officials in New York. "We're not out to tell anybody what to do," Mr. Borré said. "That's up to the parishioners. But we'll share willingly all of our experiences." In Boston, Roman Catholic officials have sought to close 83 parishes since 2004, but parishioners managed to win at least partial reprieves for about two dozen churches through a combination of appeals to the Vatican, lawsuits, sit-ins and news media attention, Mr. Borré said. In about half the cases, the victories are for now only temporary, he added, with authorities merely holding off on a promised closing, or delaying issuing a final date for the "suppression" of the parish. But in the other cases, he said, archdiocesan officials actually reversed their decision to close the parish, or at least allowed parishioners to keep their church building as a worship site, or established for them smaller chapels attached to another parish. Parishioners are still conducting sit-ins in five churches, in some cases occupying the buildings 24 hours a day for 27 straight months, holding services week in and week out without a priest, even though the churches are considered closed by church authorities. The efforts of Mr. Borré's organization have been extensively chronicled in The Boston Globe. Mr. Borré, a Harvard graduate who spent his career working on energy issues in government and the private sector, is in many ways an unlikely crusader against the Roman Catholic hierarchy. He got involved in fighting church authorities when his parish in Charlestown, Mass., was scheduled to close. He and other parishioners won a partial reprieve when the archdiocese agreed not to close their church completely but allowed them to keep their building as a worship site connected to another parish. A member of Mary Help of Christians contacted Mr. Borré for advice this week, but church members have not yet decided their next move. They will be convening tomorrow to discuss strategy, said another longtime member, Marlena Palacios. They are contemplating, among other possibilities, a protest in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral, she said. But an important question is how many parishioners feel strongly enough to devote themselves to the effort. "A lot of people want to fight," Ms. Palacios said. "A lot of people want to keep it open, but that doesn't mean they're going to get involved." Parishioners at Our Lady Queen of Angels began mobilizing almost immediately after the announcement last week. Established in 1886, the parish initially served German immigrants. Today, it caters to a mixture of Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Dominicans and black congregants. Attendance at the parish has dwindled to about 400 at Sunday services. For members of the mostly immigrant congregation, said Carmen Villegas, 52, a longtime parishioner, the church is a home away from home. "There's only a few places we feel at home, and at Queen of Angels, we feel at home," she said. "They're taking our home from us." Ms. Villegas said she had been in touch over the past year with Francis Piderit, a New York-area leader of Voice of the Faithful, a national organization that was formed in the aftermath of the clergy sexual abuse scandal to press for more accountability and transparency from Roman Catholic leaders. Voice of the Faithful organized a meeting in the spring for parishes on the initial New York Archdiocesan list to discuss their options. Soon after last week's announcement, Mr. Piderit contacted Ms. Villegas to offer his condolences, told her about Mr. Borré's successful efforts in Boston and asked if she might want to talk with him. She immediately agreed, she said. "They have done a great job in Boston," Ms. Villegas said. "They have stopped the process in some of the churches." The next day, Mr. Borré offered to fly down to meet with Ms. Villegas and others from the parish. Last Sunday, Ms. Villegas stood at the altar after the Spanish-language Mass and told her fellow parishioners about Mr. Borré and called on them to form a prayer circle for the church outside after service. "I got up in the pulpit and said, 'We are resisting this decision,'" Ms. Villegas said. "If you want to join me, I'll be outside." About 150 people gathered and sang "We Shall Overcome," she said. About 50 more gathered after the English-language Mass. Ms. Villegas, who has been a member of the parish since 1974, said she was unsure if the church had enough people to hold a round-the-clock sit-in, something Mr. Borré said required about two dozen committed members. Gloria Lopez, 61, said she was prepared do whatever was necessary to keep her church open. "We're not going to budge from the church," she said. "They won't be able to get us out." Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the archdiocese, said that the churches on the closing list already had their chance to make their case. "We believe we have acted properly, carefully, consulting at every step along the way. The decisions have been made, and there is no intention to go back on them."
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.