Archdiocese Says It Won't Force Parishioners to Leave
WDSU
October 28, 2008
http://www.wdsu.com/news/17822993/detail.html
NEW ORLEANS — Parishioners at two New Orleans Catholic churches are asking their lawyers whether they can appeal a judge's ruling in the battle to keep their places of worship open.
On Tuesday, a civil court judge refused to grant an injunction against the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Parishioners filed the legal action in hopes of keeping Our Lady of Good Counsel and St. Henry open.
Judge Kern Reese told the church members he sympathized with their arguments but could find no legal standing to keep the buildings open.
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Despite the ruling, parishioners continued their round-the-clock vigils inside both churches.
"We plan to keep the church open. That's our ultimate goal," Our Lady of Good Counsel member Jackie Martello said.
Martello and her supporters said they will take turns inside the church until the Vatican hears their appeals.
"We have people signed up for the next couple of weeks taking shifts. We have people doing the overnight shift," Our Lady of Good Counsel member Barbara Fortier said.
Fortier said she could not understand why the Archdiocese chose to close her church when the number of parishioners has been on the rise.
Archdiocese spokesperson Sarah Comiskey said the church had no plans to force the protesting parishioners to leave.
"It's a very, very emotional situation. We know that. It's a high-stress situation. It's almost like having a death in the family," Comiskey said.
Archbishop Alfred Hughes made the decision to close the two churches seven months ago as part of a larger reorganization plan.
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