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	Vigil at St. Stan's to Be Featured in Time Magazine By Scott Stafford Berkshire Eagle January 10, 2009 http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_11422351?source=most_viewed ADAMS — The St. Stanislaus Kostka parishioners' vigil to keep their church open is featured in the next edition of Time magazine hitting newsstands Monday. In fact, the growing effort to prevent Catholic church closings is garnering growing media attention, including a front-page story that appeared last week in The New York Times about the ongoing vigils in Boston titled "Quiet Rebellion." And a news crew for WNYT, Albany television channel 13, stopped into St. Stan's Friday for interviews and footage. St. Stan's parishioners — who've been keeping vigil since the morning of Dec. 26 and beyond the church's Jan. 1 closing — are glad they're getting the widespread attention, but they aren't sure it's going to help. "I think it's indicative of what's going on in Catholic churches across the country," said Adams resident Paul Demastrie as he stood vigil in the church Friday afternoon. "It's a major story because it's national, not just a community issue. And if the church winds up closing anyway, at least we can say we did our best." "It's getting the word out nationwide and even worldwide of what's happening with the churches," said Francis Hajdas, a spokeswoman for the St. Stan's vigil. "As far as we're concerned, there's no reason to close our church, outside the fact that they need the money to pay off lawsuits for clergy abuse." The vigil movement has had mixed results. Of nine vigils in Catholic churches in Boston, four churches have been reopened, and five vigils are ongoing. Vigils that started in October to keep two churches in New Orleans open were ended earlier this week when the diocese put an end to the sit-in. Police there forced their way into the buildings, and two parishioners who locked themselves in and refused to leave were arrested. The closings of St. Stan's and St. Thomas Aquinas was announced in August, and went into effect at the first of the year. Those two churches are being merged with Notre Dame under a new name. 'It was heartbreaking' Local parishioners have appealed St. Stan's closing to the Vatican, but it has not returned a decision. Demastrie is a former parishioner of St. Thomas Aquinas in Adams, which was recently closed, and his wife is a former parishioner of Notre Dame in Adams, which became Pope John Paul The Great, the last remaining Catholic church in town. "We came to the last Mass (at St. Stan's), and it was heartbreaking — my wife and I feel we need to support them in their efforts to save their church," he said. "It really has hit them hard. A lot of lives have gone through here, and now the diocese wants to rewrite history and make it seem like it never happened." Although owned by the Diocese of Springfield, St. Stan's was funded and built in 1905 by Polish immigrants, and has been decorated, enhanced and added to using donations from the local Polish community ever since. Parishioners contend the diocese is trying to take away the spiritual and cultural center of their community that was paid for, built and maintained by generations of their families. More than 100 taking shifts But the forced end to a three-month vigil at two churches in New Orleans has some of them a bit worried that something similar could happen here. "There's not much we can do either way," Hajdas said. "I don't know if we should be concerned or not. Our bishop (Timothy McDonnell) said he would not do anything, and we'll take him on his word. If does something, he's gone back on those words." Hajdas noted that the vigil is going well, that more than 100 people are taking shifts to be sure the church is occupied 24 hours of every day, and that a Polish caroling event last Sunday drew more than 130 people. "We're maintaining," he said. Peter Borre, one of a group of parishioners fighting church closings in the Boston area known as the Council of Parishes, has been advising St. Stan's vigil organizers. He offered his congratulations to them on the Time piece in an e-mail Friday. "Well done, all you guys at St. Stan's; you are the heroes, and I hope this gives you the encouragement you richly deserve," he wrote. To reach Scott Stafford: sstafford@berkshireeagle.com, or (413) 664-4995.
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