Parishioners to Ask Vatican to Appoint Coadjutor Bishop, WRNO, January 23, 2009

Parishioners to Ask Vatican to Appoint Coadjutor Bishop

WRNO
January 23, 2009

http://www.wrno.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=135361&article=4888879

Members of two closed N.O. churches claim Archbishop Hughes has displayed "complete failure of pastoral stewardship"

The Vatican will be asked next week to speed up the process of replacing Archbishop Alfred Hughes as leader of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Members of two Uptown churches that were closed last fall under a post-Katrina restructuring plan will send a letter to the Vatican seeking the appointment of a Coadjutor Bishop. The letter contends Archbishop Hughes has displayed "complete failure of pastoral stewardship."

For 72 consecutive days, parishioners of St. Henry and Our Lady of Good Counsel staged prayer vigils at the churches after they were closed. On January 6th, the Archdiocese asked the NOPD to remove the parishioners and then changed the locks on the buildings.

Since then, parishioners have continued holding weekly Sunday services on the steps of their churches.

The letter will be personally delivered to the Vatican by Peter Borre, who has been leading an effort to keep closed Catholic churches in Boston open.