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	3 Wmass Churches Get Reprieves By Jeanette Deforge The Republican February 16, 2011 http://www.masslive.com/springfield/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-33/129784415341110.xml&coll=1 In what one expert is calling a landmark decision, three closed churches in the Springfield diocese have been given at least a partial reprieve. St. Patrick's and St. George churches in Chicopee and St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Adams each received decisions from the Congregation for the Clergy in Rome which will allow the three churches to reopen. "It is marvelous," said Margaret L. Page, a member of St. Patrick's Church whose name was on the appeal on behalf of the about 4,000 families who are members. "It would be a perfect opportunity for the people of Chicopee Falls to have a church again." While the decree allows the churches to be reopened, it upholds the right of the bishop to dissolve the parishes, leaving questions about staffing and membership. About a dozen parishes had appealed decisions from officials for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield to close or merge churches in Hampshire, Hampden, Franklin and Berkshire counties. It is not known if others also received reprieves. Citing a lack of priests, financial problems and declining membership, officials for the diocese have closed or merged at least 69 churches in Western Massachusetts since 2000. Some of the church buildings have remained open to house new parishes that were created when two or more parishes were closed and merged under a new name. While churches are celebrating, Peter Borre, chairman of the Boston-based Council of Parishes, who helped two parishes file appeals, said the decree is complex. It upheld the decision from Timothy A. McDonnell, bishop of the Springfield diocese, to merge or close the parishes. The parishes are the territory the church serves, Borre said. But it calls for the churches to remain open. "This is a split decision. You lose the parish but gain the church," he said. Reversing the closing of a church is extremely rare but a few across the country have recently seen appeals upheld. In December, Pope Benedict XVI rejected appeals for several churches in Boston, some of which have been occupied for years in protest, Borre said. "There is a whole world of detail and that has to be the next fight," he said. "Springfield will be plowing fresh ground with this." The Springfield diocese has 60 days to file an appeal with the Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, which is the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church with the exception of the Pope, the decree said. McDonnell has requested a review of the decision about St. Stanislaus by canonical lawyers and declined to comment until he receives more information. He was unaware of the decrees for the other two, Mark E. Dupont, diocesan spokesman said. Members of St. Stanislaus Church rang church bells to celebrate, despite the questions about the next steps to restore the church. More than 200 church members have taken turns to occupy the church around-the-clock since Dec. 26, 2008, to try to keep it open. "We are just very happy and deeply grateful and we feel very blessed that our prayers have been answered," Laurie D. Haas, of Adams, said. Haas was the parishioner named in the appeal and she said she received the decision Tuesday. "Everyone is delighted and ecstatic and they are literally jumping for joy and praising God," she said. Haas called it the "providence of God" when asked why she felt her appeal was successful. "The next step will be up the bishop ... on how the church will be reopened," she said. Members of St. George were more reserved about the news. "I'm very happy about it but I'm just trying to be realistic and try to get a grasp of where we are right now," said Rachel M. Bradford, a Chicopee native who moved to Connecticut but remained a church member. St. George Church closed in November 2009. It was one of five in Chicopee and 19 across Western Massachusetts which the diocese announced it would close in August 2009. "We are positive and we are happy about any small win," Bradford said. St. Patrick's Church closed in November 2009. Its school closed in June 2008. Page received the decree for St. Patrick's Monday. When she first read it, she thought the appeal had been denied. "I can say how happy we are and we hope the bishop will open the parish in Chicopee," she said. Join the conversation Here's what a masslive.com user had to say about closed Catholic churches winning appeals: "As a former parishioner of St. Patrick's this is most wonderful news. I pray that the diocese does not appeal this decision. Now it is up to us to demonstrate the validity of the congregation's decision. Thank you, Dear Lord." - starpillar Want to learn more? Visit www.masslive.com/howto to set up an account and post your thoughts Contact: jdeforge@repub.com
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