Sale of Churches Nets $19 Million

WTAM
January 9, 2012

http://www.wtam.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=122520&article=9587073


The Roman Catholic bishop of Cleveland says the sale of 26 closed churches has netted more than $19 million that will be allocated to other parishes.

The buyers include non-catholic congregations, a drug-rehab center and charter schools.

Bishop Richard Lennon reported on the sales at a news conference Monday.

He says about $5 million of the sale proceeds went to closing expenses and to pay shuttered parishes' debts. Nearly $8 million went to other parishes and charity.

Fourteen parishes are still for sale. Some sales were put on hold by parishioner appeals to the Vatican to keep churches open.

In recent years the eight-county Cleveland diocese has closed or merged more than 50 parishes, blaming declining numbers of priests, parishioners and finances.