Cleveland: Bishop to Reopen Closed Churches, WKYC, April 17, 2012

Cleveland: Bishop to Reopen Closed Churches

WKYC
April 17, 2012

http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/241595/33/Cleveland-Bishop-to-reopen-closed-churches

[with video]

CLEVELAND -- Bishop Richard Lennon announced at a Tuesday morning news conference that the Diocese will reopen a dozen closed churches.

The move comes after an analysis of Vatican decrees which determined that the bishop failed to follow church law in the closings.

Bishop Lennon had the option to reopen the churches or appeal further. He says the decision to reopen the churches was made to prevent prolonging the process. An additional appeal could have taken years.

"It's time for peace and unity in the Diocese of Cleveland," Bishop Lennon said.

The impacted churches are:

St. Mary (Akron)
St. John the Baptist (Akron)
St. Mary (Bedford)
St. Adalbert (Cleveland)
St. Barbara (Cleveland)
St. Casimir (Cleveland)
St. Emeric (Cleveland)
St. Patrick (Cleveland)
St. Peter (Cleveland)
St. Wendelin (Cleveland)
St. James (Lakewood)
St. Mary (Lorain)

The Bishop says work will begin to open the churches in an orderly fashion but adds staffing will be a significant challenge and will require Diocese resources to be spread thinner.

He will work with the parishes to coordinate planning for the restoration of operations, the return of sacred objects and minor maintenance and clean-up if required.

The Bishop says the churches will continue to face the same challenges that led the Diocese to close dozens of additional parishes three years ago.

"It will be essential for each of these parishes to demonstrate on an ongoing basis that they have the active membership and financial wherewithal to sustain themselves."

He made clear that the parishes that appealed the closings had every right to do so under canon law.