Scituate: Group to Appeal Order to End Church Vigil

By Erin Dale
WATD
May 14, 2015

http://959watd.com/blog/2015/05/scituate-group-to-appeal-order-to-end-church-vigil/

A judge has ruled that Scituate parishioners must end their decade-long, 24-hour vigil.

The Friends of St. Frances Cabrini are ordered to leave the church within 15 days, by May 29.

They’ve occupied the parish building in a 24-hour vigil since Oct. 26, 2004. The Boston Archdiocese gave the group and its leaders notice to vacate Feb. 3 of this year, bringing a charge of civil trespass against some of the group’s members.

Norfolk County Superior Court Judge Edward Liebensperger heard from both sides in a five-hour bench trial on May 5 and issued his decision today.

Friends of St. Frances spokesperson John Rogers said that while his group is “extremely disappointed,” they still “believe that the scope of the trial was so narrow, that the whole truth wasn’t heard. And I think it’s imperative for not only us, but everybody else out there, that the whole story gets told.”

The Friends plan to appeal, and are calling on their supporters to help.

“We’ve drawn a line in the sand, and that line says ‘This stops, and it stops with us.’

“This is not the end; the vigil will continue twenty-four-seven, as it has from the very beginning,” Rogers added. “And we believe, ultimately, we’ll be victorious.”

Parishioners went back to the church this afternoon.