St. Frances X. Cabrini Parishioners Beg for Mercy after Eviction Order Upheld

By Ruth Thompson
Wicked Local Scituate
October 15, 2015

http://scituate.wickedlocal.com/article/20151015/NEWS/151017340

The Friends of St. Frances X. Cabrini, Inc. are reaching out to Cardinal Sean O’Malley for mercy after the state Appeals Court upheld a ruling stating parishioners are trespassing.

“Pope Francis has introduced the year of mercy,” said Maryellen Rogers, a spokesperson for the Friends along with her husband, Jon. “Mercy is very dear to the Pope. We ask Cardinal O’Malley for mercy. This church is very important. The people of this community have dedicated their hearts and souls.”

On Oct. 14 a ruling by the Norfolk Superior Court was upheld by the state appeals court stating the Friends, who have been holding vigil at the Hood Street property since 2004 when the Archdiocese of Boston closed the church as part of its reorganization plan, were trespassing.

Maryellen called the Oct. 14 decision “heartbreaking.”

“This has been a joyous burden,” Maryellen said of the fight to save the church. “It’s more than just being here. We say the rosary. We pray. It’s a community and that’s the whole point of this. We celebrate our joys here. And we suffer our sorrows. It’s so much more than just a building. The people in this vigil walk the walk every day.”

During a press conference heavily attended by numerous media outlets on Oct. 15, Jon Rogers spoke of how disappointing the ruling of the appellate court was.

“There is a lot of anger in this room,” he said. “For 24 hours a day, seven days a week, we have protected our spiritual home from the powers that would destroy it.”

The church has a core of 100 vigilers, Jon said, and up to 800 parishioners.

“We’re in the process of exploring the options of filing an appeal,” Jon said. “We’re going to remain in vigil until someone tells us we can’t.”

Mary Elizabeth Carmody, legal counsel for the Friends of St. Frances. X. Cabrini, Inc., would not directly comment on the next legal step the Friends would be taking, but she did confirm the Friends would continue the appeals process.

“We will be going back to the appeals court,” she said. “And we’ll be going back to the powers that be, in this case, Cardinal Sean O’Malley.”

Carmody, along with the Rogers, stressed that O’Malley has never visited the St. Frances X. Cabrini church.

“There is always a solution to the problem to help save the souls he is charged with taken care of,” Carmody said. “These people have sat here for 11 years and asked for meaningful dialogue with their cardinal and they have received none.”