Parish
Closings Fast Facts
January 14, 2004 statement on
Parish Closings
February 3, 2004 letter from Jim Post and
John Hynes to Archbishop O’Malley
March 8, 2004 VOTF statement calling for
moratorium
March 9, 2004 letter from Steve Krueger
to Chris Coyne
March 31, 2004 letter from John Hynes
to O’Malley
March 31, 2004 Letter from Mark Maloney,
Boston Redevelopment Authority, to Bishop Richard Lennon
May 7, 2004 statement by John Hynes
Flyer for May 23, 2004 event
Financial Implications information |
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Voice of the
Faithful Calls for Moratorium on Parish Closings
Survey Indicates that Local Catholics Feel Process
is Moving Too Quickly and Is Diminishing Trust in the Catholic Church
Newton, Mass. – March 8, 2004 – Voice
of the Faithful is calling for a moratorium on the closing of parishes
in the Archdiocese of Boston. Citing concerns about the hastiness
of the process and the potential impact that reconfiguration will
have on the community, local Voice of the Faithful leaders believe
that Archbishop Sean O’Malley must act responsibly by delaying
action on the recommendations he receives today.
“This process has caused unnecessary stress on Catholics throughout
the archdiocese,” said John Hynes, chair of Voice of the Faithful’s
Boston Council Steering Committee. “Parishes feel as if they
are being pitted against each other, and it is the poor and disenfranchised
that are losing out. We are calling for a moratorium on the parish
closing process until the archdiocese has answered the concerns of
lay Catholics about the closings’ impact on their faith communities.”
In a recently conducted survey by Voice of the Faithful about the
parish closing process, over 63% of parishioners from communities
across the archdiocese of Boston said that they believed that the
process was proceeding too quickly. 56% of respondents also suggested
that they feel this process will continue to diminish trust in the
governance of the Catholic Church. The survey also shows that lay
Catholics are willing to become greatly involved with their parishes
to maintain their faith communities – 81% would utilize lay
administrators, 77% would share priests with other parishes, 75% would
share sacramental ceremonies with neighboring churches and over 35%
would be willing to increase their financial support. Lay Catholics
also indicated that they believe that parishioners should decide what
happens to the proceeds from the sale of their churches. Pertaining
to meaningful lay involvement, Catholics suggested that while they
thought the level of input on the parish and cluster levels was adequate,
they expressed dissatisfaction with lay participation at the vicariate,
regional, diocesan, and archdiocesan stages.
Voice of the Faithful has repeatedly called for meaningful lay involvement
in the parish closing process. Leaders of Voice of the Faithful feel
that since parish closings are to be effected on the archdiocesan
level, lay Catholics should be included in the decision-making processes
at all levels and in the creation and establishment of those processes.
Currently, lay Catholics can only be involved on the parish level,
and then only through their parish pastoral and finance councils.
“The lessons learned from the clergy sexual abuse era are that
without meaningful lay involvement regarding the administrative and
financial affairs of the Catholic Church, the Church cannot rebuild
trust,” said Steve Krueger, executive director of Voice of the
Faithful. “In spite of that, this archdiocese, and others, continues
to operate as though there has been no reason to acknowledge these
fundamental lessons regarding accountability and financial transparency.”
Voice of the Faithful representatives and members are available for
interviews to discuss parish closings. For more information, please
contact Suzanne Morse at 617/558-5252 (office) or at 617/680-2131
(cell) or visit our website at www.voiceofthefaithful.org.
//end
About Voice of the Faithful: Voice of the Faithful
(VOTF) is a worldwide movement of concerned mainstream Catholics
formed in response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The group's
mission is to provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit,
through which the Faithful can actively participate in the governance
and guidance of the Catholic Church. Its goals are to support victim/survivors
of abuse, support priests of integrity, and shape structural change
within the Catholic Church in full accordance and harmony with Church
teaching. VOTF’s supporting membership exceeds 30,000 registered
persons from more than 41 U.S. states, 21 countries and 197 Parish
Voice affiliates throughout the world.
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