Here’s another example of why these parish closing sit-ins are not a good idea. At Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in East Boston the protesters have split over an invitation to a schismatic group of nuns to participate.
Most of these protesters are neither traditionalist nor liberal, they’re just people in the pew with an average, i.e. little, understanding of those hot-button issues that, for example, drive the blogosphere wild. I can see why some of the people in East Boston would see no problem with inviting these nuns to help out: they have problems with Rome, too, and look they must be good because they wear full habits.
Some of the parishioners feared the nuns planned to take over the church and convert Mount Carmel parishioners to their brand of religion.
“They came looking to open up a church in the Northeast,” said parishioner Gina Scalcione, who said she and another parishioner were injured in a scuffle Jan. 3 when the nuns and their Mount Carmel supporters tried to enter the church. Boston police arrived and eventually escorted the nuns into and out of the church that evening, according to police and people who were present.
I’m afraid that some of these fringe groups will look at these protesting parishes and, let’s admit it, sometimes naive people as ripe for the picking. It’s the Protestant Reformation all over again.
Dozens of parishioners who continue to support the vigil are now awaiting word from Rome about an appeal of Mount Carmel’s closing sent to the Vatican last October.
They are also waiting to hear back from a committee formed by Archbishop Sean O’Malley to review the reconfiguration process.
Just a thought…from a lay person (it’s important to give one’s credentials and lay folk are totally cool these days)
Can we maybe jettison the bleeping “committee?”
Peter Mead? Blue Cross needs you. Go back.
Sister? I don’t know…somebody needs you. I’m sure somebody does.
But can you just sorta…go away?
Dom, perhaps you could explain – is the Archbishop compelled by canon law to have this committee and allow an appeal to Rome, or is doing this to be nice?
In parish closings I’ve heard of the possibility of an appeal to Rome was never discussed (i.e. St Thomas (Harlem) and St Anne (Union Sq/Chelsea), and even if this is always a theoretical possibility more that a delaying tactic—have any such appeals ever resulted in an adverse decision to the bishop? Would such a decision require the bishop to staff and subsidize a parish in perpetuity?