February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
At St. Albert’s in Weymouth, which parishioners have been occupying since last August, members such as Louise McRae expressed joyful relief after learning on Monday that their church would be fully operational again by the Fourth of July.
“We’re so excited and very, very happy,” she said. “We’ve been praying and hoping for this for a long time.”
In May of 2004, O’Malley announced a comprehensive closing plan, telling parishioners that his action was necessary because of declining attendance. The deteriorating condition of some properties, changing demographics, a shortage of priests and a financial crisis caused in part by the clergy sexual abuse scandal.
Since last summer, the archbishop has closed 62 of the archdiocese’s 357 parishes. St. Albert’s was the first of eight parishes to be occupied by protesting parishioners, who have held round-the-clock vigils since August 29. Seven parishes still remain occupied by protesting church members unwilling to accept the closure decisions.
On Thursday, O’Malley announced that six other churches previously targeted for closing would remain open indefinitely, while another was granted a reprieve until 2008.
“It is my hope and prayer that the decisions announced today will be received with an open heart and understanding by all the people of the archdiocese,” O’Malley said. He based his decision primarily upon the recommendations of a lay panel he appointed last fall.
Churches which will now remain open, in addition to St. Albert’s, include: St. Isidore in Stowe, St. Mary of the Angels in Roxbury, St. Pius X in Milton, Sacred Heart in Watertown, and St. Peter Lithuanian in South Boston. St. Susanna in Dedham got a reprieve until 2008, while Infant Jesus-St. Lawrence will remain open as a chapel of St. Mary the Assumption in Brookline.
Although some parishioners have expressed resentment and frustration with the lack of dialogue and the protracted nature of the review process, most members outside St. Albert’s last week expressed gratitude that their voices have finally been heard.
“Many of us have actually had some sympathy for Archbishop O’Malley,” said John Mullin. “He got thrown into the lion’s den when he took over for Cardinal Law, but he’s a sincere, kind-hearted person. Right now we’re just ecstatic about his decision to keep our church open.”
The next church slated for closing is Holy Trinity in Boston’s South End, the only parish in the archdiocese that offers Mass in Latin.
Although there are no indications that the church will remain open, parishioners there were buoyed by the events of last week.