Rome decides that legalisms trump facts in Saint William's case

The following document, "Summary of St. William Committee Response to Decree from Rome- 11/5/05" was submitted this week to the from Mary L. Hogan, a leader of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Future of St. William.- Editor

After 21 months of struggle and prayer (including 10 beyond the designated response date), the Ad Hoc Committee for the Future of St. William has finally heard from Rome's relevant court of appeal. In a triumph of legalism over facts, common sense, equity and community, The Congregation for the Clergy affirms the death of St. William Parish.

The decision hinged solely on observance of 4 points of Canon Law:

1a) The Archbishop's authority to establish and close churches (Never disputed)

b) After establishing relevance of the necessary factors and consulting with those who could be adversely affected; (Never happened)

2) Decision made after consultation with Presbyteral Council; (At least 3 months before the Council was, indeed, 'consulted' the decision was declared a fait accompli by both the Vicar Forane and the nominal pastor, and conceded as a 'done deal' by several well-connected lay leaders. (Done in Reverse)

3) Reversal of Chancery's appropriation of St. William assets - now to 'follow the parishioners to the new Parish ad quem' (understood as the one 'to which' they were being sent). (Canon 122 still inequitably applied)

In sum, the Congregatio saw the Archdiocesan description of the idealized process as the way it actually worked. They expressed satisfaction with its 'reasoning', even though neither we, members of the Presbyteral Council, nor the Archbishop's own appointed Reconfiguration-Review Committee have ever been able to get an explanation for the singling out of St. William for destruction among all the Dorchester churches (other than proximity - as if Dorchester Avenue were not a two-way street - and the urban legend of a passing prelate's architectural bias.) They ignored the absence of consultation, the parish's top rank among the 'determining factors,' the sham cluster process, the manipulated reports, incomplete records, questionable actions/inactions of the pastors, and - most egregiously - the human impact on elderly and Vietnamese parishioners.

The elephant labored and brought forth a mouse. The new consolidated parish, despite its dedicated pastor and staff, has scarcely half the weekly attendance of old St. William alone; and offertory collections seldom reach a third of the combined pre-closure support.

The Roman Decree stresses Canon Law's "assets-follow-parishioners" mandate, but ignores the 'proportionately and equitably' provision that should pertain to our Vietnamese members. In effect, there are two parishes ad quem, given the shameful split by which these parishioners - some 40% of the weekly attendees - were shunted away from the rest. (In actuality, there is a third component - a parish ad extra - those who voted with their feet in sadness and disgust at the machinations they experienced.)

This application of Canon 122 to Boston's 'Corporation Sole' (the historic and curious legal construct by which the Archbishop and all diocesan/parish property form a single corporate 'person') is less a critique of Chancery than a cover for the dangerous contradiction of West Coast dioceses' bankruptcy defense (a firewall between diocesan and parish assets,) and East Coast closure-confiscations. It opens a local Pandora's box. Added to failed publicizing of donors' rights - especially when the fire-destroyed church had been rebuilt by parishioners at great personal sacrifice and closed in their lifetime - differential application of closure/appropriation procedures leave us with 3 anomalies:

1) No assets are following the St. William 40% who were directed away from St. Margaret;

2) Though there was no suppression ceremony, disestablishment or deconsecration of St. Margaret (technically, we are assigned to 'Blessed Mother Teresa Parish at St. Margaret Church'), the parish was officially suppressed on paper and the $4 million (plus interest) due from the sale of its high school was taken by the Archdiocese. Parishioners were not informed of their need or right to appeal closure and its effects by the August 2004 deadline, so in another victory for form over substance, they now appear to have no grounds for having this particular asset follow them from one door to the other.

3) As a consequence of the St. William group's recourse to Rome, the 22-year-old church and its 96-year-old land-right are to follow the 1/3 remnant, but with a Catch-22: RCAB expectation of turn-around sale to realize enough money to sustain three aging St. Margaret structures and St. William (now Blessed Mother Teresa) School, currently under repair.

We are not pursuing the matter out of spite, or desire to beat a dead horse, but to insure that the facts, and not just official spin, are on the record. So much has been swept under the rug, we can no longer walk on it. In the face of so many questions and inequities, Rome's calm assurance that the invoking of Canon 122 extinguishes not only St. William Parish, but also any basis for objection, both boggles the mind and rewards Archdiocesan sleight of hand. It is our hope that wider awareness of the maneuvering and mismanagement of recent years will promote long overdue discussion of hierarchical priorities and procedures. Underlying issues, such as the demoralizing effects of exploiting clerical obedience, and Canon Law's roots in pagan Rome's identification of rank with a presumption of right, demand further exploration for the protection of all.

If this review and related details can encourage reappraisal (however agonizing) in aid of other churches' futures, and constructive change for true service of God's will instead of human (imperia) tradition, it will have served its purpose. We hope to contribute to that conversation - and to the best use of St. William property for the good of the community.

- Mary L. Hogan, Recorder,

For the Ad Hoc Committee

Personal Note: As quasi-corresponding secretary for the members, I've observed and want to pay tribute to the quality of their faith and dedication over months of frustration. Time and again I've been humbled and kept sane by their candor, dignity, integrity and - despite all the sadness and hurt - their fundamental charity of soul. The community is blessed to have their presence and caring.- MLH