FAITHFUL RETURN TO CHURCH - DESPITE LOCKOUT, 80 FORMER PARISHIONERS COME TO ST. MARY FOR SUNDAY PRAYER SERVICE
Post-Standard, The (Syracuse, NY) - February 4, 2008
Author: Renee K. Gadoua Staff writer

John A. Davies had a simple explanation for standing outside the closed St. Mary Roman Catholic Church in Jamesville Sunday morning, bundled up against the cold and holding two of his three young children.

"This is our church," he said. "We chose St. Mary because we really appreciated the small, local faith community."

The Davies family was among about 80 people who met on the public sidewalk outside the church for a 20-minute prayer service.

The group sang and prayed outdoors because it can no longer get into the church since diocesan officials last week ended a seven-month, around-the-clock vigil . The doors are locked, the power off.

Doors carry "No trespassing" signs. The parking lot also has a sign and yellow police tape discouraging trespassers.

Wednesday, diocesan officials accompanied by sheriff's deputies escorted one man out of the church and later told others they could be charged with trespassing if they returned.

Diocesan officials said they had tolerated the vigil and prayer services until they learned someone brought Communion to the church and held unauthorized Communion services.

During Sunday's service, Communion was not distributed. No deputies were there.

The group, which plans to continue the prayer services, is unhappy the diocese has closed the church. They say the diocese did not include them in the decision and failed to follow church policy. They also say closing the church deprives them of a strong worshipping community.

"We don't think they should close a vibrant, financially solvent church while other options that the Vatican allows are available," said Colleen LaTray.

Those options include allowing a non-priest to serve as administrator or authorizing Communion services in the absence of a priest.

While some dioceses do allow lay administrators to run parishes, Syracuse Bishop James Moynihan requires that all parishes be led by a priest. Diocesan officials say the situation at St. Mary does not fit the requirements for a Communion service without a priest because Masses are available at other nearby parishes.

The group has appealed to the Vatican for the closure to be reversed. They say experts in church law have told them that while an appeal is under way, the parish should continue operating.

"That's not our understanding. That's their understanding," said Monsignor Robert Yeazel, the former pastor of St. Mary and pastor of Holy Cross in DeWitt.

"I feel sad because we've done everything possible to invite them to Holy Cross or other churches," Yeazel said. "It's time to move on."

St. Mary closed July 1 as part of a reorganization that will ultimately close about 40 churches in the seven-county diocese. In 2006, St. Mary became a mission of Holy Cross Church, which placed it under that parish's administration. When St. Mary closed July 1, its liturgical care, including the distribution of Communion, became the responsibility of Holy Cross.

Yeazel said the DeWitt parish has gained about 300 new families in the last six months, many of them from St. Mary. LaTray and other critics of the closure say the number joining Holy Cross is much lower than that.

Chris Prosak said the group protesting the closing remains a parish, even without a priest.

"We continue to pray as a community and keep that Catholic presence alive in Jamesville ," he said. "We continue to pray for openness and a response to the appeal and top have the sacraments and Mass available to us."

Mary Cargian, a 52-year member of St. Mary, carried a crucifix to the Sunday service to remind people of the presence of Jesus.

"We have built a community and we don't want it broken," she said.

Renee K. Gadoua can be reached at rgadoua@syracuse.com or 470-2203.