Parishioners evicted from closed church after 11-year vigil

Vigils have held off the closure of the church for 11 years – that’s more than 4,000 days of defiance.

“It’s time for Cardinal O’Malley to come forth to meet with the people from St. Francis, to find out about the sex abuse crisis right here in this parish and understand the commitment of these people”, said Mary Elizabeth Carmody, lawyer for the Friends of St. Frances X. Cabrini.

The archdiocese shuttered the church in 2004 as part of a reorganization effort, and the parishioners have occupied it since.

Scituate parishioners who have kept their closed church open for years are vowing to continue their fight after their appeal was denied. They’ve passed the time with prayer and puzzles, and have slept on lumpy mattresses during overnight shifts.

Archdiocese officials did not immediately comment on the group’s statements. “Yet, this has never happened”.

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Wednesday upheld a June ruling by a state judge that found the parishioners were violating state laws and ordered an end to their long occupation.

The appeals court issued its judgment in the case October 14, agreeing with the archdiocese’s stance that parishioners are trespassing on church property.

In its ruling, the Appeals Court acknowledged the parishioners’ “heartfelt beliefs” that they are entitled to remain in the church “as an exercise of their freedom of religion”. “We ask the Friends of St. Frances to respect that decision and conclude the vigil”, he said. “The parishes of the Archdiocese welcome and invite those involved with the vigil to participate and join in the fullness of parish life”.

The Boston Globe reports (http://bit.ly/1GIURQ7 ) that the group, which members say numbers about 100, is considering legal options.