Home About Archives RSS Feed

Parishioners Set Vigil to Save St. Stan's

Staff Reports
image description

Parishioners Set Vigil to Save St. Stan's

The day after Christmas, 2008, a group called the Friends of St. Stan's entered the church vowing to not to leave until every last avenue to save the historic Polish church had been tried.

Last week, three days after the church's official closing by the Diocese of Springfield, nearly a dozen group members were working on a schedule that keep the building occupied by at least three people at all times.

"We've got a lot of support," said Francis Hajdas, the group's spokesman. "People have been bringing us coffee and doughnuts."

He and Henry "Hank" Tomkowicz were pouring over large schedule board, trying to plug in empty time slots with volunteers. There were a lot of holes to plug, but the group was undaunted.

With good reason, it appears - more people are joining the effort.

Hajda, contacted on Monday, Jan. 5, said about 130 people had gathered at the church to sing carols on Sunday evening. "It was a really good showing," said Hajdas. The event was so successful, the singing will resume next Sunday but at 2 p.m., an easier hour for the former parish's elderly to attend.

The church will also be in the national spotlight. A reporter from Time magazine spent the entire afternoon on Friday interviewing parishioners; a photographer showed up Sunday.

A strategy meeting last week was attended by close to 100 people, said Hajdas. At least that many are expected for this week's meeting; meetings are held at 7 p.m. on Mondays.

The diocese, meanwhile, has said it won't interfere with the vigil unless safety issues arise. The Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, said, "We'll leave it to the will of God."

The appeals process in Rome could last more than a year; the diocese has said it is unlikely to overturn the local decision.

St. Stan's was one of six churches closed this fall as the diocese restructured parishes in light of declining attendance and a lack of priests. St. Thomas in Adams closed the week before St. Stan's; both parishes along with Notre Dame, were consolidated into the Parish of Pope John Paul the Great. Notre Dame was designated as the new parish church.

In North Adams, St. Francis of Assisi and Our Lady of Mercy were closed and consolidated at St. Anthony's Church, now known as St. Elizabeth of Hungary.

Those closings, while heartbreaking for many parishioners, were not met with the same level of bitterness as at St. Stan's. Parishioners there fear losing their church also means losing their heritage.

And so the Friends of St. Stan's are determined to go on. Hajdas spent four night in the airy, but chilly, church last week.

"Church pews can be surprising comfortable," he said.

     

Support Local News

We show up at hurricanes, budget meetings, high school games, accidents, fires and community events. We show up at celebrations and tragedies and everything in between. We show up so our readers can learn about pivotal events that affect their communities and their lives.

How important is local news to you? You can support independent, unbiased journalism and help iBerkshires grow for as a little as the cost of a cup of coffee a week.

News Headlines
Students Named to Simon's Rock Fall 2023 Dean's List
Clark Art Free Gallery Tours for Parents and Infants
Berkshire Adult Baseball League Welcomes Players for 13th Season
EPA Lays Out Draft Plan for PCB Remediation in Pittsfield
Williamstown Select Board Awards ARPA Funds to Remedy Hall
North Adams Regional Reopens With Ribbon-Cutting Celebration
Clarksburg Sees Race for Select Board Seat
Crosby/Conte Statement of Interest Gets OK From Council
WCMA: 'Cracking the Code on Numerology'
BCC Wins Grant for New Automatic External Defibrillator
 
Appeals Process
Parishes have some options to protest their closings.

Appeal to the bishop within 10 days of a decree of suppres-
sion or merger. He's got 30 days to get back to you - or not. 

 

 

 

If the answer is still no, the parish then has 10 days to appeal to the Congregation of Clergy in Rome. They could take years to respond and usually back the bishop.

All is not lost. The next step is to appeal to the Apostolic Signatory, the Vatican's "supreme court." It is headed by St. Louis' former Archbishop Raymond Burke, who leans conservative.
If the first appeal for a hearing fails, the last step is a plea to the full bench of the signatory. The process can cost thousands.
Stories

Bishop Hopes Closings Reinvigorate Parishes

Bosley Wants More Dialogue on Church Closings

Parishioners Seek Solution to Save St. Stan's

Parishioners Set Vigil to Save St. Stan's

St. Stan's Closes With
Tears and Defiance


St. Stan's Hopes for Strength in Numbers

St. Stan's Pins Prayers on Mediation Request

 

 

 

 



Categories:
Boston (3)
coverage (4)
diocese (9)
event (5)
parish (5)
related stories (2)
Rome (6)
update (12)
Archives:
Tags:
Borre Decision Marians Vigil Thanksgiving Council Of Churches Apostolic Signatura Tomkowitz Decree Hajdas Closing Opening Christmas Time Divine Mercy Reopening Trabold Decision Anniversary New Orleans Deicision Appeals Republican Appeal Congregation Of Clergy Ruling
Popular Entries:
Vigil's Anniversary Topic of Republican Column
Diocese Says Vatican Upholds Closure of St. Stan's
Vigils End in New Orleans
St. Stan's Vigil to Mark Two Years
St. Stan Vigilers Hope Prayers Answered
Diocese Releases Statement on St. Stan's Ruling
Parishioners Set Vigil to Save St. Stan's
Time Magazine Records Parishioners' Fight
St. Stan's Joins With 30 Parishes in Appeal to Rome
St. Stan's Pins Prayers on Mediation Request
Recent Entries:
St. Stanislaus Reopens For Palm Sunday Mass
St. Stanislaus Church To Reopen
Diocese Says Vatican Upholds Closure of St. Stan's
Diocese, Vigilers Appeal Ruling on St. Stan's
Diocese Releases Statement on St. Stan's Ruling
First Western Hemisphere Divine Mercy Images Still at St. Stan's
St. Stan Vigilers Hope Prayers Answered
St. Stan's Announces Church Is Saved
Pontiff Rejects Boston Parish Appeals
St. Stan's Vigil to Mark Two Years