"Saying the diocese can take away a parish’s building but not its community, about 350 members of a suppressed Cleveland parish defied their bishop’s orders and celebrated Mass Aug. 15 in a rented space as the legally incorporated Community of St. Peter"...
"The St. Peter situation is somewhat unique among closed-down parishes in the country. In many cases, parishioners have struggled to keep their churches open in defiance of the local bishop, some even occupying the church buildings 24 hours a day. That is not the case here"...
“As the bishop went around the diocese closing parishes,” said Bob Zack, a community leader, “he kept saying a parish is not a piece of real estate. It’s a community of people. We understood that, we got it. If he wants the building, fine, take it. But we refuse to be suppressed as a community.”
This could be a model for parishes facing closing in the future. The community could choose to continue as a community because the people of God are the church. The sacred space is a secondary concern for the Body of Christ. These communities could call forth women and men as servant leaders and as priests. This is an early church model. I bet this is just around the corner for other Catholic communities in this priest-short, parish closing times. Congratulations, St. Peter's Community for this courageous step . Other Catholic parishes may follow your example sooner than later. May the Spirit guide one and all as we work to share our faith in caring, worshiping communities. Bridget Mary Meehan
1 comment:
Muy buen comentario. Eso es darle empoderamiento a las comunidades, hacia allá vamos, más rápido de lo que pensamos.
Me permiti colocarlo en la web, igual que la homilia de Roberta Meehan.
Gracias!
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