Recently, I have noticed a series of news reports that a certain Catholic church is closing/has closed/has been closed for the last 7 years and not given it a lot of attention. I just don't understand what the vigil is supposed to be about, so it sort of surprised me. Apparently, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in East Boston has been ordered closed for the past 7 years, as has, I think 7 other Catholic churches in the greater Boston area, 4 of which have held persistent vigil masses despite being officially closed, Mt. Carmel's being the longest continuous vigil. They finally sealed the doors of Mt. Carmel and intend to prosecute trespassers; meanwhile, the parishioners continue to hold vigil and appeal to the Vatican, which has denied all past appeals to keep the church open.
Here are several online articles that I found out about it:
http://articles.boston.com/2012-04-07/metro/31300785_1_easter-vigil-archdiocese-canonical-process
http://articles.boston.com/2012-04-20/news/31374979_1_boston-archdiocese-parishioners-locks
http://articles.boston.com/2012-04-21/metro/31374603_1_protest-vigil-parishioners-shuttered-church
http://www.necn.com/04/22/12/Our-Lady-of-Mount-Carmel-parishioners-sh/landing_newengland.html?blockID=694370&feedID=4206
http://bostoncatholicinsider.wordpress.com/2012/04/21/archdiocese-closes-boston-church-ends-vigil-after-7-years/
The video on the NECN page (New England Cable News) is similar to the video I have seen this morning. The archdiocese statement:
"For the better part of seven years we have permitted the vigil while the petitioners pursued various appeals. The time for this vigil to end has come. We pray that they will choose to join an open and welcoming parish to experience the fullness of their faith through parish life."
In another video this morning, the woman featured in the NECN video responded, to paraphrase, that she will not go to another parish, as that would show support to the decision of the archdiocese. I don't really know what the archdiocese is - I do know that the Vatican denied appeals to re-open the churches. I also understand being sentimental, but I don't understand the mentality of Catholic faithful who feel that their church is the only church to worship and receive sacraments, so much so that despite being unrecognized further by the Vatican, they have been habitually entering and occupying said church for the purpose of worship and sacraments. If your church has closed for whatever reason, go to another one, right?
For all intents and purposes, I see this as some sort of division from the Catholic Church. They disagree with the official proclamation and continue to hold services in their distinct church, or on the steps in the rain, whatever so pleases them. And they pray. Nobody so far has raised money (as far as I've read on the subject, which is admittedly not that much) to buy the building from the church, and as far as I can tell, the church still owns it as far as they can change the locks and seal the doors, they just don't officially recognize it as a church or any services held there.
Even furthermore! Of all things to oppose the archdiocese over, or the Vatican, or whatever, it's an empty locked building they want; I haven't heard thing one about the atrocities of priestly pedophilia and cover-ups therein. I don't even know if that's relevant here to skip over to this step, since I'm not Catholic, and we're all aware of this insane issue. All scandal aside (for now),
I don't get it.
