Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in St. Louis has appealed to the Vatican its merger with St. Joan of Arc and St. Mary Magdalen parishes as part of All Things New and received a new decree suspending the effects of the original decree announced in May. Seven other parishes also appealed to the Vatican and on July 31 received a decree suspending the effects of the original decree.
The new decrees instruct the pastor, lay leaders and archdiocesan support team to halt any decision that might be difficult to reverse if the Vatican’s Dicastery for Clergy decides against the merging or suppression of a parish.
“As a bishop, I am called to uphold canon law, and in this I am upholding the canonical process that we made very clear was available to people,” Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski said, speaking about the decrees of suspension of effects issued July 31. “It’s to respect the process of appeal of my decisions and the canonical process and recourse to Rome.”
During a suspension of effects, the finances of the appealing parish, including bank accounts and finance council, will remain unchanged. Other elements, such as merging parishioner registrations and transferring parish records and archives, also will be put on hold.
The parish’s ministry-related activities will continue, including any current or interim Mass schedules; and combining pastoral councils and ministries such as RCIA and youth ministry.
Read the new decree for Our Lady of Sorrows at allthingsnew.archstl.org/Decrees-and-Letters. Read more at stlreview.com/3KlZrO3.