Please share this information to any and all who might be interested. Thank you! God bless you!
Month: June 2014
Sunday, June 15, 2014, David Harris and I just wanted to reach out to others whose parishes suffered St. Joachim’s fate last year. The Holy Spirit literally directed us to Notre Dame De Lourdes in Swarthmore. We were blessed meeting the parishioners who were trying to understand this decision and also grateful to know that other people care about what’s happening to them. Do You Care?
Read the full story here – “Notre Dame ready to carry the cross for parish”.
If your church is being closed or merged July 1, 2014, you only have until Friday, June 13, (10 business days) to send “a written petition” signed by 2-3 registered parishioners stating the reasons why you are “aggrieved by the decree” to Archbishop Chaput. We strongly suggest that you mail this at the post office by “certified mail with return receipt requested” and you mail it as soon as possible.
The reason you have several parishioners sign this document is to keep this appeal active should something happen to one of the signers. In our case, I quickly wrote to Archbishop Chaput so if something happens to me, St. Joachim’s appeal would stop because I was the only one to sign it. So, I do try to take extra good care of myself.
Here is a PDF of the “Recourse Against Administrative Decrees” which is based on Canon law. The Archbishop has 30 days to respond or not and then you begin the formal appeal process. This PDF explains the initial process.
We can help you. We have been through it – our appeal has reached the doorstep of the Apostolic Signatura (the Vatican Supreme Court). Our canon law consultant, Peter Borre, is willing to assist you initially at no cost to you because he believes, as we do, that closing churches is not the way to balance budgets nor does closing churches provide for adequate pastoral care, much less continue the evangelizing work our Church is called to do.
You may call me or text me at 215.520.5616 or email me at 
patsmiley@keepthefaithinfrankford.org with any questions, concerns or free advice. It’s important for us to unite and to say that not one more church should lock its gates. Let’s work together for good!
For more information about us, visit www.keepthefaithinfrankford.org and find us on Facebook.
Today, there are new announcements regarding the future of our Archdiocesan parishes and the pastoral care of our fellow Catholics in the city and suburbs! In the following article, “Archdiocese Releases Full List of Church Closures”, we can identify with the mystification felt by clergy and parishioners alike. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to why one particular parish is closed while others remain open.
A recent article I read, “Archdiocese Without A Clear Strategy For Closing Churches”, bears out what many of us believe – closing or merging churches is a stopgap effort to stop the monetary leak in the dyke the Archdiocese is suffering from without regard to the pastoral care of those most in need – the poor and the elderly.
There is something you can do about this. Leave a comment, talk to your fellow parishioners and decide to join us in asking Archbishop Chaput to redo the Area Parish Pastoral Planning Process to include the full participation of the laity in each parish. God bless you!