Lockport NY

Both the Buffalo News and the LUSJ have reported on St. Marys losing their first appeal on the Bishop,s order to merge with All Saints.

The appeal by St. Mary’s Church to the Vatican to stay open has been denied, but the Catholic parish on the Big Bridge will not go gently into the night.

The Rev. Gary Kibler got word Thursday from canon lawyer Philip Gray that the Congregation for the Clergy, which oversees parishes, decided to uphold Bishop Edward Kmiec’s 2007 decision to close St. Mary’s.

On Saturday, the 15-member St. Mary’s strategic committee decided to take its case to the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura if necessary. That’s the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church.

Parishioners heard the word at 4:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday and supported the decision to continue the appeal...

 It would be a shame to see a viable parish have to close its doors. Especially so when it is an iconic structure that is part of the scenery of the Flight of Five and logos incorporating such. Hopefully they will succeed as the catholic church can be picky when it comes to building reuse and it is nice to have in the neighborhood with the services they offer.