From The Plain Dealer: Parishioners, priest from closed St. Peter Catholic Church defy bishop, celebrate Mass in new home

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Defying the authority of their bishop, parishioners and their priest from the closed St. Peter Catholic Church in downtown Cleveland celebrated Mass Sunday in leased commercial space they transformed into a church independent of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese.

The move by the new Community of St. Peter puts members in danger of excommunication because they had been warned by Bishop Richard Lennon, who shuttered St. Peter’s in April, not to hold worship services in places without his approval.

Still, about 350 people, joined by their spiritual leader, the Rev. Robert Marrone, gathered for their first Mass and communion in their new home — a newly renovated, century-old building on Euclid Avenue and East 71st Street.

“This feels real good,” said parishioner Bob Kloos of Cleveland Heights. “This is the handiwork of hundreds of people over many, many months.”

Group leaders emphasize that they see themselves as traditional Catholics and are challenging the closing of St. Peter’s, not the tenets of their faith.

“Here, enlightened by Christ . . . we can renew our dedication to the traditions of our faith which we hold as precious,” Marrone said in his sermon. “Today is a day for action, not reaction; imagination, not fear.”

He added, “I know it has not been an easy journey for you as it has not been an easy journey for me. But standing here today, I am filled with gratitude, peace and confidence.”

…

The St. Peter rebellion is unique because unlike in Boston, where five congregations, in defiance of the archdiocese, have been illegally occupying closed churches for up to five years, the Cleveland group has created its own worship space complete with a new altar, baptismal fount and sacred icons.

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The group’s annual budget for rent, staff and a reserve fund is about $200,000. So far, about 325 people out of 700 parishioners at the old church have made the switch to the Community of St. Peter.

The congregation, made up mostly of suburbanites, had been quietly considering the breakaway ever since Lennon announced in March 2009 that he was closing their 151-year-old church building on the corner of Superior Avenue and East 17th Street.

The bishop’s order was part of a downsizing that saw the closings of 50 churches over the last year because of dwindling collections, fewer parishioners and a shortage of priests.

…

They told Lennon that the non-profit corporation was set up as a means to raise money to continue their social service and education programs after their church closed. The leased commercial space, they said, was for social gatherings to keep the congregation together. They did not tell the bishop they were setting up a church because at the time the community was still exploring the idea and had not made a decision.

Still, the bishop sent letters at the end of March of this year to each member of St. Peter’s, suggesting their salvation was in jeopardy if they conducted worship services outside of a sanctioned church.

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Despite the bishop’s admonishment, many in the congregation pushed on after their church closed in April, meeting every Sunday at Cleveland State University to pray and collect money for their new space.

But much of the flock was vexed with two gnawing questions:

Will Marrone come with us?

Are we willing to be excommunicated from the Catholic church for breaking off from the diocese in disobedience to the bishop?

Some left the group. Some stood by undecided. Some moved ahead.

But for months, Marrone, who has been on an extended leave of absence from the diocese since St. Peter’s closed, stayed silent, talking only to those closest to him.

At age 63, he had spent his whole life immersed in the Catholic culture. He entered a seminary at age 13, was ordained at age 26 and lived his whole adult life under a vow of obedience to Catholic hierarchy.

Now Marrone had to decide whether to be faithful to the congregation he had inspired and nurtured for more than 20 years, or to the bishop who closed his church.

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Marrone, in the earlier interview, described the Catholic church as being “in deep conflict with itself” and St. Peter’s split as “a tragic comedy.”

“None of us wanted to be in this position,” he said. “We did not seek this out. There just comes a point when you stand up and say, ‘We can’t do this.'”

“This is a sociological story,” he added, “not just a religious one.”

“It’s an ongoing story. It’s an evolving story. In my last sermon at St. Peter’s I said, ‘The exodus begins. Come, let us go.'”

As a member of the PNCC I absolutely understand the struggle these folks are facing, and on a personal level I know the hurt they feel. Doors will now start slamming and papers will be flying (interdict and excommunications). Smaller hurts will grow into bigger hurts and people will say: “This is Church?” That said, I do hope that these folks are able to hold onto their Catholic faith. I also pray that they find their way through this difficult time to a renewal of their faith.

Now for my prognostications. Based on the evolution at St. Stanislaus in St. Louis, those attending are likely to fall out in three groups — and my prediction is that they will evolve as follows:

Roman Catholics who are angry, upset, and feel stymied by an intractable bishop. These folks love the Am-Church Catholic culture with communion in the hand, the required eucharistic minister (just look at the pictures), and the remainder of the kumbaya experience of the American Church model. That is home for them. This group will eventually fade back into their local suburban parishes once they get tired, or will just stop going because of the hurt. Many will end up as nominal, paper only, Roman Catholics so someday they get the Church wedding for their kids, baptism for their grandkids, or their own funeral. Probably about 65% of the current contingent. They will disappear from the scene.

Liberal Catholics (quasi-Protestants for the time being), those who want to make-over the Church in their image, to suit their agendas. In about a year, they will be joined by other dissenters and will push for womenpriests, gay marriages, and whatever else fits their image of Church. Probably about 25-30% of the current contingent. They will grow.

People with ethnic connections to their faith, and others who have a traditional Catholic understanding, but reject the idea of bishops who can take their property. They will find a home in the PNCC or in other more conservative Churches because it makes sense for them, an infallible Church with solid teaching and a proper bishop, but where they won’t be manipulated and pushed around. The remainder of the current contingent, 5-10%. They will disappear from the scene.

The same thing is happening at a parish in the Albany, New York diocese, albeit on a smaller, slower scale. The bishop’s play in Albany was to close an extremely liberal parish and merge it with an extremely conservative parish. Funny bishop. I imagine he’s not there mediating any of the parish council meetings.