Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Polish parish weighs settlement with archdiocese

A predominantly Polish parish in St. Louis is considering a settlement with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that St. Stanislaus Kostka parishioners heard details Sunday of a settlement that, if accepted, would return the church's standing as a Roman Catholic parish.

Parishioners will take a survey Aug. 8 on the proposal, though final approval rests with the board of directors.

The dispute dates to 2004 when former Archbishop Raymond Burke demanded that St. Stanislaus conform to the same legal and financial structures as other parishes.

The board refused, and Burke pulled the church's priests.

When the board appointed its own pastor, Burke excommunicated him and stripped the church of its standing as a Roman Catholic parish.

SIC: KPLR11