Save St. Stanislaus Kostka Church from the greedy Archbishop!
I am neither Polish or Catholic but I know the value of maintaining the rich history that is St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in North St. Louis. While the St. Louis Archdiocese has for decades closed city parishes the lay board governing St. Stanislaus has managed to maintain its own buildings, grounds and saved for a rainy day.
If anything, the St. Stanislaus lay board should run all the affairs of all the St. Louis parishes!
The parishioners of St. Stanislaus Kostka church have put together a very informative website which will get you past the rhetoric that diocesan spokesperson Jamie Allmman is spewing.
From the St. Stanislaus Kostka website:
St. Stanislaus Kostka Chuch was built by Polish immigrants in the 1880’s. It is currently the only Polish parish remaining in St. Louis. St. Stanislaus Kostka Church is presently maintained and run as a not-for-profit corporation by the church parishioners and is recognized as such under the laws of the State of Missouri. Under a land deed signed by Cardinal Kenrick in 1891, the parish property was assigned to a parishioner-run corporation in perpetuity. Since that time, the parishioners of St. Stanislaus have grown the parish to include the eight (8) acres of land immediately surrounding the Church. The parishioners recently raised money for the construction of a $2.5 million dollar state of the art Polish Heritage Center. The total value of St. Stanislaus Church the land, buildings and financial assets – is estimated at approximately $9.5 million dollars.
Cha-ching!!! Archbishop Burke can’t be happy when a parish does well – who needs the church structure if parishes can make it on their own? As many of you know, the Archbishop is pressuring the lay board to turn over control of the church to the archdiocese. You can help them stay independent – go to the site, read what they have to say, sign up for their email list and call archdiocese and tell them what you think of their greedy tactics (the phone number is on the site).
Click here to Save St. Stanislaus Kostka Church
Click here to read my previous post on this subject from 12/8/04.
Thank you for helping Save St. Stanislaus Kostka Church!
– Steve
I understand that Jamie Allman is being paid 170,000 bones to defend the Archbishop publicly. Certainly this is not an expense that would be necessary if the Burke would just do the “right” thing. He should use the rule I present to my children “What would Jesus do?” Of course as we all know this certainly is not about religion or spirituality.
As an American of Irish descent, don’t give into
Archbishop Burke.
When we attend Catholic Schools we are all told
that we are the church. The Archbishop needs to answer to us.
Where does the money go once it is received at the
Chancery office?
The Archbishop needs to step up and answer the questions and not hire a front man.
Each diocese of the Roman Catholic Church is, essentially, an independent corporation and fends for itself financially.
Archbishop John Vlazny of Portland Oregon says that he does not have the power to seize the assets of parishes because the “Code of Canon Law does clearly state that parish properties belong to the parishes themselves.” Nevertheless Burke claims the opposite. It is a matter of convenience.
Historical perspectives:
http://www.crisismagazine.com/november2002/feature1.htm
By the time of the American Revolution, Catholics had been forbidden to practice their religion or to conduct schools, had been denied their right to vote or hold government office, and had been subjected to double taxation. Lay trusteeships were established to protect church property from civil seizure. Once that crisis passed, a century later, the episcopal heirarchy wanted to regain control of the church property. The argument for holding the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore: “The clergy need to be strengthened and protected against the people and the people also against the irresponsible ways of the clergy and the Bishop against both.”
Whether the archdiocese or the laity owns a parish is purely about maintaining financial control.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07719b.htm
Indeed, celibacy was instituted in the Catholic Church in order to keep church property from being inherited by priests’ families.
God Bless Rev. Bozek and the members of St.Stanislaus.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the reason for any church body,not cannan law.
I left the catholic church years ago because of cananan law and church politics that I could no longer ignore.
Jesus said to “love oneanother as I have loved you”….”feed the hungry clothed the naked” …”visit the sick and imprisioned”
We need more priest like Fr. Bozek that are more intersted in serveing Christ by feeding his sheep, rather than trying to “control” a 95 ml budget that goes to..?????
The prayers of many of your non Catholic brothers and sister in Jesus Christ are with you
Ed laney
I was born in 1939. At that time, the Rev.Victor
J. Gorzel was the pastor and my grandmother was
his housekeeper. The love of his parish and his
parishioners was undaunted. The love of his
parishioners seemed almost more. Their faith was
beautiful.
I am so much appalled at this travesty by the
Bishop. It is confirming what so many other
churches always claimed. Catholics are about
money. Well, not the congregations, just the
higher ups.
At these grave times, we need to concetrate on
the love of God and not on the love of control.
I am still a practising Catholic. I was baptized
at St. Stanislaus Kostka and will always feel a
part of that beatiful parish.
This parish was built on love of God and each
other. These people never asked for anything from
the diocese, except acceptance. Alot of sacrifice
and giving built this parish.
Why now my dear Bishop? You are stating Canon law
and in the end The Almighty will be the judge.
Bless you Father Bozek. You are truly a soldier
of Jesus Christ.
I remain, Ms. Diane Bingheim
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