[sinkspur]

I suspect that the actual charter states the parish is part of the Roman Catholic church, which would probably mean that the Archbishop would win.

Oh, I don't doubt that. Now, however, Burke has ruptured the relationship with the parish, and will have to take them to court anyway.

He may "win," but what will he have won?

[redgolum]

Sadly, good point.

My home church is in the LCMS, and my father and some of the other elders recently had to sort through the whole Missouri corporate law thing. In the LCMS constitution, the local parishes control the property. Under Missouri law however, it isn't that cut and dried, and since the LCMS is headquartered in St. Louis it has to operate under Missouri law. This made it a nightmare to deal with a piece of property that had been willed to the parish.

It took a couple years to sort out, and that was with the full support of the Synod at large. In St. Stans case, I fear it will be much more ugly.