Time for another "Mission from God."
Posted on 02/20/2017 12:41:26 PM PST by BlessedBeGod
If Cdl. Blase Cupich gets his way, the 102-year-old landmark will be sold to the Chicago Academy of Music, its convent converted into dormitories, its rectory turned into a living space for musicians, and its Italian marble sanctuary renovated into a stage...
In July, parishioners formed the nonprofit St. Adalbert Preservation Society, and filed appeals to the archdiocese against selling off the church. A canon lawyer also filed an appeal to Rome asking that Cupich's decision be reversed.
Multiple requests by the group to meet with Cdl. Cupich have gone unanswered.
Emily Nielson, co-founder of the Coalition to Save the Shrine and a Chicagoan who supports saving the parish, spoke with Church Militant. "It is disappointing that, over the past year of tireless work by the parishioners of St. Adalbert's (now the St. Adalbert Preservation Society), including raising over a million dollars and forming valuable partnerships with community groups, the archdiocese has consistently refused to meet with them," she said...
Although the Academy says it's open to sharing its renovated space with Massgoers on Sunday, parishioners object to putting the sacred space to profane use...
"The Archdiocese has been positing a false dichotomy in which a sale to CAM is presented as the only alternative to demolition," Nielson told Church Militant.
Nielson also notes the double standard of the archdiocese, which is using an image of St. Adalbert's "iconic towers and graceful façade" to help raise millions for its capital campaign, all the while planning to sell it off to a secular group.
"That the archdiocese should use this beautiful churchs image to attract donations while simultaneously seeking to sell it away from its dedicated parishioners shows a cynicism of the deepest order'," she remarked. "It is only more heartbreaking that a number of the faithful most committed to St. Adalbert's are the direct descendants of the people who built it in the first place...
Peak Catholic Church.
Does he have the authority from Rome to do so, and to do so unilaterally?
They should be grateful Cupich didn’t sell the church to Planned Parenthood, or to Man’s Country.
This is happening in my diocese here in NJ; Italians are steamed that two of their churches were closed and very upfront that the future sales of the properties were the driving force. They’ve said they reached out to the Vatican, but as of now I’ve seen no indication that the sales will be stopped.
Has the sale gone through yet? Don’t give him any ideas.
I’m afraid that Cupich is one of Pope Francis’s left-wing buddies. Might do better to appeal to the Chicago Mafia.
This is why I never donate to a “capital campaign” for a parish church that answers to a local bishop. The people trying to save this church should stop wasting their time dealing with the bishop and hierarchy. Instead, they should mount their own PR campaign, using the events at this church to explain to Catholics in Chicago how the archdiocese’s capital campaign is a hoax and a fraud.
This is what happens when you have hirelings as bishops instead of pastors.
Count on the dorms be given to muslims.
Suspect donations to the Church under Pope Francis is, shall we say, not keeping up with inflation and are declining to an alarming level. Selling real estate will keep the Party going for a while but not long. May soon see some “dusty” or “secular” items from the Vatican museum up for auction soon.
There is plenty of blame to go around. That particular area of Chicago is no longer Italian except in historical name only. It has developed into a population of new immigrants from Mexico- as well as white yuppies and students (UIC).
There are always those who want to preserve every single parish, despite changing neighborhood demographics. The fact is that this St. Adalbert church is less than one mile away from the other parish church that it was merged with.
“Does he have the authority from Rome to do so, and to do so unilaterally?”
Apparently, you are not aware that Cupich is Frankie’s butt boy. Everything he does is encouraged and approved by Frankie.
Well, if he has that authority, I’m not sure what the issue is.
This is far from an isolated incident and will become the norm. The Church cannot continue to hold and maintain these beautiful monuments to the faith. Sadly, I also don’t see any great new churches being undertaken in the next few decades.
The a Church will become small (as Benedict warned) and will worship in modest places. Sad, but perhaps necessary.
Maybe move to St. Louis, or Arizona.
Sadly I agree. I have become a “Cheaster” under the leadership of Pope Francis and Cardinal Cupich.
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