CTA-NY Mobilizing to save parishes

CTA Metro NY is mobilizing Catholics and educating themselves about the rights of parishioners in preparation for the diocese's pastoral planning initiative. "While parishioners are given a voice through various stages of this process, the decisions are made by the hierarchy and these decisions do not always seem to be in the best interest of church communities and the people they serve," said the organizers, so they've brought in experts to start the discussion about their right to be involved.

The Jan 26th event will include canon lawyer Sr. Kate Kuenstler and Sr. Christine Schenk, who has worked with local communities to keep parishes open across the country."At our last Call To Action conference in Milwaukee, several of our members attended the talk given by Sr. Christine Schenk  on "Yes, you can change Vatican policy." Sr. Chris was instrumental in preventing the closing of many Churches in the United States." Explained chapter leader, Margaret Meehan, "Sister Kate Kuenstler, who is a Canon lawyer, is totally familiar with the type of process we are experiencing in the Archdiocese of New York. We believe that she can give us the direction we need so that we can have the greatest possible participation in the process and in the  knowledge of the eventual sale of church property and the disposition of the proceeds of those sales."

Check out the local press coverage the event has gotten and if you live in NYC, be sure to attend on Jan 26th!