Diocese will not budge on Lathrop House issue

4/17/2004

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo remained steadfast in its support to move the Lathrop House during a meeting yesterday with an African-American group that asked it to hold off on doing anything until talks could be completed.

Keith Mitchell, a spokesman for Alpha Phi Boule, said the group asked Bishop Leonard Blair for a moratorium on moving the house in Sylvania that historians say was a safe house for runaway slaves.

But the bishop instead told the group to meet next week with the parish that wants to move house for an expansion project - St. Joseph, Mr. Mitchell said.

The diocese did not return a telephone call yesterday seeking comment on the meeting, but has maintained throughout the debate that it supports St. Joseph's plans with the city to move the house to a nearby park, where it can be run by the Metroparks District of the Toledo Area.