Article published March 07, 2007
SENECA COUNTY
Rural parish holds prayer vigil
Flock marks anniversary of church closure
Parishioners of St. James Catholic Church in Kansas, Ohio, appealed to the Vatican to reopen their church.
(
THE BLADE/JETTA FRASER
)
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KANSAS, Ohio - About 60 former members and friends of St. James Catholic Church, which was closed by Bishop Leonard Blair in July, 2005, held a candlelight prayer vigil last night outside the church, marking the one-year anniversary of the day the Toledo diocese halted their 24-hour prayer vigil.
The group spoke outside the building for about an hour, reflecting on the meaning of parishes to them, the importance of churches to communities, and an update on the lawsuit regarding church property.
"This has never been about the building. It's about the community," said former parishioner Steve Johnson, of Kansas. "We're doing this because we want our community to have a strong Christian education, and we want it to be a good place to raise our children."
The church, about 40 miles southeast of Toledo, was closed along with 16 others in a major restructuring of parish borders by the Toledo diocese in 2005. The diocese said the changes were necessary because of changing demographics in its 19-county region and a shortage of priests.
Members of the closed parish have pursued a number of avenues to try to get their church reopened, including filing an appeal with the Vatican and a lawsuit in Seneca County Common Pleas Court seeking control of the church property and its assets.
The Vatican upheld Bishop Blair's right to close the parish; the lawsuit is still pending.
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