Archbishop ends St. Stanislaus' status as parish in archdiocese

The Kansas City Star ^ | Fri, Jan. 06, 2006 | CHERYL WITTENAUER

[I Believe It's Not Butter]

ST. LOUIS - St. Louis' Roman Catholic archbishop has issued a "decree of suppression" of St. Stanislaus Kostka church, ending the historic church's standing as a Catholic parish in the St. Louis archdiocese.

The traditional Polish parish, which is at odds with the archdiocese over control of the parish's property and assets, is appealing the suppression, along with last year's interdict and last month's excommunication of its lay board of directors and priest.

"We saw it coming," parish spokesman Roger Krasnicki said, adding that St. Stanislaus has retained a canon lawyer. "We're doing as much as we can as fast as we can."

According to church law, a move to "suppress" a parish ends its affiliation with the larger Catholic church.

The decree, dated Dec. 29 but announced in the archdiocesan newspaper on Friday, was delivered Wednesday to the parish's lay board along with a cover letter from Archbishop Raymond Burke.

The archbishop wrote that he was obligated to suppress the parish because it operates independently of the archdiocese.

"I have issued the decree with the greatest sadness," Burke added, "considering the long history of the parish, which has remained obedient to the Apostolic See until these recent times."

The move to "suppress" the parish was the latest development in a two-year dispute between Burke and the parish's lay board of directors over control of St. Stanislaus' $9.5 million in assets.

The church's property and finances have been managed by a lay board of directors since its founding 126 years ago.

Since Burke arrived here in January 2004, he has sought to make the parish conform to the same legal structure as other parishes in the diocese and hand over control of its assets. As the parish resisted, Burke responded with increasing pressure - removing its two parish priests, issuing an interdict denying sacraments ...

[I Believe It's Not Butter]

It had to be excerpted for posting here but do read the whole article. The Archdiocese continues to wet dream about a lawsuit against St. Stanislaus made possible now with Burke's suppression. That fellow and his cronies have no fear of God.

[JohnnyZ]

The faithful members of St. Stanislaus are doing very well, served by a Polish priest at a neighboring parish.

The crooks who took over the parish council, who have refused any independent audit of the assets they contol, who drove out their last two priests and went out and hired one more to their liking -- well, their behavior speaks for itself.

[jecIIny]

Three cheers for Archbishop Burke! This should be the end of the story. Let them do what they want now that they are officially no longer Catholic.

[I Believe It's Not Butter]

Three cheers for Burke is four too many, unless you meant farts. What he did to St. Stanislaus is sinful abuse of ecclesiastical power. His talk how he ached while excommunicating and sending people to hell for their own good is dripping with hypocrisy. He behaved not as a bishop and shepherd of the Church but as a faithless villain. May God have mercy on his soul.

[Pyro7480]

Please give evidence.