Archbishop moves ministry from Polish parish until dispute resolved

Published: 2004-08-06

ST. LOUIS (CNS) -- Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis has temporarily moved the pastoral care of Catholics of Polish heritage from a historically Polish parish to a different parish until a dispute over handling of finances can be resolved. The archbishop decided to transfer the weekly English- and Polish-language Masses and ministries at St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish after its lay board of directors in late July took control of parish finances from the parish's administrator, Father Philip Bene. The decisions by the lay board and the archbishop are the latest actions in a nearly yearlong feud between many St. Stanislaus Kostka parishioners and the archdiocese over its request that the parish dissolve its lay board of directors and agree to archdiocesan governance. The 124-year-old parish is the only one in the archdiocese to have an independent governing board, a concession made to some ethnic parishes in the 19th century. In his letter to parishioners, Archbishop Burke said a letter from board chairman Bill Bialczak about the changes in financial authority is "in direct violation of universal church discipline" and shows "a profound lack of respect for legitimate church authority." The archbishop's letter, written in both English and Polish, called the transfer "temporary."

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