St. Louis Polish parish rejects archdiocesan call for restructuring

Published: 2005-01-17

ST. LOUIS (CNS) -- Members of a historic Polish parish in North St. Louis have overwhelmingly rejected calls by the St. Louis Archdiocese to restructure their parish operations to bring them into conformity with church laws. Despite the decision, St. Louis Archbishop Raymond L. Burke continues to offer reconciliation to the lay board of directors of the civil corporation at St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish with the hope and prayer the parish will be a part of the archdiocesan family, said Msgr. Vernon Gardin, archdiocesan vicar general. But Jan. 9 parishioners voted 299-5 against a proposal to "turn over all property, funds and parish control to the Archdiocese of St. Louis." Prior to the vote Archbishop Burke told parishioners that he may have to withhold the sacraments from the parish's board of directors -- through a church procedure known as an interdict -- unless the parish agreed on a plan that would follow the model used by other parishes. Under the current structure at St. Stanislaus Kostka, the pastor is subject to the authority of the board, and the board has steadfastly opposed restructuring. The archbishop set a Feb. 4 deadline for a parish decision to restructure. The board and parishioners have expressed fear that the changes will result in the loss of their parish, an event archdiocesan officials have said will not happen.

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