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	Parish Members Fight St. Thomas' Closing By Alan Morrell Democrat & Chroncile June 27, 2010 http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100627/NEWS01/6270336/1003/news01/Parish-members-fight-St.-Thomas--closing As one local Catholic church is preparing to close, members of an Irondequoit parish are continuing to fight to keep theirs open. Our Lady of Mercy Church in Greece is scheduled for its final Mass today. Parishioners at St. Thomas the Apostle, which has been announced for closure, have filed an appeal with Bishop Matthew Clark of the Catholic Diocese of Rochester. That appeal, rarely made in the Catholic Diocese of Rochester, could go all the way to the Vatican for a final decision. "We have had only one other (appeal) in recent years, and the bishop's decision was upheld by the Vatican," diocesan spokesman Doug Mandelaro said by e-mail, adding, "They have occurred with some regularity across the country." Clark announced in late May that he accepted a committee's recommendation to close St. Thomas the Apostle, at 4536 St. Paul Blvd., and St. Salome, at 4282 Culver Road, and create one consolidated parish to serve Irondequoit Catholics. The new parish, which has yet to be named, will worship at St. Cecelia, 2732 Culver Road; Christ the King, 445 S. Kings Highway; and St. Margaret Mary, 401 Rogers Parkway. A timetable for implementing the plan has not been announced. The St. Thomas appeal is a long shot, but not an uncommon tactic, said Michael Ritty, a canon lawyer based in the Albany area. "A lot of parishes have taken this process forward, but generally ... there's not a lot in the parish's favor if the bishop followed proper procedures and weighed all the information," said Ritty. "That's a part of his decision. Part of his obligation is to look at the parishes and say, 'What do we need?' After that, it's up to the higher authorities (at the Vatican) to say, 'Did the bishop make the right decision, based on all the information?'" St. Thomas parishioners involved with the appeal say Clark did not. They say St. Thomas is more financially stable than other churches, with more than $500,000 in the bank and a tenant for its former school that brings in $120,000 annually. They also claim that their parish has stronger attendance numbers than others considered for closing, and that St. Thomas the Apostle is best suited to handle a shortage of priests and the consolidation of churches. "We feel as though we're the vanguard for other churches to be closed in the near future," said Jennifer Lockemeyer of Chestnut Hill Drive in Irondequoit, who wrote the appeal. "If we can build a history of churches that have been made under faulty analyses ... we can help save other churches." Terry Slaybaugh of Hermitage Road said the diocese reneged on a plan for St. Thomas that was supposed to keep the church open at least until 2012. "The appeal is based on facts," he said. "We don't have confidence in the process. There should be some accountability." Mandelaro said it would be inappropriate for diocesan officials to comment while Clark reviews the appeal. Clark has 30 days to respond to the appeal, which was filed June 4. St. Thomas parishioners then have 15 days to respond before the matter goes to the Vatican, Lockemeyer said. The entire process takes about a year, she said. Contact: AMORRELL@DemocratandChronicle.com
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