August 8, 2014

Vatican offices deny appeals of parish mergers in two deaneries

Criterion staff report

Two Vatican offices recently denied petitions by Catholics in the Batesville and Terre Haute deaneries who sought to have parish mergers that took place there in 2013 and 2011 rescinded.

In both cases, the petitioners were informed of the decisions last month.

The Apostolic Signatura, the highest canon law court at the Vatican, denied petitions by four people in the Terre Haute Deanery who sought to have the merger of Holy Rosary Parish in Seelyville with Annunciation Parish in Brazil rescinded.

Earlier this year, a panel of members of the Apostolic Signatura had denied the appeal. In response, the petitioners appealed to all of its members. This appeal has also been denied. It is the last appeal that can be made regarding the merger of Holy Rosary Parish.

In another case, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy has denied a petition by a group of Catholics in the Batesville Deanery who sought to have the merger of Holy Guardian Angels in Cedar Grove with St. Michael Parish in Brookville rescinded.

The appeal to the Congregation for the Clergy was the first appeal of the decision to the Vatican. Any further appeal must be made to the Apostolic Signatura.

Although both parishes cited in the appeals have been merged with neighboring faith communities, Holy Rosary Church in Seelyville and Holy Guardian Angels Church in Cedar Grove remained open for limited sacred use, such as for weddings and funerals.
 

(For more information about the “Connected in the Spirit” planning process, log on to www.archindy.org/connected.) †

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