Phila. Archdiocese Attempting To Sell Historic Black Church
by Kim Glovas
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A hearing was held today on the status of the historic Saint Peter Claver Catholic Church in Old City. It's a black mother church which has been struggling for its survival since 1986.
Now, a judge has ruled that a trustee will be appointed in 20 days to protect the interests of former parishioners.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia sent an announcement out to black parishes in May, saying that a deed restriction would be removed, allowing St. Peter Claver to be sold. The original deed, written with guidance from Saint Katherine Drexel, states that the church was designed to serve the black community.
Margot Osorio, a parishioner at Saint John The Evangelist, said however, only part of the notice got into the church bulletin.
"They neglected to put in the bulletin that you could object, where you could file the objection, and the date by which it should be filed. It's really sneaky and underhanded what they did. It's only part of the notice, they didn't give you all of the notice," she said.
She and at least 42 other people wrote objections to Judge Matthew Carrafiello. A follow-up hearing is slated June 26th.
