The two Catholic churches on Mount Pearl are now at the center of the lobby over which will be saved, and as the city’s church leaders are blocked, the decision rests largely with Archbishop Peter Hundt.
Is the Church of Mary Queen of the World on Topsail Road, where parishioners have been practicing their faith for about four decades, the future of Catholics on Mount Pearl?
Or is St. Peter’s on Ashford Drive, which is newer and bigger?
These are very emotional questions that come at a time of great upheaval for religious throughout the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John.
St. Peter’s Parish was established in the fall of 1982 and the first Sunday service was held in July 2001. (Terry Roberts / CBC)
The Catholic properties in the St. John is being sold while the archdiocese seeks to compensate victims of Mount Cashel abuse.
Committees linked to the two Mount Pearl churches submitted bids to the court-appointed insolvency supervisor, Ernst & Young, but CBC News has learned that both bids, considered too low, were rejected. And there doesn’t seem to be any other adequate supply of bidders not tied to the church.
Now a great decision must be made: to pool the resources of both parishes and to present a new, more substantial offer for one of the two churches.
But here’s the problem.
Mary Queen of the World Church on Topsail Road in Mount Pearl was completed in 1984. (Terry Roberts / CBC)
A 10-member steering committee is leading the effort to determine a path for Mount Pearl Catholics, consisting of five members from St Peter’s and five from Mary Queen of the World.
Not surprisingly, they are blocked and unable to decide which church to keep as a place of worship.
The only thing they seem to agree on is that the only viable path is a church. This is because congregations are shrinking and raising the money needed for a mortgage to buy one of the churches is more realistic under a single united parish.
It’s a divisive issue, and no one talks on the record.
CBC News learned that a meeting was scheduled for Thursday morning, with representatives from both parishes making a presentation to the archbishop on why their respective church should be saved.
The meeting was to be held at 9 a.m. in the archbishop’s office, but did not go ahead as planned.
It is not known if the meeting was rescheduled.
Peter Hundt is the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John. (Paula Gale / CBC)
The only thing that is known for sure is that the footprint of the church on Mount Pearl will soon be greatly reduced.
“Every side doesn’t want to lose their church,” said a longtime member of St. Peter’s. CBC does not have his name. “Everyone believes theirs is the right church.”
The parishioner said “no one wants change,” but there seems to be agreement that it is no longer feasible to keep two churches in Mount Pearl.
Hundt has turned down interviews throughout this insolvency process, but will have to make a difficult decision very soon.
The total claims have not yet materialized, but are expected to be around $ 50 million.
Victims’ lawyers want the sale process to continue, and a Supreme Court judge is expected to approve a number of sales, including the basilica, next week.
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