Boston, USA - Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley announced Thursday that St. Albert's Church, the scene of a seven-month around-the-clock vigil, would not be closing.
NewsCenter 5's Amalia Barreda reported that after hearing the news, parishioners said their prayers had been answered. The parishioners started their vigil on Aug. 29, 2004.
"We celebrate as a parish. We are joyous as a parish. We know that there is a lot of hard work ahead of us as we reopen our parish, and we are a stronger parish since our vigil," said parishioner Mary Akoury.
Once the church reopens, it will be without the Rev. Ron Coyne, the former pastor. A new priest has been assigned. The parishioners said that news was bittersweet.
"It is not that we are ungrateful, it's just that it would have been nice to have him back. He is what has kept us here. His fervor, his enthusiasm, his love of both Jesus and his parishioners," said parishioner Mary Santry.
The committee that recommended the reversal of the St. Albert closing said Coyne had expressed to O'Malley no desire to be assigned to Weymouth.
"The extent and earnestness of the committee's effort is beyond what I had hoped for. They immersed themselves in this work with extraordinary generosity of their time," said O'Malley.
A reopen date has not yet been set. The parish council will meet at the church Thursday night, followed by a meeting with parishioners Friday.
The archdiocese also announced modifications on its stance on three other parishes.
At St. Anselm in Sudbury, where parishioners have held a vigil similar to St. Albert, the church will remain open as a chapel only, not as an independent parish. At St. Florence in Wakefield, there was a complete reversal, and its closing was overturned. Sacred Heart in Lexington will be merged into one parish for the town. Sacred Heart's pastor will oversee the transition and the new parish.