Six more Catholic churches were granted closing extensions on Monday, the same day the Archdiocese of Boston announced that 16 recently closed church properties would be put on the market.
The announcement to grant reprieves to the churches comes just days after Archbishop Sean P. O’Malley met with the pastors of 18 churches scheduled to close as part of the archdiocese’s reconfiguration plan.
The extensions, given at the request of pastors, were granted so the archdiocese can better explain its process, and to make the transition to new parishes smoother.
“In all cases, the archbishop desires to provide the assistance that will help the parish community to make as calm, peaceful and prayerful a transition as possible,” according to a release from the archdiocese, which says it does not plan to reverse any of the closings.
St. Jeremiah in Framingham had its closing date postponed from Dec. 1 to May 15.
“Hopefully the archdiocese will take this time to look at some of the issues we have about closing,” said lifelong parishioner Lorraine Dray. “Many people have concerns with our welcoming parish, such as parking, traffic and handicapped access.”
O’Malley announced plans to close 83 churches because of financial pressure, declining attendance and a shortage of priests. While many have shut down quietly as scheduled, parishioners in eight have refused to leave the buildings by holding round-the-clock vigils. They claim viable churches are being shut down for no good reason. While the archdiocese has not taken action against any of the parishioners holding vigils, a 69-year-old man was arrested last week for refusing to leave a closing parish in Winchester.
The archdiocese on Monday informed prosecutors that it does not want the man to be criminally charged.
The extensions are an empty gesture, said Peter Borre, co-chairman of the Council of Parishes, a lay group that has been advising churches scheduled for closure.
The other churches granted closing extensions are: Our Lady of Mercy in Belmont, from Nov. 18 to Dec. 31; Holy Trinity in Lowell, from Nov. 20 to April 3; Sacred Heart in Watertown, from Nov. 22 to Jan. 9; Sacred Heart in Lexington, Nov. 21 to a date to be determined; and St. Florence in Wakefield, from Nov. 27 to a date to be determined.
The other 12 pastors who attended the Nov. 11 meeting can contact the archbishop if they decide they want to extend the closing dates of their churches.
The announcement that 16 former churches have been put on the market comes the day after Secretary of State William F. Galvin proposed selling the real estate to an investment trust so shareholders could decide what to do with it.
The archdiocese had not received the details of Galvin’s plan as of Monday evening, an archdiocese spokeswoman said.
“We are receptive to looking at it,” Ann Carter said. “We’ve already looked at a lot of possibilities but are happy to see more.”
The sale announcement does not preclude the implementation of the plan, Galvin said.
Galvin said he is concerned that the archdiocese won’t get maximum value for the property at a time when the church has acknowledged a financial crisis.
“This seems to be a distress sale, and people selling under distress don’t have the best bargaining position,” he said.
The archdiocese will accept offers for the 16 properties for 90 days, after which the offers will be evaluated. Evaluations will be assessed not just on price, but on whether proposed use for the property is consistent with the church’s mission.
“Each decision will be based on many factors, including proposed property use, price and contingencies,” Chancellor David W. Smith said.