The Holy Rosary Church, a historic fixture in the community, is being sold to help fund a $104-million settlement for abuse survivors.

The town's parishioners have vowed to block any sale, locking the church doors and barring potential buyers.

After a Sunday mass in September, Mayor Clarence Molloy and a group of locals replaced the church locks. They say they are determined to keep out any would-be purchasers.

"Potential buyers are NOT welcome" declared signs taped to the windows.

One hand-written sign even banned Archbishop Peter Hundt of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St John's from the property.

Buyers not welcome

The sale is part of the archdiocese's effort to pay compensation to abuse survivors from the Mount Cashel orphanage scandal which occurred decades ago. In July, it was announced that the archdiocesan episcopal corporation owes $104 million to 292 plaintiffs.

However, residents of Portugal Cove South who have maintained Holy Rosary Church for over a century, feel unjustly targeted. "We're going to stand firm and make it clear that anyone wanting to buy the church will not be welcome" said Cynthia Power, chair of the Portugal Cove Historical Corporation.

Power proudly declares that she has been a lifelong resident of Portugal Cove South and describes Holy Rosary "as a constant source of strength".

Built in 1917, the church is not just a place of worship but the heart of the community. Over the years, locals have raised more than $136,000 to renovate the building which holds significant sentimental value.

"We're protecting what is ours" Power added, stressing the deep connection families in the town have to the church.

Despite the pleas of the community, Archbishop Hundt stated that his hands were tied. He explained that the sale is a legal necessity to compensate abuse survivors.

"The church legally belongs to the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St John's. It must be sold to meet court-ordered financial obligations" Archbishop Hundt said. He urged parishioners to accept the decision and focus on reconciliation and healing.

However, the community has hired a legal team and remains vigilant and determined to protect their church from outsiders.

Sources

The Catholic Register

The Globe and Mail

CathNews New Zealand

It's a story most parishes could tell. Finding the funds to keep both church and community together can take a concerted effort as a Wairarapa parish can attest.

Keeping it together

Martinborough's First Church gets funding from a property the Presbyterian Church rents out.

As the income is insufficient, fundraising is necessary to balance the books - which is where the church community steps in.

It's pretty hand-to-mouth, says Sherryl Howie, former Sunday school teacher turned arch-fundraiser.

"[Churches] are a piece of history, that's for sure, they're definitely beautiful and hopefully we can retain that by doing some nice things, enjoying ourselves at the same time as raising some money" she says.

Bearing these facts in mind, they have an annual "Spring Fling" event that brings in good money. Other fundraising efforts are dotted throughout the year.

"We ... have a church fair and we sell books all the time ... I guess this happens all round the country" Howie says.

Spring Fling

Held at the town hall, this year's annual "Spring Fling" included dinner, musical entertainment and a fashion parade.

A local musician joined the events saying her "love for that church is just so strong that I want to be part of this" Howie recalls.

"This year, we sold the whole 150 tickets, we fed them and we did the fashion parade. Yeah, it was all pretty good" Howie says.

Tickets were limited to 50 when the event was first held "a couple of years ago" she notes.

"The following year people just said 'look, we want to come, we heard what a great thing this was', so the committee upped the number of tickets to be sold.

"It's not just about raising the funds, it's about bringing that community together to have a great time" she says.

Many of those who attended the Spring Fling had family connections to the church spanning multiple generations, she says.

Connecting past with present

One of this year's big success stories was an update of the Martinborough Cookbook. First published in 1972, the collection of recipes from the Martinborough area was reprinted in 1992.

Now a new generation wants copies.

"The local kids were starting to say things like ‘where can we get that book from? My nana was in that book, my aunty was in that book, I remember that book, my mother had it, where can we get these?'

"We reprinted the book as it was [but with a new foreword], just so that you could see your aunty or your mother or somebody in that book from way back" Howie says.

She hopes getting a younger generation involved in hosting events like Spring Fling will help keep the church and its community going in the future.

Source

• The Post