The Battle for St. Mary's
September 4, 2003
By Toby Westerman
Copyright 2003 International News Analysis Today
www.inatoday.com
In a swift application of old fashioned grass roots civic action, fueled by the prospect of the demolition of their historic church, a congregation has managed to save their place of worship - at least for now.
A firestorm of parishioner and public outrage greeted what many described as an underhanded attempt by some members of the Winnebago County Board of Commissioners to demolish St. Mary Oratory located Rockford, Illinois. The Board proposal is in connection with the construction of a new county jail.
The move by the Board against St. Mary's apparently began during the Labor Day weekend when the Bishop of Rockford, Thomas Doran, was out of town and the priests who operate St. Mary's were in a yearly meeting in Italy.
St. Mary's is administered by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, an order devoted to providing the Mass and Sacraments in their pre-Vatican II form. The Institute has the support of Bishop Doran.
First word of the Board's possible intentions came from the Rockford Register Star in its Sunday, August 31 edition. County Board member Mary Ann Aiello rallied the St. Mary's congregation following the 9AM Sunday Mass, informing the faithful of the time and place of two Board meetings where the fate of St. Mary's would be on the agenda.
Aiello informed INA Today that the name of St. Mary's Oratory was originally listed on the copy of the agenda she had received, but stated that as publicity grew about the move to acquire St. Mary's, the church's name disappeared from the agenda. Only a reference to land acquisition remained.
Aiello showed both agenda copies to INA Today.
Thomas Fleming, editor of
Chronicles Magazine and member of St. Mary's, put his resources behind the preservation of St. Mary's. Fleming contacted William Donahue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. Speaking on a local radio program by telephone hook-up, Donahue warned the County Board that his organization would defend the rights of St. Mary's and examine all legal aspects of the Board's actions toward St. Mary's.
In the face of a citizen effort ranging from phone calls to elected officials and talk call-in shows, to securing top legal assistance, the Public Safety subcommittee of the County Board on Wednesday, September 3rd, passed a resolution promising not to seek the demolition of St. Mary's. Other top local officials, including the mayor and sheriff, stated publicly that they reject the idea of destroying the church.
The destruction of St. Mary's now not only lacks support, but no one will admit originally advocating the proposal.
The present battle to preserve St. Mary's is won, but nearly all of the congregation believes that more uncertainty and struggle may well lie ahead for St. Mary's of Rockford.
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