Appeals Committee Status report

Labas visi:

It was a pleasure to see most of you today at what turned out to be a superb celebration.
Our attorney attended the court hearing for the Italian church in the North End and remarked that the group and attorneys lacked focus. She also attended our Wednesday evening Mass and was most impressed with the church and Lithuanian parishioners.
Our demographic chart has been prepared by Joe Casper and looks excellent.
The Archives sub-committee has likewise done an excellent job and exhausted all avenues. It's too bad the buried treasure box allegedly behind the corner stone does not exist. A thorough search including X-rays of the area showed nothing.
Our next recourse is to wait for the legal brief from our attorney which should be forthcoming soon.
First of all, we haven't received the formal decree of suppression with closing date. Our Parish Parochial Council did not agree to a closing date, so the Archdiocese will just have to set their own. Also, by setting our closing Mass date, it would seem that this would indicate acceptance of our suppression. Therefore, our formal appeal has not yet been made and won't be until the decree is received.
Next, our semi-official appeal to the Congregation of the Clergy at the Vatican was acknowledged but nothing has been heard yet. It's important to note that the appeal hasn't been returned to us as being premature, nor have we received a rejection.
Therefore, in summary, we haven't received the decree of closing, won't be able to make our formal appeal until we have the decree, and our appeal to the Vatican hasn't been returned or rejected.
It wouldn't be a good idea at this time to rattle our legal sabers, as a mathematical possibility exists that we may be successful in staying open, and by making noise, might antagonize our opponents. It would be best for us to speak softly at the present. We can use the big stick later if the above items fail.

On another front, we are progressing with our application to the IRS for a 301(c) exemption certificate which will allow any donations made to us to be tax deductible for the donors. The application to the IRS should be ready in a week or so. It's amazing at how many forms and questionnaires have to be filled out.
As soon as we receive our legal brief, our path will be clear. Meanwhile, prayer is our most effective weapon.
Tony Shalna