I went to Lima, Ohio, yesterday to cover an appeals court hearing in a lawsuit by members of the closed St. James Parish in rural Kansas, Ohio, challenging the Toledo diocese over the right to access their former church building.
Here is a copy of the article that ran today.
As a synopsis, the unusual, if not unique, legal angle the ex-parishioners are taking is to argue that Bishop Leonard Blair was a trustee of the parish who failed to act in their best interests. They want the court to remove him as trustee and replace him with someone or some entity that will protect their interests. They are arguing strictly on civil law terms and say Canon Law does not apply in this case.
The ex-parishioners have spent well over $100,000 in legal fees and if they win, they'll have access to their old building but they don't know what they'll do with it.
All they know is they can never go back to being a Roman Catholic parish.
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Sylvania, Ohio
October 8, 2008