The Battle for St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church in St. Louis

About three years ago, the Catholic Archdiocese tried to take over ownership of the Polish Catholic Church of St. Stanislaus Kostka. The members of the congregation banned together and refused to do so. The Diocese wanted possession of all financial accounts of the church. Archbishop Raymond Burke had both Catholic Priests removed some 18 months earlier in preparation for the closure of the congregation. Still the board members refused to fold.

The Archbishop subsequently had all 6 members excommunicated. Then in January of 2006, he had St. Stanislaus suppressed as a church itself. This meant that it had been stripped of it's standing as a Catholic Church. All of the board members appealed their excommunications to the Vatican. Their cases are still being considered. Since that time two new board members were added. Burke told them in November that they also would be excommunicated.

After the two Priests were removed, in order to continue worship, St. Stanislaus had two women ordained as ministers by the Central Reform Congregation. The Catholic Church does not recognize women as Priests.

Into the middle of this comes a Catholic Priest Marek Bozek from the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese. Bozek was excommunicated in 2005 by Burke for this action. Bozek came because he felt that these people needed a minister to help them through these difficult times.

This all started because the Catholic Church needed money for legal fees and law suits that some of their Priests had brought on by inappropriate sexual actions with young boys. The Church quickly started to close and sell churches in the St. Louis area. They started taking ownership of all monies that were in these congregations. The Catholic church in my own town in Illinois was closed, all items and property sold at auction. The members were told that they would receive 10% of all revenues brought in. To this date, not a penny has been received.