November 22, 2024

The Chancellor indicated that the Appeal would be forwarded to Bishop Lewandowski.

November 21, 2024

A formal 69-page, Appeal was sent both to the Vatican and the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

November 19, 2024

Canonical counsel for the appellant sent a preview of highlights of the case for revocation of the Decree to the Chancellor of the Archdiocese. No resolution occurred.

November 14, 2024

Deadline issued to turn over SHM’s sacramental records, financial records, passwords, etc. is received, weeks ahead of Decreed termination date of December 1, 2024. Request to honor the later date was partially heeded but the sacramental records have already been removed.

November 8, 2024

Appellant received a response from the Archdiocese denying appellant’s request, via Certified Mail, postmarked Nov 6, 2024. The return card was signed and dated 11/8/24. The letter noted “the right to make recourse to the Dicastery for the Clergy in Rome, in accordance with canon 1737.”

October 10, 2024

Parishioner (appellant) sent a letter requesting revocation of the Decree, attempting per canon 1733 to resolve the issue before appealing to the Vatican.

1733 states: “When a person believes that he or she has been injured by a decree, it is greatly to be desired that contention between that person and the author of the decree be avoided, and that care be taken to reach an equitable solution by mutual consultation, possibly using the assistance of serious-minded persons to mediate and study the matter. In this way, the controversy may by some suitable method be avoided or brought to an end.”

The Archdiocese of Baltimore offered no opportunity for “mutual consultation.”

September 29, 2024

The Archdiocese of Baltimore (AoB) published a Decree on its website at approximately 5:00pm, Sunday evening (9/29/24) indicating that Sacred Heart of Mary would merge with Our Lady of Hope effective December 1, 2024. Rights of the parishioner are stated thus: “Any member of Sacred Heart of Mary parish who claims to have been aggrieved by the Decree has the right to seek its revocation or emendation (canon 1734).” www.archbalt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Sacred-Heart-of-Mary-Our-Lady-of-Hope-9.25.2024.pdf

Thirty-two churches receive decrees.

In an article entitled, “Parish Closures are Killing the Catholic Church,” published online August 18, 2024, in Canon Law 101 canon lawyer Patricia Dugan writes, “I believe from my experience and from other canon lawyers with experience in these cases, that when a merger or suppression is started, forty percent of the parishioners it affects, will not go along to get along in the Catholic Church.  They will not go to the newly named or appointed parish.  They just will not.  We lose them and we lose them for good.” [emphasis added]