Preservation Plan

PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF ST. DONATO CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA PA


Though not a city founded by Catholics, it would be impossible to overstate the imprint left upon Philadelphia by those residents of the city who practice this faith. Without the contribution of numerous Catholic immigrants who settled in the city during the latter half of the nineteenth century and the first decades of the twentieth, the cityscape of Philadelphia and more specifically the places of worship occupying it would appear vastly different. Catholics, many of them Italian, arrived In the city and municipalities surrounding it, drawn to America from the lands of their birth by the prospect of living the American dream of a better life for themselves and their descendants. Aside from serving as the backbone of local industry, Italian Catholics shortly gained prominence in all of Philadelphia’s white collar professions and soon began also to hold the city’s public offices. The arrival of Italian Catholics in Philadelphia soon led to the necessity of parishes being established to serve this community throughout the city. Among the parishes established by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to serve the growing population of Catholics of Italian Descent was St. Donato in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia.


Completed in 1921, the Church of St. Donato continues to occupy a place of pride in the Italian Catholic community of greater Philadelphia and those members of the community who now reside outside this region. The construction of the church represents the crowning achievement of those Italian Catholics who were determined to erect an ecclesiastical edifice illustrative of their faith in God and their thanks for his blessings in their lives. The church draws the hearts and minds of all exposed to it toward a deeper contemplation of their Catholic faith and their relationship with God. In spite of the changes in the neighborhood surrounding St. Donato Church which have reshaped the configuration of parishes serving Philadelphia and posed challenges for those which remain including Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, St. Donato Church has not lost its ability to positively influence the Catholic faithful resident both in near proximity to it and at points farther afield. This plan illustrates that it is yet the case that St. Donato Church can continue to serve as a sacred space within the city and Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and that it can continue to serve as both a beacon of the Catholic faith in Philadelphia and as a place where its adherents can come to pray, even if it is no longer the site of regularly celebrated masses.


It is the desire of the Society of St. Frances Cabrini of Philadelphia, a nonprofit organization, to take responsibility for the continued care and restoration of St. Donato Church as a Roman Catholic sacred space, in order that it can continue to serve as a place of Roman Catholic prayer and the site of the celebration of mass. This organization is prepared to pay such costs as are necessary to carry out the plan presented in this document, and to undertake such restoration projects as are necessary in order that the church may continue to exist in a state of good repair and preservation as a Roman Catholic sacred space. In caring for this church through the payment of all expenses associated with it and through taking responsibility for ensuring that it is maintained, The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes will be relieved of the burden of responsibility for a church which it has been stated they do not have the resources to continue to maintain. This arrangement will also allow a historic church to continue to exist as a Roman Catholic sacred space, in order that its presence may both offer a place for those who enter it to pray privately and also serve as a source of inspiration to those who may enter it and contemplate the faith of those who sacrificed so greatly to build it as they consider their own relationship with Catholicism and the church’s sacred art and architecture. Proceeding down this path will also eliminate a protracted struggle over a church through mutually beneficial compromise.

STRUCTURE OF THE SOCIETY OF ST. FRANCES CABRINI OF PHILADELPHIA


The Society of St. Frances Cabrini of Philadelphia is a 501 C (3) incorporated in Pennsylvania. The organization is led by a board of directors, in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which set out the requirements as to those who must be chosen by the group to compose a properly constituted corporate board.


With regard to civil and canonical arrangements, it would be possible to implement the plan contained in this document in a variety of ways. The deed to St. Donato Church could be transferred to the Society of St. Frances Cabrini without the relegation of the church to profane but not sordid use. This action would be canonically valid if it is taken in conjunction with a memorandum of understanding between the society and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia being entered into at the same time the deed to the church is conveyed, said memorandum’s purpose being the regulation in accordance with canon law of the liturgical activities held in St. Donato Church. This type of arrangement would preserve the ability of the Archbishop of Philadelphia as ordinary of the archdiocese to ensure that the actions of the Society of St. Frances Cabrini remain in full accord with the requirements of Canon Law.


Alternatively, Archbishop Nelson Perez, Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, in accordance with Canons 312 and 322 of the Code of Canon Law of 1983 could erect the Society of St. Frances Cabrini of Philadelphia as a private association of the Christian faithful, and endow the group with juridic personality. The deed to St. Donato Church could then be transferred to the society. The Archdiocese would maintain supervision over the project as they would continue to control when any sacramental activity occurred in the church (such would be controlled by the Archbishop of Philadelphia or his designee, in accordance with the canonical statutes and bylaws Archbishop Perez in his capacity as Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia would approve in conjunction with the society’s establishment.) It would also be possible for the Society of St. Frances Cabrini to undertake its work with the signing of a lease agreement worded in such a way so as to make this possible.

HOW WE WILL UTILIZE AND CARE FOR ST. DONATO CHURCH


Our sole interest in caring for and maintaining St. Donato Church is in order to guarantee that it can continue to exist as a Roman Catholic sacred space and place of worship, regardless of how frequently mass would be celebrated within the church. We seek to have St. Donato Church designated as either a Shrine to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini or as a chapel, in order that it can continue to serve as a place of devotion to St. Frances Cabrini and St. Donato under the society’s care. We are aware that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is only required by canon law (canons 1167 and 1168 of the Pio Benedictine Code of Canon Law of 1917 as incorporated into the present day jurisprudence of the Holy See through the provisions of Canon 2 of the Code of Canon Law of 1983) to permit a maximum of two masses per year within St. Donato Church, one to be celebrated on the anniversary of the dedication of the church as a Roman Catholic place of worship and the other to be celebrated on the Feast of St. Donato (August 7,) the patronal feast day of this church. We would envision a discussion being had between the Society of St. Frances Cabrini of Philadelphia and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia regarding whether any additional masses might be permitted as part of the reaching of a final agreement on the implementation of this plan.


When the church is not being utilized for the celebration of mass or other sacramental activities, we plan to open the church on a routine basis for private prayer. During such times as the church is open, volunteers will remain inside the church in order to ensure that its integrity is maintained. We are aware that the Congregation for the Clergy has made clear that regardless of the frequency of “public worship” (mass and other sacramental activities) which occurs within a church, “private worship” (private prayer, recitation of the rosary, and other Roman Catholic devotional activities that do not require a priest,) nay only be limited within a church if there is a cause of extreme gravity (not merely any grave cause) which justifies its limitation, on account of the fact that private worship does not require the presence of a member of the clergy. We believe it is important to have the doors of St. Donato Church open as frequently as possible to ensure that Catholics from within Philadelphia and points farther beyond are able to connect with the church as deeply as possible and to have as much time for private prayer and devotional activities such as the recitation of the rosary as can be provided to them.


By retaining the Church of St. Donato as a Roman Catholic sacred space, we will ensure that the public at large will be aware that the church is a site of Catholic religious activity above all other things. As is the case with many other Catholic churches, both within the United States and especially throughout Europe, the Society of St. Frances Cabrini of Philadelphia envisions providing opportunities from time to time for individuals to receive a guided tour of St. Donato Church upon request, in order that they may be exposed to and properly understand its sacred status. Such guided tours of the church would be strictly controlled in order that no abuse of the church’s sacred status would be permitted, and would focus on explanations of the various liturgical elements of a Roman Catholic church, with special mention being made of those found within St. Donato Church. Our goal is that as many Catholics as possible may visit the church and be renewed in their faith, drawn back to the faith if they have fallen away, or come to the faith if they are not Catholic from their exposure to the church. We would also envision holding regular recitations of the Rosary within St. Donato Church. Given that concerts of strictly sacred music (music connected to Catholic worship) are permitted to be held within Roman Catholic churches, we would also envision such concerts being held within the church from time to time.

COLLECTION OF FUNDS


We are well aware that the central question concerning whether the Church of St. Donato can continue to exist as a Roman Catholic sacred space is whether the money to care for it will be present. We are prepared to demonstrate that such funds are available. As has been stated, following the conclusion of an agreement between the Society of St. Frances Cabrini of Philadelphia and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia/Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, the society is prepared to cover the ongoing expenses associated with St. Donato Church, such as the insurance carried on the church, utilities associated with the church including heat, electricity and water, and expenses associated with the routine maintenance of the church. Additionally, given that the church requires various capital repairs to be carried out, the Society of St. Frances Cabrini of Philadelphia will provide for the completion of these repairs as well.


As part of its broader mission, the Society of St. Frances Cabrini of Philadelphia will engage with Catholics both locally and throughout the nation to make them aware of the work we are doing to ensure that St. Donato Church remains a Roman Catholic sacred space. A fundraising campaign, employing a number of different strategies to engage potential donors, is being undertaken. The target audience for this effort will be broad; Catholics who have an interest in historic churches, a devotion to St. Donato or who may have a personal connection to the church or to Philadelphia itself will be contacted. After having extensively discussed our plan with those individuals and entities with which we connect, we will ask them for their financial support. We also may come up with additional strategies for collecting funds, such as appeals made in national Catholic and other media publications. We will continue to engage with contributors on an ongoing basis to ensure they remain committed to our mission, and we will constantly seek out additional potential contributors in order to expand and diversify our funding base to the greatest extent possible.

PRECEDENTS WE ARE FOLLOWING


As parishes continue to merge across the United States, it is becoming more common to find groups of the Catholic faithful seeking to find new ways in which former parish churches can continue to spread the Catholic faith in the communities in which they are located. Broadly speaking, an increasingly large number of groups dedicated to the preservation of Roman Catholic churches as Roman Catholic sacred places are covering all the expenses associated with their retention after the parishes they were built to serve have been eliminated. The origins of such arrangements seem to date back several decades. We are aware that the St. Patrick’s Church Preservation Society of Catawissa MO cares for St. Patrick’s church in that community, located within the boundaries of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and has been doing so since 1972. St. Patrick’s parish was merged into a neighboring parish in 1925, but the church has continued to host three masses a year, along with weddings and funerals. Each summer, a picnic is held on the church grounds to raise money for the continued preservation of the church, drawing people from many surrounding states. St. Patrick’s church has been completely restored by the preservation society over the past few decades, and the dedication of this group has meant it remains a beacon of the Catholic faith in that part of Missouri, and a tangible testament to the faith of those Catholics who built it.


Similarly, St. Anne’s church in Columbia CA, located within the boundaries of the Diocese of Stockton, has been maintained by the St. Anne’s preservation Society since 1977. The preservation society pays all of the expenses associated with maintaining the church and mass is still celebrated there a few times a year. The efforts of this committee saved the church from being stripped and demolished, and allowed a church built by those Catholics who came to California during the Gold Rush to survive into the twenty-first century. More recently, The St. Mary of the Rock Preservation Society began caring for St. Mary of the Rock Church in Batesville IN, located within the boundaries of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, after the parish closed at the end of November 2013. Those who wanted St. Mary’s to remain a church available for occasional masses stepped forward and took on the responsibility of caring for the church and its grounds, at their own expense. In all three of these cases, agreements worked out between diocesan and archdiocesan ordinaries and those committed to keeping Catholic churches preserved and available for at least occasional mass have led to the preservation of churches at no expense to the parishes and Archdioceses in which they are located.


The examples cited above are but three of over eighty Catholic churches being maintained across the United States, Canada and Australia today as Catholic sacred spaces by groups of lay Catholics. These agreements have avoided the permanent loss of churches which people are quite attached to, as they have served as the focal point of their spiritual lives, and they have also averted much of the anger which is often directed toward church officials for the permanent closure of a church. These preserved churches are not intended to be museums. Each of them remains a church which has not been relegated to profane but not sordid use, which is visited by the faithful on a regular basis for prayer, outside of times when mass is celebrated within them.

THE CANONICAL AND JURISPRUDENTIAL FOUNDATIONS OF THIS PLAN


In April of 2013, the Congregation for the Clergy of the Holy See released an instruction to the bishops of the World regarding the closure of parishes and churches. This document highlighted the differences between the closure of a parish and a church, and made clear the fact that there are differences between when a parish can be merged into another parish, and when a church can be permanently closed. In its instruction, the congregation made clear that a church should remain a sacred space, “if at all possible,” and that private funds can be used to maintain a church. We based this plan upon these points. The Vatican has also ordered, in 38 separate cases, that church buildings in 11 different dioceses and archdioceses across the United States be reopened as places of at least occasional public worship and unlimited private devotional activities, following the submission of petitions for hierarchical recourse by parishioners aggrieved at the closure of these churches. All of these decisions have been made since January 2011. The Vatican found that “grave reasons” weren’t present in these cases that justified the permanent closure of the church buildings in question.

CONCLUSION


At this time in history when Catholicism has so greatly weakened both in Philadelphia and in the world more broadly, it is the belief of the Society of St. Frances Cabrini of Philadelphia that St. Donato Church can serve as a means of evangelization merely through its presence, that its sacred art and architecture can in and of themselves strengthen the faith of those who enter the church and view it. The construction of this church concretely represents the deep faith of those who built a house of God in which they could practice their faith and through its construction give thanks to God for all of the graces he bestowed upon them.


Now, a century after its construction, St. Donato Church, having stood as a beacon of the faith through numerous presidential administrations, as a witness to those men from its congregation who have answered the call to defend this nation in each of its times of greatest need since World War II, having served as a place of prayer after one of our president was cut down by the bullets of an assassin, having stood witness to all who have called Philadelphia home, stands at the edge of a proverbial cliff. The choice is stark; will those who seek to take on the care of this sacred space at their own expense be permitted to ensure that this church through a ministry of presence nourishes the lives of the Catholic faithful for centuries to come, or will it now be the case that the sacred character of this historic church will be obliterated.


Allowing the Society of St. Frances Cabrini of Philadelphia to move forward with the safeguarding of St. Donato Church’s status as a Roman Catholic sacred space and place of worship, preserving the church’s sacred character as defined by canon law will ensure that one of Philadelphia’s most historic churches continues to be a Catholic place of at least occasional worship long into the future. We all have the power to shape the future. By giving the Society of St. Frances Cabrini of Philadelphia the opportunity to retain St. Donato Church at our own expense, it will be possible to ensure that a church of unquestioned historic significance remains a Roman Catholic sacred space, and avoid any future questions surrounding the long-term status of the church. We see adoption of this plan as a win for everyone and most importantly a win for God.