An 11 year long, 24 hour-a-day vigil inside a closed Roman Catholic Church in Massachusetts has been ruled to be trespassing, and the parishioners told to leave.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld a previous ruling that the parishioners of St Frances X Cabrini Church are trespassing on the property owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.
"While we acknowledge the defendants' heartfelt beliefs that they are entitled to remain on the premises as an exercise of their freedom of religion, the judge's conclusion that the defendants are trespassers is supported by the evidence," Wednesday's ruling said.
The vigil began in 2004 when the church was closed after a decline in attendance and donations forced the diocese to reorganise. This vigil was initially one of six, but is the only one that remains.
The parishioners claim they have a stake in the property, as their donations had helped construct the church in the 1960s.
In March the archdiocese sued the parishioners in an attempt to evict them.
After the ruling on Wednesday the parishioners have said they will review their legal options. The archdiocese has asked them to respect the court rule.
"We appreciate the court having taken the time to review this matter and issue its ruling. We ask the Friends of St Frances to respect that decision and conclude the vigil," archdiocese spokesman Terrence C Donilon told the Boston Globe. "The parishes of the Archdiocese welcome and invite those involved with the vigil to participate and join in the fullness of parish life."
