Community of St. Peter ends dialogue with Bishop Lennon over secession from Diocese of Cleveland
By John Caniglia, The Plain Dealer
on July 03, 2013 at 4:00 PM, updated July 03, 2013 at 4:21 PM
CLEVELAND, Ohio --Representatives of the Community of St. Peter have stopped talks with Bishop Richard Lennon of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland over the congregation's secession from the diocese.
Frank Titas, a spokesman for the community, said its board of trustees delivered a letter to Lennon earlier this week outlining members' feelings. Titas described the letter as "respectfully advising" Lennon that the community did not want to continue discussing the issues involved with the congregation, which worships on its own, away from Lennon and the diocese.
Robert Tayek, a spokesman for the diocese, said Wednesday that he was not aware of the community's letter to Lennon, who is out of town.
Lennon and trustees from the Congregation of St. Peter met just once in May, the first time they had come together since the bishop closed St. Peter Catholic Church, on Superior Avenue in 2010 as part of a downsizing of churches. More than 300 parishioners then set up the nonprofit Community of St. Peter and rented space at East 71 and Euclid Avenue.
http://communityofstpeter.org/