Parishioners to leave closed church after 11-year protest

BOSTON (AP) — For more than 11 years, die-hard parishioners of St. Frances X. Cabrini church maintained a constant vigil there in hopes of reversing a decision by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston to close it as part of a broad restructuring plan.

A Superior Court judge ruled that the archdiocese is the legal owner of the suburban Boston church property and has the right to evict the parishioners occupying the church building.

St. Frances X. Cabrini was one of more than 75 parishes closed by the archdiocese to deal with declining Mass attendance, a shortage of priests and deteriorating church buildings.