For any of you who might've missed this bit of satisfying news. Yes it's from back in May but we get so much email and things forwarded it's hard to sift through it all. In any case, enjoy. (They have a new bishop now, by the way.)
Hughes, aide are sued over church
Parishioners claim they were defrauded
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
By Bruce Nolan
Staff writer
Thirteen parishioners of an Uptown Catholic parish closed after Hurricane Katrina have sued Archbishop Alfred Hughes and an aide, alleging fraud.
Parishioners from Our Lady of Good Counsel
accused Hughes and the Rev. Michael Jacques of assuring them in August
2007 that their parish would remain open in a pending post-storm
reorganization of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
In
addition, Hughes and Jacques allegedly set before the parishioners
further achievement goals -- and to that end, the parishioners said,
they increased their contributions and their work on behalf of the
parish.
However,
in the spring of 2008, Hughes announced that Our Lady of Good Counsel
was among about three dozen parishes that would close in the
archdiocesan reorganization, thus allegedly defrauding the parishioners
of their money and work.
The parishioners are asking for a return of their donations to the church, with additional damages for emotional distress arising from the alleged fraud.
The lawsuit, allotted to Civil District Court Judge Lloyd Medley, names Hughes and Jacques personally but does not name the archdiocese as a defendant.
Archdiocesan spokeswoman Sarah Comiskey said the archdiocese had no comment on the lawsuit.
As a practical matter, the lawsuit has to clear a high First Amendment
barrier: Secular courts historically have been extremely reluctant to
render judgment on internal operations of churches. For that reason,
another court last year tossed an earlier suit by Our Lady of Good
Counsel alleging that under state law, Hughes did not have the
authority to close their parish.
. . . . . . .
Bruce Nolan can be reached at bnolan@timespicayun e.com or 504.826.3344. http://www.nola. com/news/ t-p/neworleans/ index.ssf? /base/news- 10/1243401763300 600.xml&coll=1