Timeline of Events

5/24/04

St Frances receives letter of intent to close from Archbishop Sean O' Malley

5/30/04

Letter sent to Archbishop requesting reconsideration and delay (no reply)

6/7/04

Bishop Lennon meets with parishioners

7/5/04

Letter is sent to Archbishop with additional information (no written reply)

8/04

Parish council and Fr. MacDonald decide on closing date of Oct 29, 2004 with a final Mass on Oct 24,2004 at request of Archbishop, dates are approved a few weeks later.

8/20/04

Farewell Dinner Dance in Parish Center

9/4/04

Telephone call from Archdiocese saying written reply to 7/5 letter is forthcoming (did not come forth)

9/14/04

Dove appears after the 9:00am Mass and lingers for 2 days

9/25/04

Family Festival

10/6/04

Decree of Suppression received

10/13/04

Appeal of Decree to the Archbishop

10/15/04

Letter from Archbishop acknowledging receipt of the appeal

10/24/04

Two members from Appeal committee meet with Bishop Lennon for hearing on appeal

10/24/04

Last Mass

10/25/04

Locks changed at night - 4 days before officially closing date

10/26/04

Parishioner enters church through an unlocked door-Vigil starts

10/29/04

Parish suppressed

11/13/04

Letter of denial of Appeal received on Mother Cabrini's Feast Day

11/24/04

Petition for Recourse to Congregation of Clergy delivered to the Archdiocese (copy to Papal Nuncio and Congregation of Clergy in Rome)

11/29/04

Response to Fr. Manning's letter delivered to Archdiocese included in appeal (same to Nuncio/Congregation of Clergy)

12/14/04

Request for a Christmas Mass after St. Albert the Great is given 2 Masses at Christmas

12/21/04

Request for a Mass denied

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1/5/05

Telephone archdiocese about Vatican receipt acknowledgment (they do not acknowledge)

1/8/05

Call from Archdiocese says appeal received

1/10/05

Date of Feb 3, 2005 chosen for meeting with the Independent Reconfiguration Committee

1/24/05

Blizzard of 2005

2/2/05

100th Day of Vigil

2/3/05

Meeting at 2:00pm with the Review Committee for Reconfiguration

2/28/05

Appeal from Rome delayed until May 10

3/31/05

Results of Review Committee for Reconfiguration announced in a Press Conference: St Frances will remain closed. Reliable internal source states recommendation was Chapel status.

4/2/05

Pope John II dies

4/14/05

Eucharist is brought back to St. Frances

4/19/05

Pope Benedict XI is elected

4/24/05

First prayer service with Communion Service will be every Sunday at 10A.M.

4/26/05

6 month anniversary of vigil. Decision to bring a civil lawsuit against the Archdiocese is discussed and voted on. Unanimously voted yes to file civil suit

5/10/05

Appeal decision from Rome is delayed- no response

5/15/05

200th day in vigil

6/8/05

Supplement to Petition - supplement Appeal is sent to the Congregation for Clergy via the Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the United States of America

7/15/05

Filing of Lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court Mother Cabrini's Birthday

8/31/05

Petition and Letter Drive commences (~300 letters sent - certified return receipt to the Archbishop and ~300 signatures on a petition.)

9/16/05

Civil hearing for ownership and lis pendens

9/23/05

Evening Under the Stars Fundraiser

10/14/05

Ruling on hearing, lis pendens granted

10/26/05

Prayer Service to mark 1Year Anniversary in Vigil

365 days in Vigil

12/3/05

Meeting with Archbishop O'Malley

12/10/05

Christmas Craft Bazaar and Bake Sale

12/23/05

Call from Father Kickham to schedule another meeting with the Archbishop-January 21st

12/24/05

Christmas Eve Service- 400 attend

12/25/05

Christmas Day Service-200 attend

12/31/05

The Friends of St. Frances X. Cabrini becomes incorporated

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1/14/06

Appeal denied from Congregation of the Clergy, all 10 churches denied

1/20/06

Meeting with Archbishop postponed and to be rescheduled, to give the Archbishop time to complete a proposal he wants to present to St. Frances

1/24/06

Hired Adv. Carlo Gullo as advocate to represent us at the Apostolic Signatura

2/17/06

Appeal filed at the Apostolic Signatura, Rome, Italy

2/27/06

Requested a date for a follow-up meeting with the Cardinal Elect Sean, as well as, a priest for Easter Sunday Mass

3/08/06

The Friends of St. Frances X. Cabrini, Inc. receives notification of their 501(3) non-profit status

4/14/06

Good Friday Stations of the Cross followed by a soup and bread supper.

4/15/06

Easter Sunday Service followed by an Easter Egg hunt for the children.

5/13/06

Meeting with Cardinal Sean

6/14/06

Adv. Carlo Gullo informs us of the Suspension of the Suppression Decree of the Archbishop of Boston

07/13/06

Civil hearing - Archdiocese of Boston filing to dismiss our civil case (as of 11/29/06 still pending ruling from judge)

07/15/06

Second Annual Friends of St. Frances Bazaar

08/20/06

Parishioner Picnic Reunion

10/3/06

Unanimously voted at Parish Meeting to file a Brief Amicus to the Supreme Court of Massachusetts

10/8/06

TF1 French TV films St. Frances Communion Prayer Service and interviews parishioners on the process of reconfiguration

10/26/06

Communion Prayer Service to mark Two Year Anniversary in Vigil - 730 days in Vigil

10/28/06

Council of Parishes and vigiling churches celebrate Two Year Commemorative Communion Prayer Service at St. Frances

11/11/06

Christmas Day Service- 250+ attend Second Annual Christmas Craft Bazaar and Bake Sale

12/24/06

Christmas Day Service- 250+ attend

12/25/06

Christmas Day Service- 250+ attend

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3/4/07

Fox 25 National News films Sunday Service

4/9/07

Easter Service - 350+ attended - major media coverage

4/26/07

Marks two and a half years in Vigil

7/22/07

Third Annual St. Frances Picnic

7/23/07

Communion Prayer Service and 3rd Annual Parish Picnic celebrating 1,000 days and nights in Vigil.

8/19/07

1,000 Starry Nights fundraiser

10/26/07

Marked three years in Vigil

12/18/07

St. Frances Christmas Fair and Bake Sale

12/24/07

Christmas Eve Service 400+ attended

12/25/07

Christmas Day Service 350 attended

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2/27/08

Civil court case hearing in the Massachusetts Appeals Court of Boston. Case heard in conjunction with St. Jeremiah.

3/20/08

Holy Thursday "Celebration of the Eucharist" Communion Prayer Service.

3/21/08

Good Friday Stations of the Cross followed by a Soup and Bread Supper.

3/23/08

Easter Communion Prayer Service followed by an Easter Egg hunt for the children. 375+ attended. (Note: All vigiling churches that have requested a priest to celebrate Mass on Easter or Christmas have been granted at least one Mass. The Archdiocese of Boston has repeatedly denied St. Frances's request for a priest at Easter and/or Christmas.)

4/1/08

Nova Dutch airs documentary on American Catholic church featuring St. Frances.

4/15/08 - 4/20/08

Pope Benedict arrives in Washington, DC then heads to New York, NY refuses to visit Boston. 5 churches remain in Vigil.

5/24/08

St. Frances Spring Fair

6/3/08

Notification of Apostolic Signatura Appeal denied. Denied for all 9 churches who filed an appeal.

6/4/08

The Friends of St. Frances filed the next level of appeal at the Apostolic Signatura. Unanimous decision made by the parish community.

6/11/08

Received via mail official decree from the Apostolic Signatura. Decree dated 4/11/08 but was mailed after Pope's visit.

8/22/08

Under the Summer Stars fundraiser held at Scituate Country Club.

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