Cleveland Catholics protesters end occupation of church to protect it

CLEVELAND (RNS) Six people who barricaded themselves inside St. Emeric Catholic Church here to protest its closing said they gave up only to prevent police from damaging their beloved church with a battering ram. After the daylong standoff ended at 4 p.m. Thursday (July 1), Deacon Jim Armstrong of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese said Bishop […]

CLEVELAND (RNS) Six people who barricaded themselves inside St. Emeric Catholic Church here to protest its closing said they gave up only to prevent police from damaging their beloved church with a battering ram.

After the daylong standoff ended at 4 p.m. Thursday (July 1), Deacon Jim Armstrong of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese said Bishop Richard Lennon had agreed to meet with the protesters to discuss their concerns.

St. Emeric, a Hungarian parish on Cleveland’s near West Side is among 50 churches ordered shuttered as part of the diocese’s downsizing. It was closed on Wednesday.


But the protesters, led by longtime parish member John Juhasz, locked themselves inside the church after a final prayer service, demanding mediation with the diocese.

“The police said if we didn’t come out, the church would be assaulted with a battering ram,” said David Hoehnen after he and the others emerged. “Our ancestors built this church 106 years ago and we could not bear the thought of it being damaged.” Police Commander Keith Sulzer, of the city’s 2nd District, declined to answer a question about whether he threatened to smash down the doors.

“I won’t speculate about what we would have done,” he said.

Outside the church, emotions ran high. St. Emeric parishioners, and those from other closed churches, came and went. Some were there to support the group occupying the building; others condemned the action.

After the occupation ended, the diocese issued a statement saying, “We are grateful for a prompt and peaceful resolution of this matter and will continue to work in cooperation with the police to ensure public safety and the security of church property.”

Lennon has said the downsizing plan was necessary because of Catholics leaving the city, a shortage of priests and dwindling collections.

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