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Parishioners still protesting at closed church

Sunday, February 18, 2007

(New York - WABC, February 18, 2007) (WABC) -- An emotional fight to keep their church open ended with the arrest of six parishioners in East Harlem last week. Now they're back to pray together.

This morning Eyewitness News reporter Patricia Wu was outside of Our Lady Queen of Angels Church where a prayer service was about to begin.

At about 9:30 a.m. Sunday mass would be held outside. They have to be outside because the archdiocese closed the 120-year-old church as part of its realignment plan.

"The bishop of New York is wrong. So I pray to God, in April, when he hits his 75th birthday, he goes back to Rome and New York will never see Cardinal Egan." one of parishioners of the church, Carmen Villegas, said with anger. "I pray to God."

There were prayers full of despair and harsh words for Cardinal Egan outside of the church.

Parishioners at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church in East Harlem feel betrayed, saddened and abused.

Last week, screaming and confusion filled the church as security guards were sent in to push people out. They'd been praying inside the church for two days, praying the Archdiocese of New York would keep their sanctuary open, but to no avail.

Six of them, all women, were cuffed and taken to jail.

"This is our church and they throw us out of here," one of parishioners said.

Even though the doors to the church are shut and locked, parishioners keep showing up and praying outside on the cold steps of the building.

"They put six parishioners in handcuffs. What kind of religion is that he is trying to bring out?" a parishioner Toby questioned. "He is going to turn a lot of people away from our religion."

Officials at the archdiocese told us their decision is final.

They say there are plenty of other neighboring parishes welcoming those who now need a new place to pray.

Our Lady Queen of Angels Church was scheduled to close on March first. But as you can see from the sign on the door, they said 'due to the emotional climates' surrounding this closing, the church is closed effective immediately. The sign was posted on Monday, February 12th.

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