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Boston archdiocese faces tax bills for closed parishes
Boston, Aug. 05 (CWNews.com) - Local officials in Massachusetts are sending bills to the Boston archdiocese for real-estate taxes on parish churches that have been closed, the Boston Globe reports.
Church property is ordinarily exempt from taxation, but officials note that the law applies to active churches. A church that does not conduct religious services loses its tax-exempt status, they argue.
The town of Scituate, an affluent suburban community, has assessed a $42,000 tax bill for property belonging the parish of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, one of the parishes that has been closed in a sweeping archdiocesan retrenchment program. And in nearby Danvers, the Globe reports, officials have assessed over $13,000 in taxes for the property of St. Alphonsus parish, which has also been closed.
(The situation in Scituate is complicated by the fact that protesting parishioners of St. Frances Xavier continue to hold prayer services in the building, defying orders from the Boston archdiocese to close down the church.) The Archdiocese of Boston could appeal the assessors’ decisions, claiming that the church properties retain their tax-exempt status despite being closed. But if the local officials’ judgment is upheld in court, the archdiocese could face enormous new expenses-- aggravating the financial crisis that prompted the parish closings in the first place.
Boston, Aug. 05 (CWNews.com) - Local officials in Massachusetts are sending bills to the Boston archdiocese for real-estate taxes on parish churches that have been closed, the Boston Globe reports.
Church property is ordinarily exempt from taxation, but officials note that the law applies to active churches. A church that does not conduct religious services loses its tax-exempt status, they argue.
The town of Scituate, an affluent suburban community, has assessed a $42,000 tax bill for property belonging the parish of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, one of the parishes that has been closed in a sweeping archdiocesan retrenchment program. And in nearby Danvers, the Globe reports, officials have assessed over $13,000 in taxes for the property of St. Alphonsus parish, which has also been closed.
(The situation in Scituate is complicated by the fact that protesting parishioners of St. Frances Xavier continue to hold prayer services in the building, defying orders from the Boston archdiocese to close down the church.) The Archdiocese of Boston could appeal the assessors’ decisions, claiming that the church properties retain their tax-exempt status despite being closed. But if the local officials’ judgment is upheld in court, the archdiocese could face enormous new expenses-- aggravating the financial crisis that prompted the parish closings in the first place.