4 St. John's Catholic churches sold and set to close doors by September, parishioners told

Parishioners who attended mass at four Roman Catholic churches in the St. John's area this weekend learned their places of worship have been sold as part of the archdiocese's sell-off of properties and that they may have to close their doors by September.

Catholics were also informed that the plan is to reduce the number of parishes in the capital cityfrom nine to three in the coming months.

The move is part of one of the most dramatic shakeups in the 238-year history of the Archdiocese of St. John's, which has been focused on settling massive sexual abuse claims related to the Mount Cashel Orphanage.

"On Friday afternoon, we were told by the archbishop that St. Pius church and [the former] St. Pius school has been sold," FatherJohn Sullivan, a Jesuit priest who ministers at the church on Smithville Crescent, told those attending a Sunday mass that was broadcast on the parish's Facebook page.

Sullivan made the announcement on the same day the parish was celebrating its 60th anniversary, a coincidence he described as "a little awkward and a little weird."

Parishioners also learned thatunknown bids submitted for St. Patrick's church on Patrick Street, Mary Queen of Peace churchon Torbay Roadand St. Francis of Assisi in nearby Outer Cove were accepted by Ernst & Young, the firm overseeing the court-monitoredsale ofchurch properties.

CBC has confirmed that the congregations at St. Pius, St. Patrick's and Mary Queen of Peace did not submit bids on their churches. It's not knownif that was the case for St. Francis of Assisi, although one source said St. Francis of Assisiis being acquired "by a developer."

"While I am deeply saddened by this news, I think our parish made the best decisions we could have made with the time, resources, and support we had available," Father James Fleming of St. Patrick's wrote in a letter to parishioners on Saturday.

We can now look to future, priest says

The Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court will need to approve the sales, but Fleming wrote, "It seems likely that the sale of these properties will proceed as outlined above. If there is a note of encouragement here, it may be that a difficult decision has been made for us, and we can begin looking together toward the future."

Sullivan saidhe expects St. Pius will close at the end of the summer. "A movement would be required to one of the new identified parishes," he said.

More than two dozenproperties in the St. John's region are being sold to the highest bidder as the archdiocese liquidates its holdings in an effort to raise money to compensate victims of abuse.

The claims for victims of abuse at the Mount CashelOrphanage, and those assaulted by parish priests, is expected to be in the range of $50 million.

• Historic St. John's Basilica sold for more than $3M

The deadline for bids was June 2, and details about the salesprocess have been slowly trickling out.

A spokesperson for Ernst &Young said Tuesday a full report should be published by the end of June.

The most prominent parcel up for grabs is the Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, a complex that also includes a private school and a skating rink.

Three organizations with deep roots in the Catholic faith revealed last week that theirjoint offer of more than $3 million was the successful bid for the basilica complex, which means the buildings will continue to serve their intended purposes.

CBC News has also confirmed that a group of parishioners at Holy Rosary in Portugal Cove have successfully bid on the church, while anew Portugal Cove arts, wellness and heritage committee submitted the winning bid on the Holy Rosary rectory, parish hall and most of the property.

In some cases, the amounts were so close that Ernst & Young asked the bidders to increase their offers, CBC News has learned.

Meanwhile, Sullivan said during mass on Sunday that the number of parishes in the capital city will shrink to three in the coming months as churches are sold off and a restructuring is undertaken.

The western area of the city will be served by either Corpus Christi on Waterford Bridge Road or St. Teresa's on Mundy Pond Road, depending on the outcome of the bids.

Catholics in the centre of the city will attendthe basilica, said Sullivan, while it's likely the eastern parish will be located at St. Paul's church on Newfoundland Drive, which is attached to a junior high school. Itdid not receive a bid.

"But we can be rest assured that there is no jeopardy whatsoever with regard to you having a place to gather in your Catholic Christian faith," said Sullivan.

In his letter, Fleming described the sales process as "painful and frustrating."

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