Fiscal Note
No appropriation required.
Title
Expressing Concern Regarding the Project at Holy Redeemer Parish.
Body
WHEREAS, a construction contractor, acting in concert with the Bishop of the local Catholic diocese and the rector of the "Cathedral Parish of St. Raphael," a parish formed by the merger of 3 Roman Catholic parishes, namely St. Raphael, St. Patrick, and Holy Redeemer, proposes and purposes to convert the former Holy Redeemer School building -- until recently used for charitable works for the homeless and the poor, and by the members of the congregation of Holy Redeemer for catechetical and social activities -- into rented apartments for use by students attending (secular) universities and colleges in the area, especially the University of Wisconsin, and,
WHEREAS, it has become apparent during the execution of various steps of the approval process mandated by municipal law that the clergy have not engaged in a substantial dialog with the members of the Roman Catholic congregation of Holy Redeemer about this project, and,
WHEREAS, representatives of the Diocese have tried to prevent members of this congregation from speaking at municipal meetings in opposition to the proposed project, and,
WHEREAS, members of this congregation, apparently continuing to be loyal to the Roman Catholic Church, have appeared before various municipal bodies, and this, the Common Council of the City of Madison, indicating that:
1. The Latino members of the congregation have been commanded to refrain from attending public meetings about this project, and,
2. That a proposal put forward previously by members of the congregation to restore the school building for parochial use had been rejected out of hand without substantial consideration, and not even publicly acknowledged as a possible course of action, and,
3. They are vigorously opposed to the project as it will destroy the school building's 19th century auditorium (unique for this area and considered historic by local standards), remove the building completely from parochial use, and cause a student apartment building, over which the parish will have no control of who lives there or of the nature of the activities that occur there; and,
WHEREAS, the Madison Common Council, though sympathetic to the pleadings of the congregation members who have appeared before it, has no authority under extant civil statutes to respond to their concerns,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Madison Common Council expresses to the Apostolic Nuncio, Washington, DC, its collective concern for the welfare of the Roman Catholic congregation of Holy Redeemer and over the apparent lack of respect for that congregation during the process for this development proposal, said lack of respect made apparent by their conduct in this matter, and that a formal copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Nuncio to that end.