Details, details, details...

The Archdiocese of St. Louis posted copies of the relevant documents regarding St. Stanislaus on it web site...Some of the interesting facts in these documents are these (and I'm not finished yet - this is just for starters):

The Original Charter of the Corporation states, in part:

Article 5. (...)The person who shall be pastor of said Polish Roman Catholic St. Stanislaus Parish under the rules and regulations of such diocese of St. Louis shall, ex officio, be president of said corporation.
...
Article 7. In the event that said corporation be dissolved by reason of any nonuser of misuser of its corporate powers or for any other cause, then, and in that event, all property of said corporation, at the time of such dissolution, shall, subject to payment of corporate debts, become the absolute property of the individual who, at said time, shall be the Roman Catholic Archbishop of said Diocese of St. Louis.

The Original By-laws state:

First. The corporate powers of the corporation shall, under the laws of the State of Missouri, be exercised in conformity with the principles and disciplines of the Roman Catholic Church, and in accordance with such rules and regulations as may be establised from time to time, for the government of said church, by the Roman Catholic Archbishop in the Diocses of St. Louis, or by his authority.

Second. This corporation shall receive as its president such person as said Archbishop, or in his absence, the Vicar-General of said Diocese, or in his absence, the Administrator of said Diocese, may appoint as pastor of said parish...

Seventh. The pastor...shall have custody of all article used by him in the performance of Divine Service in said Church....He shall in no wise be prevented, hindered, or annoyed in the performance of his duties as such priest by said Board of Directors...

Twelveth. These by-laws cannot be changed or modified, nor ... shall any amendment be made at any time which shall in anywise be in conflict with any law of the State of Missouri, or with any rule , regulation or requirement of the said Diocese of St. Louis in force at the time of such proposed change.

It does make for interesting reading and it would appear that, as some have maintained throughout, that recent changes to by-laws may have been contrary to both the spirit and letter of the original charter and by-laws.

The above excerpts are the same as those expressed in an Open Letter last October by a group of faithful St Stanislaus parishioners.

More to follow...