By Matt Sepic/Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – The Archbishop of St. Louis has excommunicated the board members of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, and the priest who had agreed to serve the congregation.
The church and Archbishop Raymond Burke have been locked in a long battle over control of the parish finances.
Board member Bob Zabielski says the board did nothing wrong.
We maintain our property, the property is legally owned by the parishioners of St. Stanislaus, Zabielski said. We're the board of directors for that property through our parishioners' authority and they told us not to turn it over, and we attempted to work it out and the Archbishop did not want that.
The Archbishop says church law requires the Archdiocese to handle the money.
In a statement Archbishop Burke also said he hoped the board members and Father Marek Bozek would reconcile with the church.
Those who are excommunicated are not able to receive church sacraments.