Church occupation ended after more than a decade

Massachusetts Catholic Church parishioners forced to leave

A sign marks a vigil at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Roman Catholic Church. (Photo Credit: REUTERS/Brian Snyder) 

The 12-year-long occupation of a Massachusetts Roman Catholic Church preventing its closure is coming to an end, as the Supreme Court has declined to hear the case, said the Friends of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini.

"We've made this deal with the lower courts that we would vacate the premises within 14 days of the Supreme Court decision," said Jon Rogers, a leader of the Friends' group. "From the very beginning we have promised to exhaust every avenue of appeal available to us and we have now done that."

The closing of the church was a decision that was influenced by the early days of the U.S. clergy sex abuse scandals. Some 70 churches were closed down and sold to cover the Archdiocese of Boston's legal costs.

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