Three area Catholic churches that were previously closed set to reopen Sunday

Three area Catholic churches that were previously closed are set to reopen Sunday. St. Barbara in Cleveland, St. Patrick in Cleveland (West Park area) and St. Mary in Bedford are all planning opening masses for 11 a.m. Sunday, July 22.

St. Barbara in Cleveland
1505 Denison Ave, Cleveland
New Pastor: Rev. Joseph Hilinski
Opening mass: July 22, 11 a.m.
(Parish officially opened on July 16)

St. Patrick (West Park) Parish & Church
4427 Rocky River Dr., Cleveland
New Pastor: Rev. James Ols
Opening mass: July 22 at 11 a.m.

St. Mary in Bedford
300 Union St., Bedford
New Pastor: Rev. Daniel Begin
Opening date: July 22 at 11 a.m.

The 11 churches were among 50 that were closed in 2009 by Bishop Richard Lennon. Parishioners, many of them second- and third-generation members of the churches, challenged some of the closings, staged sit-ins and other protests and even created a breakaway congregation.

In April, Lennon announced the area Roman catholic churches would reopen. The decision came after March's extraordinary Vatican decision to overrule his closing of the parishes, a rare instance in which Rome reversed a U.S. bishop on the shut down of churches. The Vatican said Lennon failed to follow Canon Law and procedures when he closed them.

St. Emeric, on W. 22nd Street in Cleveland, still does not have a pastor or a reopening date. Other church opening dates are as follows:

St. Peter in Cleveland
1533 E. 17th St., Cleveland 44192
New Pastor: Rev. Robert Kropac
Opening date: (Kropac takes over parish on July 30, should set date after that)

St. Wendelin
2281 Columbus Rd., Cleveland 44113
New Pastor: Rev. Robert Kropac
Opening date: July 29 at 11 a.m.

St. James Parish
17514 Detroit Ave., Lakewood 44107
New Pastor: Rev. Joseph Workman
(also pastor at St. Clement Parish; he will be the pastor of both churches)
Opening mass: July 25 at 7 p.m.

St. John the Baptist in Akron
1044 Brown St.
New Pastor: Rev. A. Jonathon Zingales
Opened July 15 at 10 a.m.

St. Mary in Akron
750 S. Main St.
New Pastor: Rev. Daniel J. Reed
Opening date: Aug. 15 at 7 p.m.

St. Adalbert in Cleveland
2347 East 83rd St., Cleveland
New Pastor: Rev. Gary Chmura
Opening date: Aug. 12 at 11 a.m.

St. Casimir
8223 Sowinski Ave., Cleveland 44103
New Pastor: Rev. Eric Orzech
Opened July 15 at 11:30 a.m.