Holy Trinity Church Removed from Real Estate Listings

The controversial Holy Trinity Church on Shawmut Avenue was listed for sale last week but then pulled from real estate listings over the weekend after parishioners contacted the Vatican to stop the proceedings.

The 26,900-square-foot church, which was closed by Archbishop Sean O’Malley in 2008, was listed with Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty last week. The listing described the property as a “large scale South End development opportunity,” and called for offers by April 15. The property was not priced, although a list price of $2.3 million was included on the website.

Members of the Holy Trinity parish, who protested the closure of the German Catholic church three years ago, delivered a request to the Vatican last week asking for an temporary restraining order against the Boston Archdiocese. The restraining order would prohibit the sale of the church, which has not been deconsecrated, said Peter Borre of the Council of Parishes, of which Holy Trinity is a member.

On Monday, the parish had not yet received a response to its request, Borre said, but the property was pulled from Gibson Sotheby's listings over the weekend. According to Borre, the Archdoises of Boston issued a statement claiming that it never intended to sell the church.

“They put out a statement that the listing was out for the purpose of testing the market,” Borre said. “But if you list the property with a reputable real estate [firm] and you put in the price of $2.3 million that’s pretty clearly intent to sell.”

Borre was on the phone with the Vatican early Monday morning re-emphasizing the parish’s request for a restraining order.

“I said, bluntly, we will not rely on a statement from the Archdiocese of Boston, we want the restraining order. It is not a moot point," he said.

Borre said he expected an answer within a week’s time.

The Boston Archdiocese did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The Holy Trinity Church, built in 1877, last held mass on June 30, 2008. Since then, members of the parish have been invited to worship at the . In August of 2008, members of the Holy Trinity parish filed an appeal with the Congregation for the Clergy in Rome, asking that O’Malley’s decision be reversed. The appeal was rejected in 2009.