St. James Parishioners Ready to 'Roll Up Their Sleeves'

Parishioners at are ready to “roll up their sleeves and begin the hard work” of restoring thire shuttered church on Detroit Avenue.

That’s according to Toni Sabo, president of the Friends of St. James organization, who earlier this month asked parishioners to take a survey about the reopening of the church.

The feedback was immediate.

“We have had a robust response to our survey,” said Sabo, adding that 220 people have already responded. “So when Bishop (Richard) Lennon assigns our pastor, we will have an army of volunteers ready to help him to begin the work of spreading the good news to the community.”

The church is expected to reopen sometime this summer, but the Cleveland Diocese said Wednesday that churches could be open by August.

Questions remain about the church's leadership and physical restoration — and no firm date has been set.

The shuttered church on Detroit Avenue is after to close 12 parishes in Northeast Ohio.

“It’s time to have peace and unity in the diocese of Cleveland,” Lennon said in April. 

The Friends of St. James are hosting a prayer service to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the dedication of St. James at 7 p.m. today on the steps of the church.