Today's Poll: should Springfield Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell meet with the parishioners of Mater Dolorosa before issuing a trespass order against them?
View full sizePeople have fun at "Playa Azul" or "Blue beach," after the passage of the Tropical Storm Arlene in Tuxpan, Mexico, Thursday, June 30, 2011. The Atlantic season's first tropical storm hit Mexico's central Gulf coast Thursday, hurling heavy rains over a wide swath of the country but causing little damage. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)The Forecast
According to the National Weather Service, today will be partly-sunny with a high near 80 degrees, although there is a chance of showers after 1 p.m. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday night: Patchy fog after 5 a.m. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 58.
Saturday: Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming southwest between 5 and 8 mph.
Saturday Night: A slight chance of showers after 11 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind between 7 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Find the full forecast here.
Today's Poll
On Thursday, a group of parishioners from Mater Dolorosa Church were still taking part in a continuous vigil inside the church as they demanded a sit down with Springfield Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell.
The church was to close after the 8 a.m. mass on Sunday, but a group of 120 parishioners have pledged to stay in the church in shifts, not allowing the Catholic Diocese to officially shut down the historic Holyoke church.
Diocese spokesman Mark Dupont said that the building was being closed for structural concerns following a decision to close several churches in the region due to declining attendance.
The group of parishioners said they will not leave until a meeting with McDonnell is granted, which Dupont said is not going to happen.
“We are not negotiating with them. Their behavior was beyond the scope of acceptable,” Dupont said, referring to the last Sunday Mass held at the church June 26.
A group of angry protesters tried to block McDonnell from entering the church and several interrupted his service, one yelling “Liar.”
“Before they place any demands, they need to be accountable for their actions,” he said. “They owe the community an apology and they owe the bishop an apology.”
Dupont sent out an additional email to the media on Thursday where he said the following: "church officials may also try to end the vigil by issuing a trespass order against the group."
Read the full report by clicking here.
The question today is should Springfield Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell meet with the parishioners before issuing a trespass order against them?
Yesterday's Poll Results: On Thursday, we asked "Do you believe the criminal charges Jones is facing will have an impact on his civil rights complaint against the Springfield Police Department?"
15 people voted in the poll with 8 people saying "yes" and 7 saying "no."
Monday's Top 5:
The top 5 headlines on MassLive.com on June 29 were:
1) Western Mass Homes for sale: Waterfront homes in Western Massachusetts (Photo Gallery)
2) Best of Stearns Square 2010 (Photo Gallery)
3) As Palmer tries to evict him for non-payment of taxes, Jay Noone calls property taxes 'extortion'
5) 2011 Valley Food Championship Pizza Playoffs: Judges visit Red Rose in Springfield