They're appealing to the Vatican, claiming they are financially viable, despite the Archdiocese's assessment to the contrary.

Gerry Winters, president of Save St. Matthias Church, says the plan to merge his Lincoln Square parish with another has resulted in a lot of people stopping going to mass altogether.

He said it's disappointing the Archdiocese asked parishes to raise millions of dollars in 2013 and then were told they're closing a few years later.

In a move he calls "utterly clueless," Winters said St. Matthias members continue to get letters from the Archdiocese telling them they're behind on monthly donations more than a year after the closure announcement.

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