Knowing of your love for St. Francis,the Church's Patron Saint of Nature & Ecology, we prayerfully petition you to persuade the Bishop of the Springfield Diocese in Illinois, not to destroy a 20 acre,300 year old tract of native timber, and its thousands of trees & birds, plants & animals, known as Sacred Heart-Griffin Woods. The Bishop has announced an ill conceived and heartless plan to sell the Woods, for $4 million to a corporate chain to build a grocery store and strip mall that is across the street from a rival store and strip mall.This means that Griffin Woods will have to be destroyed. Knowledgable observers believe the sale is to help recover some of the $6 million dollars the diocese has spent to settle several sex abuse cases, involving diocesan priests, in recent years.Sacrificing the woods and its wildlife to pay for the sex crimes of a few disturbed priests is the same as saying 2 wrongs make a right.We reject such misguided thinking.
The money may also be used to pay overdue bills for a Catholic high school, state -of-the-art, sports complex located on the boarder of the woods. Fundraising failure may cost the lives of all the creations that make up Griffin Woods.The Vatican, in 2008, declared "unjustified destruction of the environment" to be a new Cardinal, or Mortal Sin. The Bishop needs to be made to obey Church Law.
In addition to signing the petition, you can Tweet the Pope "Save Griffin Woods" at Pontifex.
