ST. HELENA'S SOLICITING MONEY 

FOR LEGAL DEFENSE FUND

St. Helena's church, in Beaufort, is one of the twenty-nine parishes the South Carolina Supreme Court has recognized as property of the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church in South Carolina is in court now, in the circuit court, asking the judge to implement the SCSC decision. It is just a matter of time before the Episcopal Church diocese regains the keys.

Today, people claiming to be the rector and wardens of St. Helena's, who, according to the SCSC, are occupying property that belongs to the Episcopal Church, sent an email letter to the congregation asking for donations to the Legal Defense Fund to fight the Episcopal Church (DSC sued TEC on Jan. 4, 2013; 36 parishes joined as plaintiffs in the suit, including St. Helena). They claim they need $75,000 this year to cover legal fees. Unfortunately, they resorted to a misinterpretation to support their legal position:  "...the State Supreme Court refused a petition (a writ of mandamus) by TEC and TECSC to have the properties turned over to them." In fact, the writ was to direct the circuit judge to expedite his actions, that is, to move along after a year and a half of doing nothing. The SCSC has already ordered that twenty-nine parishes are property of TEC (SCSC decision, August 2, 2017, p. 77). This is final law. The ownership of the properties has been settled contrary to what DSC is claiming.

So, St. Helena's, that at one time suspended fund raising for legal expenses, is back at it full-time. 

One should bear in mind that the long-suffering congregants of St. Helena's, and the other thirty-five parishes that sued TEC, are paying twice for lawyers, once to attorneys for the parish, and once for lawyers for the diocese. We cannot know at this point how much has been spent altogether in this six and a half year legal war, but I estimate it is in the neighborhood of ten million dollars. God only knows how much all this unnecessary waste will cost before it is over. 

It is rather sad to see the leaders of St. Helena's pressing their good people to keep throwing good money after bad. To have DSC leaders telling their people the state supreme court decision does not say what it says is, well, to be generous, disappointing. 

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