Fighting to keep its local church, a Newfoundland town finds its prayers answered

The people of a small town on the southeastern tip of Newfoundland have had their prayers answered.

The leaders of Portugal Cove South, a fishing town two hours from St. John’s, made headlines last year, including in this newspaper, for seizing their own church after learning the archdiocese was selling the building to help pay for a settlement in a historical sexual abuse scandal. Parishioners, hell-bent on keeping their church, changed the locks, posted no trespassing signs, banned the archbishop, thwarted a real estate sale and were eventually ordered by a court to stand down.