Devotion to duty

Bundled against the cold, a group of parishioners at St. Therese Church in Everett keeps the faith in vigil since its shutdown four years ago

Lee Pratto said her prayers before catching some sleep in the chapel at Everett's St. Therese, where a group of parishioners will spend their fifth Christmas occupying the church. (John Bohn/Globe Staff)

EVERETT - Wrapped in a thermal blanket, Alaskan coat, and a leopard fur headband, Lee Pratto lay down on her cot for another night's sleep in St. Therese Church.

"I'm all prepared," said Pratto, who also wore thick socks, velour pants, a sweater, and turtleneck. "If you get into the right position, it's really kind of cozy."

The Everett church, officially closed by the Archdiocese of Boston in 2004, has no heat or running water. Both were shut off in October after the archdiocese said it would not spend $50,000 or more to fix a broken boiler.

"It's both a question of fairness and doing what is right," said Terrence C. Donilon, the archdiocese spokesman. "We're not going to replace boilers for a building that no longer has a future use. . . . It doesn't make sense."

But a group of parishioners - who today will spend their fifth Christmas occupying the church - say they won't budge.

"We're not walking away," said Harry Whelan, 71, wearing a blue parka in the parish hall. "We don't care how cold it gets."

The loss of heat and water at St. Therese raises new concerns about safety. The vigil - which started after the closing Mass on Oct. 26, 2004 - has gone on without major problems. There have been no medical emergencies, fires, or property damage. After the heat and water were shut off, participants in the vigil had a portable bathroom installed in the garage. They also bring in bottled water to wash or make coffee in the parish hall. The electricity has not been shut off.

"I call it determination," said Mary Tumasz, 84, who stopped by for coffee after attending Sunday Mass at another parish.

Both Everett officials and the archdiocese are concerned about safety. Vigil participants have been told not to light candles, or use electric blankets or space heaters to keep warm.

"Safety is our top concern," said Donilon. "We told them back in August, when we told them about the boiler and water, we don't think it's wise that they're there."

Everett police check on the church at least once a day. The Fire Department visits frequently. Mayor Carlo DiMaria Jr. also has met with the archdiocese.

"The mayor shares their concern about safety," said Matt Laidlaw, the mayor's spokesman. "The archdiocese was pretty straightforward. This is not an active parish. . . . But the mayor is on the side of the parishioners."

Donilon would not say when or if the archdiocese will take further action at St. Therese.

"The church is not going to reopen," he said. "We're moving forward, with the things we need to do to secure the building, until we determine at a future time what will happen to it."

St. Therese - one of 65 parishes closed by Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley since 2004 - is one of five churches holding vigils to protest its closing. The others are in East Boston, Framingham, Scituate, and Wellesley. O'Malley has not moved to end the protests, among the longest running in the country's church history. The archdiocese estimates it has spent $2 million on insurance, utilities, and other costs at the occupied parishes, including $300,000 at St. Therese.

"It is important that people know the cardinal does care about them," Donilon said. "He does pray for them. He does think about them. He would like them to help us rebuild and heal this archdiocese. It's about our people, not our buildings."

In the Globe North region, 10 parishes closed as part of a sweeping reconfiguration. Small churches in West Newbury and Merrimac were merged to create one new parish. Churches in Groveland and Peabody merged with large neighboring parishes. Except for two churches that have appealed their closings to the Vatican - Our Lady of Lourdes in Revere and St. Michael the Archangel in Lynn - the vast majority of Catholics have moved on to new parishes.

When churches are closed, the archdiocese designates a nearby "welcoming church" for parishioners to move to. But some at St. Therese could not let go of the little brick church on Broadway. The vigil started when four people refused to leave its worn wooden pews after the last Mass. Pratto, a parishioner for 50 years before the closing, was prepared only with water, crackers, and cheese.

"This was a house of the Lord," she said. "I didn't think it should close. . . . I didn't know we'd be here this long."

Carol Tumasz, another original participant, says she has since slept at the church almost every night.

"I have a lot more blankets now," said Tumasz, 51, counting an afghan and three wool blankets on her cot. "I just keep piling them on."

At least two people, sometimes three or four, sleep overnight. Ray Bourque of Malden joined two years ago after the death of his wife.

"I found peace here," said Bourque, 68, who said he now attends Sacred Hearts Church in Malden. "It helped me through the mourning period."

Organizers say about 30 to 40 people rotate through the church each week. It's unclear if the church or parish hall is occupied a full 24 hours.

"Usually someone is in one of the buildings," said Joan Shepard, 75, one of those who has been with the vigil since the start.

Christmas is a bare-bones affair this year at St. Therese. A communion service could not be held because the church is too cold. There is no tree or Nativity scene on the altar, only a garland with holly berries and two poinsettias.

"We're all in the hands of God," Shepard said, buttoning up in an overcoat. "He's the boss."

Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com.