From Hartford Connecticut- An Episcopal Congregation joins CANA and tries to take its property.
The question of who keeps the property once a congregation votes to leave the Episcopal Church — as Bishop Seabury did — is one that has consumed the denomination for the last couple of years.
And, as in the case of the Groton church, many bishops have opted to sue congregations in an effort to gain control of property.
That is what happened in Groton, after the congregation refused to obey Smith's order to vacate the property. The diocese sued the church last May, around the same time Gauss was suspended, and appointed a "priest-in-charge" for Bishop Seabury.
This is the second time the Connecticut diocese has brought a lawsuit against one of its churches for this reason. It sued Trinity Church in Bristol over the same issues in 2006, arguing that under canon law church property is held in trust for the diocese and the national church.
The lawsuit against Bishop Seabury also claims there is a historic, hierarchical relationship between the parish and the diocese that has been recognized in numerous ways, such as loans from the diocese to the parish for real estate ventures and the appointment of priests.
http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-postscript1201.artdec01,0,6342348.story
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