BOSTON -- For churches in the Boston Archdiocese slated for closure, the joy of the Christmas season has been tempered with sadness.

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Amalia Barreda Reports On Churches

NewsCenter 5's Amalia Barreda reported that a confrontation between a parish priest and parishioners angry over the planned closing of their church heated up at Sacred Heart Church in South Natick Friday.

Members of the parish started arriving at about 3 p.m. in preparation for the Mass. When the service began, two parishioners emerged to hang a banner officially announcing that the parish was in vigil beginning Friday night.

The Rev. Joseph Sliva called police and said that parishioners did not have permission to hang the banner. They were ordered to remove it.

"We've written letters and requested that the church be kept open. We tried to get response from the archdiocese, and it hasn't worked out," parishioner Paul Quigley said.

Parishioner Brendan Melchiorri, 14, spent part of his Christmas Eve gathering signatures on a petition to send to Archbishop Sean O'Malley.

"I really don’t want this place to close. I don't think it's right that the Archdiocese should be able to close churches permanently. It's horrible," he said.

"We really don’t have any choice. I mean, we are confirmed Catholics, which means that we have the responsibility of protecting the Roman Catholic Church in Boston. That means protecting it from outside and inside sources," parishioner Anne Green said.

During Communion, Sliva called police again -- this time to remove Melchiorri and his parents because of the signatures that the family was gathering.

"This is our church. This is not his church. I mean, he is a part of this church, but this belongs to the people -- the people of the parish," said parishioner Susan Melchiorri. "For him to tell me that a 14-year-old boy did something that was in his heart, that is disgusting."

"I just can't believe it. Why would he be so cruel?" Brendan Melchiorri said.

He said that he would continue to collect signatures. The church is scheduled to close on Dec. 27.

O'Malley celebrated Mass with the city's Vietnamese community at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross earlier Friday. He was expected to visit a homeless shelter and then celebrate Midnight Mass.