Diocese Sues 11 Seceding Congregations Over Property Ownership
By Michelle Boorstein and Jacqueline L. Salmon
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, February 1, 2007

The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia filed lawsuits yesterday against 11 conservative congregations that voted to leave the U.S. church and are fighting to keep their parish properties and assets.

The Circuit Court lawsuits, almost all in Northern Virginia, ask the court to declare the diocese the rightful owner of all property, which is worth well into the tens of millions of dollars. The suits also ask the court to force the breakaway congregations off the 11 properties, which they have occupied since the votes in December and January. the rest