By Associated Press - Saturday, May 23, 2015

SCITUATE, Mass. (AP) - Protesters occupying a closed Catholic church in Massachusetts say they’ve been given a temporary reprieve from a judge’s order to end their nearly 11-year occupation.

The Friends of St. Frances X. Cabrini Church says a judge late Friday modified his order for protesters to vacate the Scituate property by May 29. The judge says he will reconsider the date for them to leave in light of their plans to appeal his order to a higher court.

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston is expected to oppose the deadline delay. He declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation.

A lawyer for the protesters says the revised judge’s order gives those involved some needed “breathing space.”

Protesters have been holding a round-the-clock vigil since the church was targeted for closure in 2004.

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