BOSTON (AP) — A group of Roman Catholics asked Pope Benedict XVI to reverse the decision by the Archdiocese of Boston to close their parishes, which sparked a six-year fight and several round-the-clock parishioner vigils.

Peter Borre, of the Council of Parishes, said he walked through the bronze gate at Vatican City on Tuesday and delivered the long-shot appeal to a Vatican guard on behalf of nine closed parishes.

Borre all but dismissed chances for "a miraculous Hollywood ending", but said the appeal was important as a final recourse within the church and to perhaps make space for negotiations that could prevent protesting parishioners from forming breakaway groups.

In 2004, the archdiocese began a reconfiguration that reduced the number of parishes from 357 to 291 as it struggled with shrinking membership, declining numbers of priests and financial problems.

Five churches have since been occupied by protesting parishioners.

The archdiocese has not moved to take the buildings because Cardinal Sean O'Malley said he would not act until all the appeals were exhausted.

The archdiocese said that happened earlier this year, with a ruling from the Vatican's highest court, the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.