Commissioners expressed surprise at O'Connell's statements that the church tries to rent the parish every weekend, with roughly 40 percent of its lessees seeking to serve alcohol.

"Now the church has gone from being a church to being a disco every Saturday night," said Commission Chair Benjamin C. Barnes.

During a separate function the night before the injury occurred, Cambridge police were called to the scene to respond to complaints by neighbors that 150 to 200 teenagers were milling around in the streets in front of the church at 1:30 a.m. According to representatives of Laygo Entertainment, which put on that event, organizers closed the party at 10:30 p.m. when a drunk man sought admission and refused to leave, creating a disturbance.

But the guests remained in the vicinity.

"It's not our responsibility once they're in the street," said event organizer Paul Mallebranche.

Barnes disagreed, "What we say is your responsibility, that is your responsibility."

In response to the two incidents, city Police Captain Henry W. Breen motioned for a disciplinary hearing to be held Feb. 11. He also motioned to tighten commission regulations.

"You can delegate authority, but you can't delegate responsibility," he told church officials.

If he gets the way, the church and any other renter with a history of rule violations or injuries on the premises would have to appear before the commission before renting out their facilities--a dramatic change from the current policy under which commission employees can approve licenses during business hours with little complication.

The commission voted to take the matter under advisement and is expected to render a decision Feb. 27