Message drew sister to priest

Albany Times-Union ^ | February 21, 2004 | Brian Nearing

[tridentine]

Message drew sister to priest Watervliet -- Call prompted discovery of cleric who died amid Hubbard controversy

By BRIAN NEARING, Staff writer First published: Saturday, February 21, 2004

Before he died, a priest embroiled in the controversy surrounding Bishop Howard Hubbard arranged for his sister to find him, according to a police report obtained by the Times Union. Patricia Minkler told Watervliet police that she went to the 2319 Seventh St. home of her brother, the Rev. John Minkler, on Sunday after getting a call from another Catholic priest.

She found her brother on the kitchen floor, face-down on a blanket, and called police at about 1:48 p.m. for help with an "attempted suicide," according to the police report. Firefighters at the scene determined that he was dead, the report said.

Minkler had died sometime between 4:30 p.m. Feb. 13, and when his body was found.

Prescription pills were found near Minkler, Albany County Coroner Herman Thomas said. Thomas is awaiting the results of toxicology tests before ruling on the cause of death. He has not disclosed the nature of the medication.

The death came days after Minkler was publicly identified as the author of a 1995 letter to then-New York Archbishop John O'Connor that accused Hubbard of homosexual behavior and theological transgressions.

On Feb. 13, Minkler signed a statement for the Albany Diocese disavowing authorship of the letter.

Minkler left a note near his body, but its contents have not been disclosed by Thomas, who is conducting an investigation into the death. District Attorney Paul Clyne said the note probably will not be made public.

Patricia Minkler said the Rev. Edward Sipperly, a retired priest from Clifton Park, told her that he had received a message on his answering machine from John Minkler asking that his sister be called to "respond to his address with her keys to the residence because he is ill," according to the police report.

Sipperly did not know the date or time of the message from John Minkler. The police report does not state when Sipperly contacted the sister.

A man answering the telephone at Sipperly's home Friday told a reporter that Sipperly wasn't there and hung up immediately. Several other calls to the residence were not answered.

Attempts to reach Patricia Minkler for comment were unsuccessful.

The last known contact with Minkler was with the Rev. Joseph Wilson, a Queens priest, who said Minkler was very upset that being identified as the letter's author could ruin him.

Albany Diocese spokesman Ken Goldfarb said Friday that Minkler told the diocese that Sipperly would help him with his duties as chaplain at the Stratton VA Medical Center.

Minkler was a chaplain there for 20 years, but VA spokeswoman Linda Blumenstock said Friday there is no record that Sipperly was a volunteer.

During the 1990s, Sipperly was pastor at St. Stanislaus Church in Amsterdam.

In 1986, he was bound, beaten and robbed while pastor at St. Joseph's Church in Green Island, where one of his assailants yanked a silver cross and chain from around his neck, spat in his face and said, "I hate your God, I hate your religion and I hate you."

[livius]

Ping.

[Salvation]

Oh, How sad!

May he rest in peace.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Ping.

[Antoninus]

Patricia Minkler said the Rev. Edward Sipperly, a retired priest from Clifton Park, told her that he had received a message on his answering machine from John Minkler asking that his sister be called to "respond to his address with her keys to the residence because he is ill," according to the police report.

This is bizarre.... Why didn't Fr. Minkler just call his sister directly? The plot thickens...

[sinkspur]

This is bizarre.... Why didn't Fr. Minkler just call his sister directly? The plot thickens...

Perhaps he knew that his sister would try to stop him.

[Antoninus]

Getting weirder and weirder...

[Antoninus]

Perhaps he knew that his sister would try to stop him.

In that case, it's clear that he wanted his sister to find his body (assuming this really was a suicide). Why her and not someone from the diocese or law enforcement? Hmmm?

[thinktwice]

On Feb. 13, Minkler signed a statement for the Albany Diocese disavowing authorship of the letter.

"There is an expansion of thought peculiar to the proximity of the grave; being near death makes us see the truth."
Victor Hugo, Les Miserables (Marius's near death experience, pb pg 1126).

"One of his causes for anxiety was that he was forced to think. The very violence of all these contradictory emotions forced him to it. Thought, an uncommon thing for him, and singularly painful."
Ibid, (Javert's suicide, pb pg 1321).

[GirlShortstop]

This is bizarre.... Why didn't Fr. Minkler just call his sister directly? The plot thickens...

Maybe it thickens.  Definitely bizarre.   If Minkler was to the point of being "ill", maybe he wanted his sister there with him but couldn't reach her, and knew that Sipperly could?  I would like to know the relationship Sipperly has with either Fr. Minkler or Patricia.  Is that answered anywhere?

[Aliska]

said the Rev. Edward Sipperly, a retired priest from Clifton Park, told her that he had received a message on his answering machine from John Minkler asking that his sister be called to "respond to his address with her keys to the residence because he is ill," according to the police report.

Lots of time lost going that route. Maybe he should have called 911. Surely he would have found such a message odd. Depending on the timeline, it may have not been too late to save him.

This is so very sad.

[Antoninus]

Rev. Edward Sipperly, a retired priest from Clifton Park, told her that he had received a message on his answering machine from John Minkler.

I wonder if he saved the message...

[Aliska]

I wonder if he saved the message...

It might be useful if he did.

For all the "brotherhood", this priest seems to have been pretty lonely and abandoned in his troubles. He was being used (maybe the cause was justified), but nobody seems to have been there for *him*.

[m4629]

Depending on the timeline, it may have not been too late to save him.

Phone record from Fr. Minkler's house should indicate when the call was made. That would narrow things down a bit, since by the looks of it Fr. Sipperly likely was the very last person Minkler called.

I do hope Patricia Minkler will talk to Steve Brady and assist him.

Also, if the coroner rules for Suicide, then he or Clyde should have no reason to suppress that Suicide Note, and if they did, that would be highly suspicious on their part.

[Aliska]

I do hope Patricia Minkler will talk to Steve Brady and assist him.

She will just about have to talk to the police. From there, she may want to just build a fortress around herself.

If she does decide to try to help, would she be more likely to talk to Brady or Mary Jo White?

Odds are she is afraid of the bishop, too.

[m4629]

If she does decide to try to help, would she be more likely to talk to Brady or Mary Jo White?

Patricia has no reason to talk to MJ White. If she has any critical information that may lead to Hubbard's departure, going to Brady would be sufficient.

In other words, what Patrician may know that's detrimental to Hubbard would be the same info he is not volunteering to MJ White or the public, so that would show White's assignment is a farce.

Even a small amount of explosive but concrete info on Hubbard would blow this thing sky high. Then White can't lean on Patricia and say "why didn't you talk to us?". Instead, White should jump on Hubbard and accuse him of playing games and hiding critical and detrimental information and resign in disgust, regardless of at what stage her investigation is.

In short, if and when White ever discovered and convinced Hubbard had been lying or hiding critical info, she should stop right there. Otherwise, that will tell us she could be part of the Whitewash.

[NYer]

Thank you for continuing the story with this thread. I am truly beside myself. We catholics all know that it would have to be an extreme situation to drive a priest, especially one known for his orthodoxy, to commit suicide.

Fr. Minkler was waked on Thursday and buried on Friday. The service was private, by invitation only. WTEN was able to get a camera crew within distance of the burial site and showed a short clip on the news. Once things here have quieted down, I plan to go down to pray at his grave.

My neighbor works at Stratton VA Hospital and knew Fr. Minkler on a "hello" basis. She saw him daily. Last night, we quickly exchanged a few words regarding this situation. She is not catholic but shook her head and said it did not bode well for the bishop.

Hubbard has seen the last dime from me. His arrogance in retaining DA Mary Jo White @ $770/hr in order to "restore his good name" has pushed me over the edge. The parishioners should not have to shoulder this burden. Let the "purple ribbon" wearers pick up the tab.

May Fr. Minkler and his family find comfort in our Lord's Divine Mercy.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Thank you for pinging me. I also cannot think of something so extreme to drive a priest to suicide.

This whole thing doesn't make sense. May God have mercy on his troubled soul, his family and friends.

[NYer]

District Attorney Paul Clyne said the note probably will not be made public.

I hope his sister recalls the contents of that note and has been able to extend that message to those who are "on the side" of Fr. Minkler. Bet you DA Mary Jo White will be able to procure a copy. Since we are funding her campaign to 'restore Bishop Hubbard's good name', we should have a right to know its 'unaltered' contents.

[rogator]

"Odds are she is afraid of the bishop, too."

It looks to me as if she should be afraid of the bishop.