Minkler's friend left with questions: Associate offers new insight to priest found dead

WNYT-TV ^ | February 21, 2004 | John Allen

[tridentine]

Minkler's friend left with questions Associate offers new insight to priest found dead

By John Allen WNYT-TV Updated: 11:08 a.m. ET Feb. 21, 2004Feb. 18 - There is new insight into Rev. John Minkler, the Catholic priest found dead in his Watervliet home on Sunday.

Minkler has been linked to a 1995 letter to Cardinal John O'Connor alleging Bishop Howard Hubbard had sexual relations with two priests in the diocese.

Rev. Charles San Fratello worked with Minkler for 20 years. San Fratello is a chaplain at the Stratton VA Medical Center where Minkler was his boss and associate. He says Minkler ministered to patients at the hospital on a daily basis.

[xJones]

Even San Fratello admits Minkler's devotion to the church, along with others who are considered conservative Catholics, was perhaps routed in an earlier time - when the mass was still in Latin and Catholics didn't eat meat on Friday.

"They're of a different mentality by way of approaching, say, of modern day belief," San Fratello said.

When San Fratello heard of this the document associated with Minkler critical of the bishop and alleging rampant homosexuality in the diocese, San Fratello called Minkler.

"I don't like the allegations that are being made, for my own edification," San Fratello said he told Minkler. "If they are so, I can't change them. But my association with you would be that I'd like to know that you are at peace with yourself.

Maybe it's just my opinion, but something is very "swishy" about San Fratello's comments....

[TheRevEN]

OK.

So now Fr. Minkler has *made plans* to talk to a close friend.

Folks, I have to know a little about how suicidal thoughts and plans function as part of my work so that I can spot potential deaths. People very often brood for a while before making up their minds. They rarely do such a final thing on the spur of the moment. They plan how they will carry the idea out in concrete terms. And they isolate themselves from those who could help them.

Minkler was reaching out to people. He was connecting with friends and other people interested in the case -- he was not isolating himself into a despairing place. He had plans for a time that would have been after his death.

I just don't believe that this is a man who killed himself. I know I may be wrong, but my gut doesn't buy it.

[GirlShortstop]

Minkler was reaching out to people. He was connecting with friends and other people interested in the case -- he was not isolating himself into a despairing place. He had plans for a time that would have been after his death.

I just don't believe that this is a man who killed himself. I know I may be wrong, but my gut doesn't buy it.

Thanks for the insight, and for sharing the logic behind your "gut feeling".  I am having a tough time discerning my awful gut feeling brought about by the blog page that american colleen posted where Fr. Minkler said to a contact on Friday or Saturday before his death, "They forced me to lie".  Ugh... the ugliness of this situation.

[m4629]

Thanks for the ping Rev. Waiting for more info before commenting.

[Aliska]

There is new insight into Rev. John Minkler, the Catholic priest found dead in his Watervliet home on Sunday.

Trial balloon? I doubt any clergy in that diocese is going to be talking to any media without the express knowledge and permission of the bishop.

[NYer]

Trial balloon? I doubt any clergy in that diocese is going to be talking to any media without the express knowledge and permission of the bishop.

Yes! You have picked up on something I had been noticing in my own parish.

Recall the situation with Fr. Raiche when he was assigned to St. Mary's in Oneonta. The parishioners were up in arms when he began teaching heterodoxy. The wrote to the bishop, even took out a full page ad in the paper.

The bishop responded by rewarding Fr. Raiche with a new parish. One of my coworkers has relatives in that parish. Since arriving there, Fr. Raiche has acted in a most orthodox manner. In fact, she was very surprised when she read about his actions at St. Mary's. He was obviously read the riot act.

Hubbard knows that he, his staff and his priests are being observed under a microscope.

[NYer]

They rarely do such a final thing on the spur of the moment. They plan how they will carry the idea out in concrete terms. And they isolate themselves from those who could help them.

If anything, Fr. Minkler would have been in good spirits on Friday, Feb. 13. He had just returned home from a retreat. Then, he found the message on his answering maching, summoning him down to the Chancery. It must have been stridently worded because he went down immediately. The Coroner's Office has set the time of death somewhere between 4:30pm on Friday and the time his sister found him on Sunday.

Why the rush to get down to the Chancery? Why a 'note' found with the body? Who laid out the blanket on which he was found? Would a suicidal person even bring a blanket into the kitchen?

I'll be attending the meeting Sunday evening with Steve Brady and Paul Likoudis. If anyone has questions they would like answered, freepmail them to me. I'll do my best to take notes and have your questions asked.

[dsc]

Has the cause of death been established yet?

[Desdemona]

The Coroner's Office has set the time of death somewhere between 4:30pm on Friday and the time his sister found him on Sunday.

Hmmmm. That's an awfully big swing. TOD can usually be pinpointed closer than "sometime in these 44 hours" unless the victim bled out. Even then, TOD can be established. Funny how TOD is sometime between the time he was last seen and when he was discovered dead.

Either the coroner's office has pathologists who need to go back to school or there is a very quiet, deep investigation going on. At least, I hope so.

[BlackElk]

The Coroner's office is "maintaining its options" depending on what cover story is needed to protect Hubbard. Not that I am getting cynical about Hubbard or anything.