Posted on 08/21/2004 8:28:29 AM PDT by Land of the Irish
A Wanderer reader caught in a parish closing/consolidation project, begun during the misrule of the disgraced Archbishop Rembert Weakland, OSB, informs FTM:
"In May, we forwarded Archbishop Dolan a booklet (along with supporting documentation) outlining the problems associated with the merger of St. Patrick's of Erin and St. Kilian's of Hartford. At the root of the merger problems, as spelled out explicitly in our documentation, was the difference between the worship styles of the two parishes - St. Patrick's Church being traditional and following the guidelines of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments and the new guidelines spelled out by U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops and St. Kilian's following former Archbishop Weakland's AmChurch. We asked if we could be placed with a different parish that worshipped similarly to that of St. Patrick's.
"Last week, we received a response, not from the archbishop, but rather Bishop [Richard] Sklba."
The Preservation Committee's five-page letter, dated May 13, 2004, edited for space reasons, reads:
"We are writing again in response to your March 26, 2004 letter. Our group has realistic expectations as to the good this correspondence will do, nonetheless, we also realize the importance of correcting misinformation and continuing documentation. Unfortunately, those in positions of power within the Milwaukee Archdiocese seem reluctant to ever admit mistakes and try to correct them unless the news media pins them against the wall.
"We had great hopes when you were named Archbishop of Milwaukee....
"The decision to merge St. Patrick with St. Kilian's of Hartford was not made after 'patient dialogue,' it was rammed down the throats of parishioners even after hundreds of letters were written to Archbishop Weakland telling him the merger was doomed to fail because of the differences between the two parishes.
"What were some of those differences? First, Mass postures - with the people of St. Patrick's Church following Roman Catholic Tradition and kneeling during the Consecration and Communion Rite and St. Kilian's standing; secondly, St. Kilian going against Catholic Church Doctrine and celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation three years after the Sacrament of First Holy Communion and thirdly the differences in the Religious Education Programs with St. Patrick's using the very traditional Faith & Life Series, which would not have been possible after the merger....These grave concerns were never addressed and finally after many months of discussion, those in positions of power in this archdiocese stated that these decisions were 'up to the pastor.'
"There was no personal meeting with Archbishop Weakland, even though we pleaded for months to have one, but we aren't surprised that you have been given misinformation. As with the sex abuse scandal within our church, some of our spiritual leaders (both past and present) find it difficult to honestly admit and correct mistakes-all the while challenging their flock in the confessional to do just that.
"We have included the history of the merger of St. Patrick's for your review...."
FTM need not burden Wanderer readers with all the details involved in merging/consolidating St. Patrick's, St. Mary's, St. Hubert's, St. Mary of the Hill and St. Boniface while maintaining the liberal St. Kilian's at great expense while alienating orthodox Catholics, because key excerpts from the letter show that Weakland's agenda for deconstructing Catholicism is in full throttle.
The facts of the matter are these: the pastor of St. Patrick's, Fr. Wally Vogel, wrote to Weakland informing him he would like to stay on as pastor until he reached mandatory retirement age at 75; Weakland removed him and semi-retired him at age 68, assigning him to full time funeral ministry at graveside services.
Then, there is the manipulation of statistics, as the letter observes: "Also of spiritual interest to you, it should be noted that when St. Patrick's Parish was merged in June of 1999 we had 425 registered Catholics with 94% Mass attendance. Recently, St. Kilian's of Hartford listed their total number of registered parishioners at 3,356 with only 1,284 or 38% of those registered attending Mass...."
Then, as usual, there are the standard intimidation tactics, as the letter points out: "The September 18, 1997 Archdiocesan 'Listening Session' was anything but that. St. Patrick Parish Council Members were placed at tables with other councils where there were no planned mergers. Council members were told at the beginning of the meeting that everyone's questions would be answered, but they never were and only questions on the handout were addressed. Parish Council Presidents were given one minute each to express views on the questionnaire only and when St. Patrick Parish Council President John Collins tried to express his concerns over the merger of St. Patrick's Church with St. Kilian's his microphone was abruptly cut off...."
The letter continues:
"While you [i.e. Archbishop Dolan] state in your letter that St. Patrick's 'remains under the capable guidance of St. Kilian's parish pastor, Father Michael Petrie,' we question that assertion. Do you not believe it is a serious moral matter when a pastor disobeys our very Roman Catholic Church Doctrine when it comes to the order of the Sacraments? Do you believe it is a serious matter when a church is rented out for monetary gain for a secular music recital, which goes against the guidelines for Sacred Music in our Churches as established by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments? Yet when our St. Patrick Preservation Group asked to use the church our ancestors built, and past and present parishioners have cared for and supported for over 149 years on the feast day of our patron saint on March 17, our request was denied. How is that possible?
"Equally troubling are the divisions in Mass postures caused by the former archbishop. We were hopeful that with your arrival and the Norms of the instructions in the new Roman Missal concerning the postures of the congregation at Mass were approved by all the U.S. Bishops on June 15, 200l and also approved by the Holy See, that once again things would be 'universal' here in the Milwaukee Archdiocese. However, nothing could be further from the truth. In the April 25, 2004, St. Kilian Parish Bulletin, Fr. Petrie stated that, 'In the Milwaukee Archdiocese, the Archbishop has determined that individuals should observe the congregations' custom, kneeling or standing. At St. Kilian's our custom is to stand for (the Consecration) and Behold the Lamb of God and remain standing until one has received Holy Communion,' and so St. Kilian's will continue to stand.
"This one issue was one of the major stumbling blocks between St. Patrick and St. Kilian parishes. The majority of parishioners of St. Patrick's had no intention of joining a parish, where the Tabernacle has been removed from the main body of the church, where kneelers are non-existent or never used and during the most sacred parts of the Mass - the Consecration and Communion Rite, we are forced to look at someone's back rather than Our Lord....And why are we FORCED to merge with a parish that is out of step with Roman Catholicism....
"In just one month, we will acknowledge the fifth anniversary of the closing of St. Patrick's Parish in the Town of Erin. Unfortunately, little has changed in this archdiocese even after the news that former archbishop Rembert Weakland, engaged in at least one homosexual relationship and attempted to cover it up for over 20 years, which led to a $450,000 cash settlement plus attorneys fees (which have never been disclosed) not to mention the cost of the sex abuse scandal.....
"Equally troubling is your acceptance of past decisions without the least bit of curiosity as to what was behind those decisions and your continued support for those in positions of power during this terrible time. While you may see St. Patrick's Church as a mere building, we, the past and present parishioners, view the establishment of St. Patrick's Parish 149 years ago, as a sacred Covenant between God and his people-a Covenant which should not have been extinguished unless there were no more parishioners, no more money, buildings falling down and in disrepair and no hope for its resurrection.
"St. Patrick's was not established so at some later date it could be sold off to fund another church's grandiose renovation plan, which wasn't possible with their present financial situation. This scenario has played out many times in this archdiocese where failing, in debt parishes are rewarded with the 'treasures' of another parish, where parishioners have worked extremely hard to become debt free, sacrificed to build up their savings accounts and maintained their buildings because their sale will bring a quick profit. What we have witnessed on a grand scale is the mismanagement of God's gifts by this archdiocese - gifts which were first God's reward to the hard-working and caring parishioners of this archdiocese, who then willingly gave them in good faith sharing them with the Hierarchy to help bring souls to Christ with Heaven as the goal. These sacred gifts rather than being used for good and holy purposes have been used to cover up inept, immoral and unethical practices...."
The letter was signed by John J. Collins, Sr., who received this reply from Bishop Sklba:
"I write at the request of Archbishop Dolan, who received your letter of May 13, 2004 together with its background documentation, and studied the information carefully before asking that I responding his name. I do so as someone deeply involved in all the consultations, which accompanied the last two cycles of parish planning in the archdiocese.
"The Archbishop was very clear in stating that he has no intention of reversing the earlier decision made prudently in his judgment and repeatedly upheld by the Apostolic See. The process, as well as the substance of that action, was carefully reviewed by the judicial offices of the Holy See and cannot be reversed.
"Archbishop Dolan indicated his trust in the pastor's judgment, especially after the patient efforts over the past years to work with reasonable groups in order to assure that the beautiful chapel of St. Patrick's could be used in a limited way. Unfortunately, the pastor of St. Kilian's Parish in Hartford, together with his elected lay leaders, find it impossible to work with, as they see it, some of the more stubborn and uncharitable segments of the community.
"The Archbishop acknowledged that he finds himself having more and more sympathy with that conclusion, especially if the negative, uncharitable and accusatory tone of the correspondence is any indication of the general tenor of ongoing approaches to the pastor.
"I realize that this response may be very disappointing to you and other members of the preservation fund. We certainly wish to preserve the best of the past without simply reinstating a tradition that is no longer possible for all the reasons given in correspondence over the years. I pray that God can heal this situation and bring a new reconciliation to all of us as we enter this 21st century.
"Fraternally in Christ Risen," etc.
FTM is surprised Mr. Collins didn't get a letter from Sklba (or Weakland's attorneys) threatening him and his "mean-spirited" friends who are probably "communists" with a libel suit. Maybe things are getting a little better in the Milwaukee archdiocese.
* * *
And from the same Dept., there is the ongoing defiance of Fr. Richard Prendergast, pastor of St. Mary of Celle Parish in Berwyn, Illinois, the Chicago priest who coordinated a campaign among brother priests to attack the Church's teaching on homosexual acts. After he wrote the letter, and it circulated all over the world through the Internet, Cardinal George wrote him a very polite (Dec. 19, 2003) letter asking him not to use parish resources to attack Church teaching
Fr. Prendergast is back in the pages of the August 4, 2004 issue of U.S. Catholic (published by the Claretians "with ecclesiastical approval," with a "Sounding Board" essay, "The Church should be more sensitive to gays and lesbians," extolling the Christian example of two of his parishioners, Laura and Lynne, partnered lesbians, raising little Chloe, whom Prendergast had the joy of baptizing, as he explained:
"....I met Laura and Lynne at a party given by a mutual friend. It was there that I learned they were awaiting word from half way around the world about a baby available for adoption. A few months later, the two women brought home their new daughter, Chloe. Soon afterward, they invited me to dinner to discuss a possible baptism. Lynne, especially, was concerned about whether or not she could have her daughter baptized in a Church that was so hostile toward gays and lesbians. It was a good conversation in which we agreed that everything said by Church authorities isn't equal to the gospel of Jesus. A few weeks later, with family and friends gathered, Chloe was baptized....."
Fr. Prendergast's call for homosexual activists to deepen their involvement in Catholic parishes, and for Catholics to understand Jesus didn't have a position on homosexual acts, is buttressed by the magazine's feature article, "Mom, Dad, I'm Gay," by Kathy Saunders, which promotes the views of the Diocese of Rochester's homosexual agit-prop experts, Casey and Mary Ellen Lopata.
There's probably not much Cardinal George can do with Fr. Prendergast at this point, but he certainly could order U.S. Catholic to stop advertising "published with ecclesiastic approval."
Ping
Novus Ordo parishes are as diverse as the Protestant religions. Yet, they all are in "communion" with Rome and that great Spirit in the Sky, Vatican Council II (i.e. "That's where you're gonna go when you die").
I am sorry, but the internal affairs of the Catholic Church do not concern you. Please take your anti-Catholic bigotry elsewhere.
Coming from a worshipper at Mao's Chi-Com CCPA Masses, I'm not shivering in my boots.
Move along.
Yes, slimy ad hominem is your modus operandi.
As in:
the internal affairs of the Catholic Church do not concern you.
?????
Since when has been stating fact been considered ad hominem attacks?
We need real bishops instead of these cowardly false shepherds.
I would not contribute another nickle in that parish or diocese.
If I could not find a reverent/licit diocesan/Catholic Mass in that area, I would exercise my right under Canon Law and attend a Orthodox Mass.
Better yet, don't contribute to any New Order parish or diocese. Your money is far better spent in tradtional circles.
This kind of behavior is de rigeur for integrists, which is why they don't get the time of day from the chancery offices when the ask for Indult Masses.
They can't even behave like decent human beings.
"The trads (at a parish with 425 members) insult the archbishop, then expect to be taken seriously?"
Which archbishop,
... a pervert who spent almost $500K of church funds for hush money or an archbishop who still allows him to function as a bishop and confirm kids.
The new archbishop needs to suspend the priestly faculties of the old one and go after the church money he spent to silence his soddomite sidekick.
"Equally troubling is your acceptance of past decisions without the least bit of curiosity as to what was behind those decisions and your continued support for those in positions of power during this terrible time. While you may see St. Patrick's Church as a mere building,"
This is an insulting and impertinent statement. I would have ignored the letter completely, had I been Dolan. You don't come with one hand out while the other one is slapping the man in the face!
"Better yet, don't contribute to any New Order parish or diocese. Your money is far better spent in tradtional circles."
I stopped contributing to my diocese some time ago.
I feel obligated to contribute to my local parish as long as I attend Mass there.
Although our Masses are frequently illicit due to failure to comply with church liturgical law, they are for the most part reverent.
Attending more traditional Masses either diocesan or otherwise on a regular basis is not an option due to the 7-8 hour round trip involved.
I don't know what I will do if our liberal pastor goes off the deep end liturgically. After the one Mass at which he had a hula dancer do her thing, I told him that if it happened at a Mass that I attended, I would walk out the center aisle during the dance and take my regular contribution with me. I guess he had a less than positive response from some other folks as the dancer has not returned.
I feel no obligation to attend an irreverent/sacriligious Mass.
It wouldn't be as sad if good people like you didn't have to be the spiritual victims of these vapid freaks.
This is impossible for me to imagine, IMPOSSIBLE! How is this possible? Somebody, preferably anyone who is big on deciding who is worthy of excommunication and who is not, explain how this takes place in the first place? Talk about rotting from within!
" morally bankrupt ecclesiastical inmates running the asylum known as your local diocese. "
Mine and a bunch of others many of which are much worse.
Lots of parishs have dancing girls (or dancing matrons).
This sacrilige is well across the line which I will tolerate.
It is one of the "walk out of Mass" abuses which I feel that to tolerate is scandalous.
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