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Spending at parish soars with new priest
WORLD-HERALD ^ | April 16, 2005 | CHRISTOPHER BURBACH

Posted on 04/16/2005 11:24:59 PM PDT by CatherineSiena

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To: church militant

You're obviously not bilingual, unless you consider pig latin a language. I speak the language to someone else because they understand it, nothing else. Me, childish. Who's speaking pig latin ? If you don't know what a word is, don't guess, it's embarrassing.


301 posted on 06/04/2005 5:57:09 PM PDT by Petskelis
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To: omahacatholic
You see, here is where your total lack of Catholic understanding is exposed. Why have priests for 2000 years left the comfort of home for missionary assignments?

BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Stravinskas gave up the "comforts" of home for a missionary assignment? Don't make me laugh!

So that's why he redid the rectory, making two huge suites, one for himself, and one for his very close friend Nick; why he raided the St.Anthony treasury to pay off credit card debts? (Missionaries have credit card debts?); to pay off mortgages, etc. etc. etc.

Your cloying post may have gone over big with ignorant Catholic immigrants of centuries gone by, but not in this new information age. Now a priest's past will follow him wherever he goes, thanks to the internet.

Don't tell me about missionaries. My daughter and her husband are real missionaries--in Africa.

Why didn't Stravinskas and his lap dog go to a third world country if they wanted to experience the sacrifice and deprivation of REAL missionary life?

302 posted on 06/04/2005 6:06:05 PM PDT by Palladin (No Korans were abused in the making of this post.)
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To: omahacatholic

And another thing--why did Stravinskas and Gregoris change the name of their "Priestly Society" from the Oratory of St. Philip Neri to the Priestly Society of the Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman?

Harder to trace their past with a name change?


303 posted on 06/04/2005 6:09:56 PM PDT by Palladin (No Korans were abused in the making of this post.)
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To: Palladin
I wish we had known!

When I did my taxes, I had many canceled checks made out to Newman House as proof that any requests for masses or novenas went into his pockets, not the parish's.

When some parishioners gave Brother Joshua (a seminarian that resides at Newman House when school is out)a Christmas gift, there was a scathing announcement in the bulletin that all gifts need to be made out to Newman House. This kid can't enjoy a Christmas present without Father Stravinskas pocketing the money. If he is guilty, I pray that he will not be sent to another parish to deplete all of their money. That is what the church did during the "first scandal", just move priests around. We have him and the Archbishop that brought him here from PA to thank for the loss of our parish if this happens. All of his lavish improvements will be for naught.
304 posted on 06/04/2005 6:12:39 PM PDT by Angelas
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To: Petskelis
Omaha catholic has always been an avid defender of Father Stravinskas. But don't you think that lately he sounds more and more like ancilla (Chicago Faithful)? Is she signing in as her hubby? her buddy?
305 posted on 06/04/2005 6:22:27 PM PDT by Angelas
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To: Angelas

mail


306 posted on 06/04/2005 6:22:38 PM PDT by Petskelis
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To: Angelas

This is only the tip of the iceberg of the "new" scandal, which is a financial scandal to equal the sexual scandal.

For thirty years of the sexual scandal, the offenders were "treated" and sent on to other parishes or other dioceses where they were unknown and could find new victims.

Now a pattern is emerging similar to that one, where embezzlers are allowed to set up their own cozy little "fraternities" and "oratories" and "societies" --of course, with all checks made out to them, not the parish, not the diocese--and after they milk one place dry, it's on to the next.

Many of these embezzlers embrace the homosexual lifestyle and use their church funds to indulge in vacations in the Bahamas, weekends in Vegas, buying trinkets for their "boys"--like new cars and gold jewelry-- and when anyone in the parish objects, the whistleblowers are smeared by the Lavender gangs and their flunkies.

This happened recently to my brother-in-law's parish in Queens, New York. It is the new scam--the new disgrace of the Church.

Wherever ther's a Bishop dopey enough, or senile enough, or corrupt enough, to let them in.


307 posted on 06/04/2005 6:22:53 PM PDT by Palladin (No Korans were abused in the making of this post.)
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To: Petskelis

pastas pastas pastas pastas pastas pastas pastas


308 posted on 06/04/2005 6:26:31 PM PDT by Angelas
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To: Palladin
Oh by the way, when omaha catholic called you "Rupuzhe Palladin", they misspelled rupuze. It means a "toad" but is regarded as a very disparaging title in the Lithuanian language. So we know the poster was not Lithuanian, just getting coaching.

Now Gintarines Šaknys is another story, she has forgotten her roots and is being used as a pawn also.
309 posted on 06/04/2005 6:41:18 PM PDT by Angelas
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To: Palladin

Definitely sounds like the current administrator and company. I always forget to put in "temporary". They just prefer Paris, Rome and those are only the ones we know about.


310 posted on 06/04/2005 6:51:37 PM PDT by Petskelis
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To: Palladin

Sounds like you have a personal axe to grind with Father Stravinskas. Why are you so personally interested in what is going on here? You seem to have all this intimate knowledge of what Father is about and what kind of person he is.

You don't really know any more than what the lynch mob is telling you on the phone or in private emails. It is interesting how they have credibilty with you , but no one else on this forum does.

The only reason I'm back posting here after two weeks is to figure out what the link is with you and the lynch mob.

Here's my hunch:

You might be Dr Jeffrey Bond, who has posted on other blogs regarding this story. On the other blog Dr Bond was trying to make a connection just as you are to the dirty dealings in Pennsylvania.

Seeing your posts, one member of the lynch mob, non-Lithuanian who has been instrumental in seeing that this whole mess made it to the media in the first place, contacted you with "the truth" about the Omaha story.

So now you appear on the Free Republic thread spewing your lines about the "evil" fathers and their supposedly sordid dealings, though there is no evidence to support your accusations at all, no matter how badly you wish there were.

You have no proof of anything. And your source here in Omaha has been remiss in letting you know that there has been no evidence of criminal activity. You can throw out accusations, but you really look like a fool because you are creating these huge conspiracy theories full of speculation.

You really aren't doing the Church any good when you try to bring down priests that aren't guilty of crimes. Your zealousness has clouded your judgement here.






311 posted on 06/04/2005 6:54:26 PM PDT by ancilla
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To: Angelas
I can't believe those two are Lithuanian. All the Lithuanians I know are classy people.

Kind of off-topic, but here is the story of the thieving gay pastor at my b-i-l's parish. It's old news, but a good example of what I mentioned up above.

‘Sins of The Father’ Priest Living At St. Gertrude’s Sentenced For Embezzlement By Gary G. Toms

In the latest saga involving misconduct by Catholic priests, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced this week that the former pastor of St. Elizabeth’s Roman Catholic Church, in Ozone Park, has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $95,000 in parish funds. The priest, John Thompson, whose address is listed as 336 Beach 38 Street (St. Gertrude’s Church) also admitted that much of the money was used to pay for credit cards, a vacation rental in Mexico, trips to Florida, and a list of other personal expenses. A sentence of five years probation was handed down, and in addition, the former priest must pay back all of the money he stole from the parish. Thompson has since made an initial payment of $10,000 toward full restitution.

"The defendant has been held to account for his wrongdoing. He has admitted his guilt, waived his right to an appeal, and agreed to pay back every penny of the more than $95,000 that he stole and improperly used for his personal benefit," said Brown.

Thompson had served as pastor of the St. Elizabeth’s Church from 1997 until his resignation in March. On September 17, 2002, he pled guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree before Queens Supreme Court Justice Joseph A. Grosso, who imposed sentencing.

According to the District Attorney, the investigation began in June when the principal of St. Elizabeth’s School, Barbara Samide, told prosecutors she believed that the pastor had been spending church and school funds without properly substantiating his expenditures. Samide stated that in addition to Thompson having a homosexual relationship, the priest was using money that was earmarked for the elementary school to purchase expensive gifts for his lover (identified only as an 18-year-old man named "Jonathan" - who was living in the St. Elizabeth’s rectory) and pay for trips to gay resorts in Florida. She noted that the school's budget was about $250,000 in the red, and Father Thompson got rid of the parish committee that was in charge of keeping an eye on tuition collection.

Samide went on to note that when she tried to approach the officials of the diocese to discuss her concerns, she was basically shunned, told to keep her mouth shut, or was told that the matter would be handled by church officials. Fueled by a growing church scandal, Samide threatened to take the information she had to prosecutors, and it was only at that point that Father Thompson resigned. He was then shipped to St. Gertrude's Church, but was not given an official title. However, the priest did take part in conducting religious services.

When The Wave reported on the story back in June, it was not clear if the priest was still living at the rectory, as there were unconfirmed reports that the priest had left and was living with members of his family.

312 posted on 06/04/2005 6:57:08 PM PDT by Palladin (No Korans were abused in the making of this post.)
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To: omahacatholic
"And as for "Latin Mass" requiring a lot of singing - well, the mass Father does is the same as almost every other parish in Omaha, the responses are the same - just in Latin."

This is not true. Father Stravinskas demands we chant the responses as in true Gregorian Latin Masses. This would be different if he owned up and called it a Latin mass instead of trying to call it a Lithuanian Mass and not allowing true Lithuanian liturgical responses like other churches do.

You do not know as much as you think you do about masses and the music allowed (and not allowed) during masses of all types.
313 posted on 06/04/2005 7:00:53 PM PDT by Angelas
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To: ancilla

Keep on guessing, and keep on digging a hole for your two "champions".

The truth will be out soon enough.


314 posted on 06/04/2005 7:05:00 PM PDT by Palladin (No Korans were abused in the making of this post.)
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To: Palladin
"Samide went on to note that when she tried to approach the officials of the diocese to discuss her concerns, she was basically shunned, told to keep her mouth shut, or was told that the matter would be handled by church officials. Fueled by a growing church scandal, Samide threatened to take the information she had to prosecutors,"

This is exactly what happened to our parish. When the money was disappearing without parish or finance council approval, the parishioners went to the Archbishop. He ordered an audit and froze the funds after that audit. Too little, too late. Father Stravinskas demanded an independent audit that didn't take place until months later. Maybe this audit did not show any wrongdoing as the Archbishop states, but it certainly did not exonerate Father Stravinskas nor did it get any money back.

In the private sector, if someone is being investigated, even without any guilt assumed, they are suspended from their post until the investigation has been completed. When the Archbishop refused to do so and only then after more than a year of stalling the parishioners, did several parishioners ask the police to investigate if there was any crime.
315 posted on 06/04/2005 7:12:58 PM PDT by Angelas
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To: Palladin

:o)


316 posted on 06/04/2005 7:16:02 PM PDT by ancilla
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To: Palladin; Petskelis
ancilla's comments
" The only reason I'm back posting here after two weeks" "

:) Now this was funny!

"is to figure out what the link is with you and the lynch mob."

Should we tell her we are all from PA or maybe New Jersey?
317 posted on 06/04/2005 7:24:00 PM PDT by Angelas
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To: Angelas

Works for me ---- I'd like to be from PA


318 posted on 06/04/2005 7:25:36 PM PDT by Petskelis
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To: Petskelis

pastas


319 posted on 06/04/2005 7:33:53 PM PDT by Petskelis
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To: Angelas

oops, pastas


320 posted on 06/04/2005 7:35:34 PM PDT by Petskelis
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