Update: Bishop Cannot Intervene in Catholic School Expulsion of Pro-Life Student

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | November 2, 2005 | John-Henry Westen

[LifeSite News]

Sacramento Catholic School Expels 15-year-old Student who Alerted Bishop to Abortion Activist Teacher Bishop's Hands are Tied

By John-Henry Westen

SACRAMENTO, November 2, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A 15-year-old girl at a Catholic school who was responsible for alerting her bishop to the presence of a pro-abortion activist teacher on staff at her school has been expelled from the school. Katelyn Sills, was expelled from Loretto High School in Sacramento last week, two weeks after the teacher, who was found to be an abortion clinic escort, was dismissed at the behest of the local Bishop William Weigand. (see LifeSiteNews.com coverage: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/nov/05110110.html )

Katelyn informed her mother after she recognized Marie Bain, one of the teachers at Loretto, as an escort at a Planned Parenthood abortuary where Katelyn and her family had regularly taken part in pro-life rallies. After unsuccessful attempts to quietly have the school address the situation of Mrs. Bain, Katelyn's mother Wynette Sills sent photos of Bain escorting women into the abortion center to Bishop Weigand.

KATELYN EXPELLED AFTER MOTHER BANNED FROM CAMPUS

LifeSiteNews.com contacted Edward Sills, Katelyn's father who noted that although the family is not yet ready to speak to the media, a press release and comments have been issued on Katelyn's website. On the website, http://standupandspeakout.blogspot.com/ , Katelyn reports that: "As of Saturday, October 29th, I was given official notice by express mail that I am expelled from Loretto High School. This was given completely without forewarning, without a meeting, and without a chance to say goodbye. My family is now seeking legal advice, and more details will follow." Prior to her expulsion, she reported that "Loretto's administration has banned my mother from campus since October 16th."

SCHOOL ALLEGES "ATTACKS"

In a short interview with LifeSiteNews.com, Loretto President Sr. Helen Timothy said she could not comment on the matter but did say she would fax a press release from the school. That press release, dated, October 28 - a day before Katelyn said she received notice of her expulsion - says of the expulsion that it was a "last resort" and accused the Sills family of "an escalating series of public attacks made against Loretto". The release says that "these attacks have included taunts, threats and verbal abuse directed against members of our school community, as well as a mass e-mail campaign slandering the school's reputation as a Catholic institution."

In the press release on her website, Katelyn's family responds to the school release saying, "Coming in the middle of fall term, this dismissal is most unfair and undeserved. What is worse, however, is the administration's outrageous charges that our family has engaged in 'threats', 'abuse', and other 'malicious' behavior toward members of the Loretto community. These charges are categorically false and defamatory. In actual fact, our family has at all times acted respectfully in attempting to resolve a difficult situation for the good of all members of the Loretto community, continuously seeking reconciliation."

DIOCESE UNABLE TO INTERVENE UNDER CANON LAW

The diocese says it is unable to act on the matter of Katelyn's expulsion. Rev. Charles S. McDermott, S.T.D. Chancellor and Vicar Episcopal for Theological Affairs for the Diocese of Sacramento, explained to LifeSiteNews.com that the school is run by an order of nuns popularly known as the Loretto Sisters. Rev. McDermott described the order as "A religious institute in the church which is of pontifical right," explaining that "they are subject in their internal affairs directly to the Holy See and not to the local bishop."

In the matter of the pro-abortion teacher the bishop exercised special powers reserved to him in canon (church) law permitting him to intervene in cases of faith and morals, explained the diocesan Chancellor.

Rev. McDermott did however provide key information shedding light on the disagreement between the family and the school. He told LifeSiteNews.com that "The mother approached Loretto high school about it quite quietly, as far as I understand, and asked them to respond to the situation." The school failed to act, and the matter was "eventually" brought to the attention of Bishop Weigand.

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION DISAGREED WITH BISHOP BUT DID FOLLOW DIRECTION

Rev. McDermott notes that when the Bishop raised the issue with Sr. Timothy and Principal Sr. Barbara Nelson, they "did not agree entirely with our position." However, Rev. McDermott added that Sr. Timothy "quite correctly and honorably followed the bishop's suggestion and removed Mrs. Bain, the person in question, from employment."

The only means to address the grievance, says Rev. McDermott, is internally within the order of the Loretto Sisters, known formally as the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM). Recourse to the Provincial Superior of the Loretto Sisters, who is in charge of the IBVM in the United States may be undertaken and beyond that to the General Superior of the order in Rome.

To respectfully express your concerns:

Sr. Helen Timothy President Loretto High School htimothy@loretto.net (916) 482-7793 ext. 104

IBVM Provincial Superior Rosemary Lynch 630-665-3814 rlynch@ibvm.org

[King Prout]

wth?

[JakeWyld]

Student expelled from Catholic School...for being Catholic.

[longtermmemmory]

seems this school administration just "aborted" future interest in enrolling children in that school.

[sittnick]

The diocese says it is unable to act on the matter of Katelyn's expulsion. Rev. Charles S. McDermott, S.T.D. Chancellor and Vicar Episcopal for Theological Affairs for the Diocese of Sacramento, explained to LifeSiteNews.com that the school is run by an order of nuns popularly known as the Loretto Sisters. Rev. McDermott described the order as "A religious institute in the church which is of pontifical right," explaining that "they are subject in their internal affairs directly to the Holy See and not to the local bishop."

Oh...they are only telling half of the story. These orders of pontifical right can be barred from operating in the diocese. All sorts of restrictions (withholding of faculties) can be given to the priests. The nuns themselves can be disciplined as any Catholic can under the bishop's jurisdiction.

The statement is technically correct, but is hardly the end of the story.

[cyborg]

ping

[Sloth]

Sad -- the typical corrupt bureaucracy you get with denominationalism.

Loretto President Sr. Helen Timothy

I think a better name would be Sr. Helen A. Handbasket

[Enchante]

"they are subject in their internal affairs directly to the Holy See"

I don't know how these institutions are governed but this phrase seems to indicate there may well be a "higher power" than the bishop who can intervene if this matter comes to the attention of the, ahem, appropriate authorities. The school bureaucrats may find their troubles have just begun??

[Unam Sanctam]

the school is run by an order of nuns popularly known as the Loretto Sisters

Sounds like another religious order that needs to be brought back to the fullness of Catholic truth...

[Fast Ed97]

Roman Catholicism is not a denomination.

[Sloth]

Denomination: A large group of religious congregations united under a common faith and name and organized under a single administrative and legal hierarchy.

-- dictionary.com

[Kryptonite]

That's what I thought. The Bishop might not be able to order the student reinstated (as if she'd want to continue there anyway), but he can certainly make life absolutely miserable for the school.

In my experience with hostile psuedo-Catholic officials, one of the first things they like to resort to is an allegation of slander as a thinly-veiled threat of a lawsuit. As I posted last night on a different thread, the allegation of slander can itself be slander, and I'd urge the Sills family to seriously consider all their legal arguments and remedies.

The school could have gotten away with expelling the student for whatever short-sighted and stupid reason they wanted to, but they may have gone overboard with the slander accusation, and that may provide a direct path for the Bishop to take action against the school.

[cryptical]

Student expelled from Catholic School...for being Catholic.

says of the expulsion that it was a "last resort" and accused the Sills family of "an escalating series of public attacks made against Loretto". The release says that "these attacks have included taunts, threats and verbal abuse directed against members of our school community, as well as a mass e-mail campaign slandering the school's reputation as a Catholic institution."

Sounds like there's a couple sides to the story...

[Cicero]

Yes, I was going to point out that the bishop could disinvite the order from his diocese.

But that would be the equivalent of firing off an ICBM. For one thing, he would then lose a valuable Catholic school--or what should be a valuable Catholic school if they manage to get themselves straightened out.

One place the Sills family might consider going to for advice is the St. Joseph Foundation, which specializes in helping Catholics with canon law problems. In particular, they endeavor to defend orthodoxy against the incursions of bullying dissidents.

http://www.st-joseph-foundation.org/

[sinkspur]

The Sills family should cut their losses and enroll Kaitlyn in a diocesan high school. Several of the stories indicate that this teacher was popular at the school, so she may be better off somewhere else.

[Palladin]

This courageous young lady is better off out of the grip of those "progressive" nuns.

The Bishop is a wimp. Where there's a will, there's a way.

LorettoSisters--just another order of Sister Mary Liberals.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Ditto.

Those statements arguing that institutions run by religious orders have complete freedom to do as they please are exaggerating their independence. The bishop could revoke the order's right to operate any "Catholic" educational activities within the diocese on the grounds of posing a danger to the faith and well-being of Catholic children. Since the incident involving the pro-abortion teacher was a matter of public scandal, this expulsion could hardly be designated a purely "internal matter" of the order of nuns.

[concretebob]

Thanks for the PING...

After reading about the University of Wisconsin banning Bible study groups held by dorm RA's and the incident in Hillsborough County Fla schools banning all references to Christmas, this is no big surprise..
the left is on the defense, and swinging blindly, hoping to land a knoock-out blow to all religious expression..
I'm starting to get a little pissed...

A quick word of advice to any member of the liberal moonbat idiot extreme left, who might be lurking,

DO NOT MAKE ME ANGRY
YOU WON'T LIKE ME WHEN I'M ANGRY

[Ohioan from Florida]

The only means to address the grievance, says Rev. McDermott, is internally within the order of the Loretto Sisters, known formally as the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM). Recourse to the Provincial Superior of the Loretto Sisters, who is in charge of the IBVM in the United States may be undertaken and beyond that to the General Superior of the order in Rome.

To respectfully express your concerns:

Sr. Helen Timothy President Loretto High School htimothy@loretto.net (916) 482-7793 ext. 104

IBVM Provincial Superior Rosemary Lynch 630-665-3814 rlynch@ibvm.org

Our Blessed Mother must be crying with this happening at a school that is named after her. I also wonder if the mother superior Lynch is related to Bishop Lynch of Clearwater, FL (Terri Schindler Schiavo's awful bishop), although I realize Lynch is a common name.

[Cicero]

I agree that it may be better to put this girl in a friendlier school, where she may also get a better and more orthodox education.

I think, however, she is also an idealist who wants to help root out corruption in the Church. That's a large order for a young girl, but if the Church is to recover from its present doldrums it will be an idealistic and dedicated younger generation that must do it.