Spending at parish soars with new priest

WORLD-HERALD ^ | April 16, 2005 | CHRISTOPHER BURBACH

[maske13]

I have just joined in on these "comments" and I find yours to be very brutal. For you never having been to St. Anthony's LITHUANIAN Church before the arrival of the so-called "administrator", you seem to know a lot of information regarding Father(and believe me, I have a hard time calling him this) Stravinskas and the Church. He may be God in your eyes, and I compare him to David Koresh, but that's neither here nor there. What all this comes down to is "money". If he came to the parish with it having almost half a million dollars (which probably took close to 40 years to fairly gain), how can one man spend it in 21/2 years? Yes, renovations to the Church and the rectory were done HOWEVER AWFUL they may look, but there was no parishioner input regarding these renovations and the money being spent. If renovations were only, let's say, $200,000, where's the other 200,000?

[church militant]

Are you trying to tell me there is no active parish council at St. Anthony's? There is no parish that takes every expediture to a vote of all the parishioners. If the council okayed Father's spending that's all he needs.

Isn't this really about you and your ilk being peeved that you're not controlling St. Anthony's anymore?

Since Petskelis won't answer, would YOU be willing to share with all the post-ers here what kind of car Father drives?

[maske13]

Why does he need an air-conditioner in the Rectory? He's never there--he's traveling here and there spending the Parish's money. It's never been an issue brought up before, why now? The High and Almighty Father Stravinskas has to have the best of everything? Sorry--doesn't work that way in any parish!!!

[maske13]

What's the type of car he drives have to do with anything? I don't care if he walks, takes the bus or rides a bike.

[maske13]

What's the type of car he drives have to do with anything? I don't care if he walks, takes the bus or rides a bike.

[church militant]

Are you for real? Newsflash!!! It's 2005 A.D in Omaha, Nebraska. Half a million bucks in the bank and you won't spring for AC in the rectory? No wonder you haven't had a resident priest - he'd be better off at the nearest homeless shelter.

Quoting you: "The High and Almighty Father Stravinskas has to have the best of everything?"

Please, tell everyone what kind of car Father drives! Since he's so "high and mighty" it must be a Cadillac or a flashy sportscar. Why won't you tell us?

[Angelas]

Did you see last Sunday's bulletin? Did you take this to be a threat of bodily harm as some other parishioners did?
Reprinted from the St. Anthony bulletin for Sunday,
May 29, 2005:

Malicious gossip often results in tears and anger, but in Colombia it had led to murder--and officials say they've heard enough. Fed up with people targeted by false rumors turning up dead or wrongfully arrested, the mayor of a small Colombian town has made gossip a crime punishable by up to four years in prison. "Human beings must be aware and recognize that having a tongue and using it to do bad is the same as having dynamite in their mouths," says an official municipal decree issued last year in Icononzo, 40 miles southwest of the capital, Bogota. While some residents may denounce the decree as ridiculous, Mayor Jesus Ignacio Jimenez insists that in a country as violent as Colombia, gossiping can have serious consequences.
"It's a tradition for gossip to spread through small towns and it's a part of life, but what is worrying is that people are going to jail or being
murdered due to gossip," Jimenez said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press.
Jimenez recalled a case when a man was killed because somebody claimed he belonged to a leftist insurgent group. Others have been thrown in jail based on similar allegations. Sometimes, many of the town's 11,500 residents will leave work or school early to lock themselves inside their homes simply because an unfounded rumor had spread that
members of an illegal group were on their way, said Milton Patarroyo, the town's human rights official.
Icononzo resident Edelmira Giron said the decree, which also calls for fines of up to $150,000 for spreading false rumors, has had an impact since it went into effect six months ago by making people
"think twice" about what they say. So far nobody
has been arrested on gossiping charges, Jimenez said, while insisting that sooner or later it will happen. "They just haven't yet been caught," he said.

[church militant]

Re-read the bulletin item again Angelas. Let me help you comprehend what it says:

The people TARGETED by false rumors and gossip were turning up dead because uneducated people were believing the unfounded, malicious rumors. Get it?

Father is trying to explain that vicious words, lies, and accusations could be harmful to others. Got it?

Commandment #8: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You see, what happened in that bulletin is that an ordained Catholic priest taught you about the detrimental effects of sin. It's simple, really.

[Angelas]

Re your post to church militant: "I have just joined in on these "comments" and I find yours to be very brutal."

Welcome!

There is also a newbie called Chicago Faithful who sounds very much like ancilla...watch out!

[Angelas]

"Are you trying to tell me there is no active parish council at St. Anthony's? There is no parish that takes every expenditure to a vote of all the parishioners. If the council okayed Father's spending that's all he needs. "

I remember reading a previous post, maybe it wasn't here but that post stated Father Stravinskas did not get approval from the parish council or finance council for these expenditures. I can't find that post so I amy not be accurate here. I will keep looking.

[Angelas]

Pastas.

[church militant]

Isn't the opposing viewpoint always "brutal"? Get used to it - I'm just getting started.

Even if you find the post that says Father didn't get clearance from the council it doesn't prove anything.

Got the make on that car yet?

[Angelas]

"Was Angelas there?"

Yes.

[church militant]

I bet!

[church militant]

Pastas?

Do you have to have a pow-wow with Petskelis to discuss how you'll respond to my question about the car?

[Angelas]

You berate any responses and call me a liar ("I bet") when I try to give you answers to your questions.

So why bother to continue to post to you?

Maybe Father Stravinskas hasn't bought a new car because he is like me and enjoys his present car as long as it gets him where he needs to go?

Didn't Father Tom have many disagreements with Father Stravinskas about air conditioning? Father Tom wanted it and Father Stravinskas didn't?

There was a post early on this thread about a "shrill-o-meter". You, ancilla, & Chicago Faithful need to chill out.

[church militant]

Why would you need to warn the supposed newbie, "Maske13", that Chicago Faithful sounds like Ancilla? How would a newcomer know who Ancilla is?

Did you slip up AGAIN?

[Angelas]

Maybe they can read? Or are you so blinded by hate that you can't or won't?

No slip up at all, Mrs. S.

[church militant]

I highly doubt that anyone who spends so much time and energy trying to destroy the reputation of a good priest would see the value in Eucharistic Adoration.

Are you saying Father doesn't have a "high and almighty" car?! Now we're getting somewhere!

I have no idea if the two Fathers argued about air conditioning. All I know is that you think a priest wanting AC in the 21st century is an abomination! This isn't circa 1950 Lithuania!

You continue to post as though Father has been proven guilty of something. He's been called a thief on this site. When he leaves Omaha, can he take any of the improvements that he made to YOUR church and YOUR rectory with him? The answer is a resounding NO! In fact, he may have improved your chances of one day getting a resident priest again.

As for the shrill-o-meter, you just can't handle anyone blowing holes in all your malicious, unfounded drivel. Being asked questions that you can't answer isn't "brutal", but destroying a man's reputation certainly is!

[church militant]

Ooooh, you know my name. Big deal!