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Posts by polonia semper fidelis

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  • An Appeal from a Group of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parishioners

    03/16/2005 12:21:25 PM PST · 122 of 124
    polonia semper fidelis to mardigras- St. L

    What do you mean when you say that you are supporter of St. Stanislaus Parish not St. John - St. John's parish has nothing to do with this conflict. Do you still believe in One Holy and Apostolic Church or maybe you think it is not as Holy.... If yes, than what makes you questioning the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy and its operational principles? Are you against Archbishop Burke because you are against Roman Catholic Church hierarchy or because you formed your opinion about him after reading "Riverfront Times" and board of directors blathering. Do you consider yourself just Roman Catholic or liberal Roman Catholic, or maybe ultraliberal Roman Catholic?

    Perhaps we should let lay people to take over not only parish governance but also Archdiocese finances. In fact - perhaps we really do not need bishops in diocese and priests in parishes, they are just standing in the way, aren't they?

  • An Appeal from a Group of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parishioners

    03/01/2005 5:53:40 PM PST · 109 of 124
    polonia semper fidelis to PolishSTL

    You are soooo messed up, Mr.Bach. Are you kidding me?
    First of all - why do yo even call yourself a Catholic? Besides arrogance and plain rudeness, you display unparallel level of ignorance. For you this conflict is not about who is right or wrong but it created an opportunity to feed your overinflated ego. Feels good, doesn't it - finally you have been noticed although for the previous 40 years as you claim no one ever saw you in the St.Stanislaus Kostka Church. But you had a nerve to stand up in front of cameras and lie you head off " This church is my entire life... I grew up in this church.."
    As so called "Spokesperson" you fed media with made up lies, then you have a nerve to come to this forum and use what they write as an argument. Boy, you make my stomach turn. The good news is that in the end you will be treated accordingly. Peace be with you, my friend.

  • Vatican rules on St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish case (no lay board)

    02/27/2005 10:01:45 PM PST · 97 of 99
    polonia semper fidelis to PolishSTL

    You might be interested in reading this post:
    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1351909/posts
    I suggest that you re-examine your conscience - if you still have one, before you continue your quest of hatery towards Roman Catholic Church and your fellow parishioners.



  • Vatican rules on St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish case (no lay board)

    01/13/2005 2:58:01 PM PST · 96 of 99
    polonia semper fidelis to PolishSTL

    I am not sure what you have been trying to convey in your last incomprehensible post, which appears to be written in anger. There is still a lot you should learn...I would start with definitions of basic concepts of discipline, humility and obedience which are fundamental for catholic faith.
    Code of Cannon Law, number 1373:
    "A person who publicly incites among subjects animosities or hatred against the Apostolic See or an ordinary because of some act of power or ecclesiastical ministry or provokes subjects to disobey them is to be punished by an interdict or other just penalties."

  • Vatican rules on St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish case (no lay board)

    12/08/2004 10:23:15 AM PST · 94 of 99
    polonia semper fidelis to spokesman

    Listed below are excerpts from letter from St. Kostka Parishioners which explains in details why changes proposed by the Archbishop are necessary. Prior to forming their own opinion, members of this forum may benefit from reading this letter. It presents nature of this conflict in somewhat different light..

    ****

    Open Letter to Parishioners and Supporters of the St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish

    Over the last several months the Polish community of the St. Louis metropolitan area has been largely divided over a disagreement between the Archdiocese of St. Louis and members of the Board of Directors of the parish corporation regarding the future of the parish. The purpose of this letter is to outline the position of the St. Stanislaus Parish faithful parishioners who are supportive to the changes proposed by the Archbishop of St. Louis. Our prime objective is to reunite our community of faith and to resume religious services at St. Stanislaus Church.
    In order to understand what is currently occurring in the St. Stanislaus Parish community we need to take a closer look not only at events which occurred earlier this year, but also at the circumstances surrounding changes of corporate by-laws by the Board of Directors of the St. Stanislaus corporation. This conflict has many underlying issues which have developed over many years, and unfortunately they have not been explored enough by the media and therefore are not known to the public. To further explain our position, it seems useful to clarify some terms in regard to St. Stanislaus Parish community vs. Polish Roman Catholic St. Stanislaus Parish Corporation.
    St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish is a faith-based community of people who subscribe to the discipline and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. The parish was established by Archbishop Kenrick in 1880. As a parish, St. Stanislaus Kostka is required to function in accordance with the norms of Roman Catholic Church law.
    The “Polish Roman Catholic St. Stanislaus Parish” is a Missouri not-for-profit corporation established in 1891 to enable the St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish community to more easily function within civil law. As Article 1 of the original by-laws states, “The corporate power of the corporation shall under the laws of the State of Missouri be exercised in conformity with the principles and discipline of the Roman Catholic Church, and in accordance with such rules and regulations as may be established from time to time, for the government of said church, by the Roman Catholic Archbishop in the Diocese of St. Louis, or by his authority.”
    Unfortunately, for some time the values and goals of both entities have been very different. As a result, the needs of many members of our parish community have not been properly represented and attended. Over the past several years, the St. Stanislaus Parish corporation has been managed in such a way that it has resembled more of a small family business, rather than a Roman Catholic parish community which functions according to the norms of Roman Catholic Church law.
    The original by-laws were adopted by the first Board of Directors of the St. Stanislaus Corporation in 1891. The first President and Treasurer of the Board was the pastor of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, Fr. Urban Stanowski. In 1891, Archbishop Kenrick, as trustee for the Congregation of St. Stanislaus, signed a deed conveying a property from the archdiocese to the civil corporation – “Polish Roman Catholic St. Stanislaus Parish”. While the deed conveyed the property to the civil corporation, it did not transfer financial control of the parish. When the property was conveyed, the parish corporation was structured so that all directors, including the pastor, were appointed by the Archbishop who could also remove the directors in case of disagreement. The Archbishop also had final decision-making authority in any disagreement among the directors.
    Article 5 of the original by-laws states that “The Treasurer of said corporation shall collect all moneys due or coming to said corporation and pay out of funds in his hands, only such claims and demands as he may be directed to pay by resolution of said Board of Directors. Whenever the money in his hands belonging to said corporation shall exceed sum of Five Thousand dollars, he shall deposit the same, in the name of said corporation, in a depository to be designated by said Board: and monies thus deposited can be withdrawn only by check signed by such Treasurer and countersigned by acting President of said corporation. He shall keep in a book for that purpose, a just, true and full account of all receipts and disbursements of said corporation, and said books at all times be open to the inspection of any member of said Board of Directors and to the Archbishop of Diocese of St. Louis or his representative. He shall on the first Monday after the Feast of Pentecost, in each year (or oftener if required by resolution of said Board) make out, in duplicate a full, true and detailed account of all said receipts and disbursements, together with a full and true statement of all assets and liabilities of said corporation, and shall transmit, without delay, one of said duplicates to the Roman Catholic Archbishop of said Diocese, and shall submit the other to said Board of Directors at its next regular meeting. He shall prepare and cause to be published in such manner as the President of said corporation may direct, a synopsis of said account and statement for the benefit of the members of said corporation.[..]
    Article 8 states that “If any dispute or controversy arise between the members of said Board of Directors which they cannot settle, they shall submit same, without delay, to the decision of said Archbishop of said Diocese of St. Louis, and if he be absent to the Vicar-General, and in his absence to the Administrator of said diocese of St. Louis, and the decision of said Archbishop, Vicar-General or Administrator, shall be final and binding on all parties. Either party refusing to abide by said decision, after being duly notified in writing thereof, shall forthwith cease to be a director of said corporation and his place shall be declared vacant by other members of said Board of Directors”.
    Article 12 states, in part, that “Those by-laws cannot be changed or modified, nor […] shall any amendment be made at any time which shall in anywise be in conflict with any law of the State of Missouri, or with any rule , regulation or requirement of the said Diocese of St. Louis in force at the time of such proposed change”.
    The St. Stanislaus Corporation functioned in its role in accordance with the original charter until the lay members of the Board of Directors revised the original by-laws in 1978, then adopted new by-laws in 2001, and most recently in 2004. Through these illegal changes of the original by-laws, the lay Board of Directors took away the authority of the Archbishop over the parish corporation. Through these revisions, the Board of Directors secured its own autonomy by removing the power of the Archbishop to remove them from office. By revising the by-laws in this manner, the members of the Board violated the original purpose of the St. Stanislaus Corporation and its relationship to Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish and thus the Roman Catholic Church.
    After assuming a position of authority over the parish corporation, the Board of Directors focused their attention primarily on the financial management of the parish funds and so disregarded many relationships with active parish members. Despite several requests by many parishioners over the course of many years, and although required by the original by-laws, the Board refused to provide a complete detailed written report of all the financial accounts of the parish. As far as we know, the Corporation has never gone through an independent audit of all financial accounts it holds.
    In the summer of 2003, Archbishop Rigali initiated the process of bringing the parish into conformity with the more than 200 other parishes of the archdiocese. In response to the Archbishop’s request, the Board of Directors initiated an intense, large scale, hostile campaign crafted to discredit Archbishop Burke, the successor to Archbishop Rigali, who has worked to bring to completion the work begun by Archbishop Rigali. The vindictive language and tone used in Board of Directors communications to parishioners and on their internet site is despicable and disgraceful and should have no place in any parish community. We find such tactics deeply troubling and unacceptable, particularly if they are used in the name of all parishioners.
    The current conflict between the Archdiocese and the Board of Directors clearly demonstrates that the Board is defending its own position of power, which was attained through illegal modifications of the original corporate by-laws and which for the first time is being seriously challenged. In a desperate attempt to retain final authority over the parish assets, the Board wrote on its internet web site that it is currently considering the parish assets “to be deeded to another Polish organization not related to the Archdiocese and possibly not related to the Roman Catholic Church, or to join another (non Roman) Catholic Church.” By appealing to the passions and prejudices of many unaware parishioners, members of the Board created an illusion of a potential danger of closing the parish.
    The St. Stanislaus corporation currently owns multiple bank accounts with considerable assets, which have been generated through the hard work and generous donations of money, time and talents of countless individuals who believed that their work benefited the St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish community and thus the Roman Catholic Church. Many supporters providing financial contributions to the current campaign do not realize that they actually support actions which remain in direct contradiction with principles of Roman Catholic morality. The “Save St. Stans” campaign, filled with hostility towards the Roman Catholic Church, exploits the vulnerability of many faithful parishioners and supporters of the St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish who have been led to believe that donating money to the campaign, will help to save the parish from closing. Unfortunately, these donations are used to fuel aggression and hostility towards the Roman Catholic Church.
    The changes the Archdiocese is requiring in the structure of the St. Stanislaus Corporation will allow St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish to be faithful to its original mission. These changes will also ensure that parish assets will be managed in accordance with both the spirit and the law of the Roman Catholic Church. In this way the required changes will benefit the entire parish community.