Thursday, August 16, 2007
Don't forget to register for the conference!
Click here to download a flyer with a registration form. We look forward to seeing you there!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Controversy Spawns Public Discussion/Debate in Toledo
With so many events going on in the Toledo Diocese involving matters of importance to the Cahtolic Church, many opinions are being expressed. The letters written to the Toledo Blade here serve as an example.
This is a trying time, not just for parishes in the Toledo Diocese, but in the entire Church. Discussion on this is healthy, if the matters which have brought it to the fore front are ever to be brought to closure. Silence and complacency are what have allowed us to get to this point. Retreating back into the safety and comfort of silence only returns us to a position which enables power to be misused.
Such discussion may lead to productive dialogue, but we must be wary of the temptation to allow it to divide us into camps who hurl invective at one another. With faith in God, it is natural to need to trust the clerics who lead the Church. With each passing day, we learn of more people who have had that trust violated. When trust in the Church is compromised, the ability to believe that God is working through the Church collapses. To these people, the Church has forced them to choose between what God tells them, and what the Church tells them. This naturally sets them apart from those who still trust the Church. But members of both groups can still count themselves among God's children, and God loves us all; even if we don't want to behave lovingly to one another.
To bring these two groups together, a culture of secrecy within the Church must be replaced by one of openness and transparency. Trust is not built through secrets, it is destroyed by them. It is impossible to restore trust that has been destroyed by secrets, when Church leaders insist upon the protection of secrets caused the initial breakdown. There is no credibility or authenticity to an expression of remorse or desire for reconciliation when given by an individual who does so to cover their backside.
We cannot divide, for we are all God's children. Many in Toledo who have been hurt by the Church, have valiently called for openness from Church leaders to help them restore trust. Those whose trust has never waivered, can make this same call. It does not damage the Church that you love to require that it conduct itself in a dignified way.
Fr. Nuss did an admirable thing when he chose disclosure over sandbagging. Under the current culture however, one can only question whether the kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar has only expressed remorse because they were caught. Enough has taken place for us to know that what is not disclosed by force will remain hidden.
This is a trying time, not just for parishes in the Toledo Diocese, but in the entire Church. Discussion on this is healthy, if the matters which have brought it to the fore front are ever to be brought to closure. Silence and complacency are what have allowed us to get to this point. Retreating back into the safety and comfort of silence only returns us to a position which enables power to be misused.
Such discussion may lead to productive dialogue, but we must be wary of the temptation to allow it to divide us into camps who hurl invective at one another. With faith in God, it is natural to need to trust the clerics who lead the Church. With each passing day, we learn of more people who have had that trust violated. When trust in the Church is compromised, the ability to believe that God is working through the Church collapses. To these people, the Church has forced them to choose between what God tells them, and what the Church tells them. This naturally sets them apart from those who still trust the Church. But members of both groups can still count themselves among God's children, and God loves us all; even if we don't want to behave lovingly to one another.
To bring these two groups together, a culture of secrecy within the Church must be replaced by one of openness and transparency. Trust is not built through secrets, it is destroyed by them. It is impossible to restore trust that has been destroyed by secrets, when Church leaders insist upon the protection of secrets caused the initial breakdown. There is no credibility or authenticity to an expression of remorse or desire for reconciliation when given by an individual who does so to cover their backside.
We cannot divide, for we are all God's children. Many in Toledo who have been hurt by the Church, have valiently called for openness from Church leaders to help them restore trust. Those whose trust has never waivered, can make this same call. It does not damage the Church that you love to require that it conduct itself in a dignified way.
Fr. Nuss did an admirable thing when he chose disclosure over sandbagging. Under the current culture however, one can only question whether the kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar has only expressed remorse because they were caught. Enough has taken place for us to know that what is not disclosed by force will remain hidden.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Back in the world
It's been a long time since I have posted on either this blog or the St. James Blog. I've been taking summer hiatus to get caught up on many of the other things that life has to offer, mainly time with my family while we experience yet another summer together.
This summer has brought many events that I hope and pray will translate into both happy and important memories for our two daughters. Some of them involved camping trips, roller coasters at Cedar Point, and swimming. One of the most moving experiences was a trip to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, filled with many emotional visceral expeiences that make you feel a sense of sorrow, wonder, hope, despair, and fear all at the same time. A great deal of thought went into the planning of this experience, which is a better word to describe it than the word museum. You walk out of there feeling as though you have a better understanding of the Holocaust experience.
I came home to read the latest installment of the Catholic Chronicle to read an opinion page letter submitted by a reader who is "Saddened by Picketing."
We are only too aware of that very unfortunate reality. She goes on to explain that
For those who see it this way, I must explain that the closure of parishes does not fit with Christs' vision of spreading His message of divine love and God's forgiving grace. Church is not created by numbers, it is created by community built on the foundation of Christ's promise to us.
The road toward accepting that downsizing the Church, one faithful community at a time is somehow good for the Church is one filled with potholes and lots of twisted logic. To appreciate this letter to the Chroincle editor, one must accept that if I were to cut off my right arm, that I should be grateful that I still have a left arm. The letter continues:
God did not close the churches, Leonard Paul Blair did. God gave us the talent to build a thriving parish. Our experience with Leonard Paul Blair is that our talents are not desired, only unquestioning loyalty to clericalism. If talent were valued, it would make far more sense to prop up vibrant and thriving parishes such as Holy Rosary in Toledo, St. James in Kansas, St. Joseph in Salem, St. Mary in Kirby, St. Jude in Toledo, St. Casimir in Fremont, St. Paul in Hamler, and St. Mary in Junction (just to name a few) so that all could benefit from their example. Instead, they were cut down and their communities were scattered.
The letter goes on to make an appeal to pray for vocations. With my prayer for increased vocations, I will also pray that the culture of secrecy which thrives within the Catholic Church may be replaced by one of openness and transparency. Only through this will the priesthood be able to thrive again. For those who question whether or not it is appropriate to raise our voices about what matters, I will share a quote inscribed on a wall toward the end of the Holocaust Museum tour:
Maintain your comfortable silence if you wish; but it may come with a heavy pricetag. Will you be able to pay for it when it becomes time to settle up?
This summer has brought many events that I hope and pray will translate into both happy and important memories for our two daughters. Some of them involved camping trips, roller coasters at Cedar Point, and swimming. One of the most moving experiences was a trip to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, filled with many emotional visceral expeiences that make you feel a sense of sorrow, wonder, hope, despair, and fear all at the same time. A great deal of thought went into the planning of this experience, which is a better word to describe it than the word museum. You walk out of there feeling as though you have a better understanding of the Holocaust experience.
I came home to read the latest installment of the Catholic Chronicle to read an opinion page letter submitted by a reader who is "Saddened by Picketing."
The closing of parishes is happening throughout the U.S., not just in the Toledo Diocese.
We are only too aware of that very unfortunate reality. She goes on to explain that
It saddens me when parishioners picket and complain loudly about it. Yes it hurts; you have memories connected to that parish and most people don't like change. We must go to another parish and we're so hurt and angry we forget we're blessed to have another parish to attend.
For those who see it this way, I must explain that the closure of parishes does not fit with Christs' vision of spreading His message of divine love and God's forgiving grace. Church is not created by numbers, it is created by community built on the foundation of Christ's promise to us.
The road toward accepting that downsizing the Church, one faithful community at a time is somehow good for the Church is one filled with potholes and lots of twisted logic. To appreciate this letter to the Chroincle editor, one must accept that if I were to cut off my right arm, that I should be grateful that I still have a left arm. The letter continues:
We're a Catholic community; we have to trust God has a reason for the closing. Maybe our talents, our presence are needed elsewhere.
God did not close the churches, Leonard Paul Blair did. God gave us the talent to build a thriving parish. Our experience with Leonard Paul Blair is that our talents are not desired, only unquestioning loyalty to clericalism. If talent were valued, it would make far more sense to prop up vibrant and thriving parishes such as Holy Rosary in Toledo, St. James in Kansas, St. Joseph in Salem, St. Mary in Kirby, St. Jude in Toledo, St. Casimir in Fremont, St. Paul in Hamler, and St. Mary in Junction (just to name a few) so that all could benefit from their example. Instead, they were cut down and their communities were scattered.
The letter goes on to make an appeal to pray for vocations. With my prayer for increased vocations, I will also pray that the culture of secrecy which thrives within the Catholic Church may be replaced by one of openness and transparency. Only through this will the priesthood be able to thrive again. For those who question whether or not it is appropriate to raise our voices about what matters, I will share a quote inscribed on a wall toward the end of the Holocaust Museum tour:
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
Maintain your comfortable silence if you wish; but it may come with a heavy pricetag. Will you be able to pay for it when it becomes time to settle up?
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