Bishop Richard Lennon Has His Revenge

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A case quite similar to what is going on in Philadelphia unfolded last year in Cleveland.  Some of the churches appealed and won and had to be reopened much to the chagrin of Bishop Richard Lennon.

The Rev. Bob Begin of St. Coleman’s lead that fight and actually criticized the Bishop.  Since he turned 75 this year he had to submit his resignation.  The Bishop took him up on the offer and accepted it.  The Rev. is ready and willing to continue at St. Coleman’s and the people want him.

Bishop Lennon does not seem to care to much what the people want.  He wants Begin out.  You can read all of the story here and maybe sign that online petition.  We’re all in this together now.

Balancing the Budget by Selling Our Church

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More grim disclosures today explaining the financial plight of the Archdiocese.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia on Wednesday reported a staggering $39.2 million loss for the year ended June 30, 2012, while disclosing unprecedented details about longterm financial deficits totaling $350 million. Even after stripping away millions in unusual expenses, including $11.9 million for legal and professional services related to the priest sex-abuse scandal and other issues, the archdiocese said its cash expenses 2012 still exceeded revenue by $17.4 million. “It’s not so simple to say our problems are related to the sexual-abuse crisis,” Timothy O’Shaughnessy, chief financial officer for the archdiocese, said. “That is a serious issue, a very serious issue that I believe the church is taking more seriously now. “We’ve also had serious financial problems independent of the abuse crisis,” said O’Shaughnessy, who became CFO in April 2012.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20130704_Archdiocese_report_unveils_huge_financial_concerns.html#QOOxpzzOO9mXyB7M.99

Coverage from the Northeast Times

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Three Northeast churches have their last Masses. 

The bells beckoning parishioners to worship rang for the final time at the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday outside St. Joachim Roman Catholic Church in Frankford.

Inside, about 500 people crowded into the pews for the last Mass at the oldest Catholic church in the Northeast. St. Joachim opened in 1845 and, like two other churches in Northeast Philly, was told in May that it would have to close because of declines in weekend Mass attendance, marriages and baptisms.

Parishioners at St. Joachim are fighting to keep their church alive, promising to take their campaign all the way to the Vatican. But at Frankford’s only other Roman Catholic church, Mater Dolorosa, it’s a different story. Parishioners have decided to accept the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s decision to close the church  as of Sunday.

Follow this link for the rest of the story.

Last Demonstration in June at Archdiocesan Headquarters

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We have been successful in having a demonstration on almost every work day in June.  We reached a huge number of people just by being present on that sidewalk.  The video below is a look at what its like on an average day.  The people vary from day to day but the message remains the same. We’re ready for the long haul ahead.

The folks inside the building may think it all will end next week.  Well this is really just the end of the beginning.  Now we move into the serious job of correcting the wrong that has been done.  The process was flawed and that resulted in a bad decision.

Keep the Faith in Frankford.


 

Notes from the Demonstrators

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From Florence Stanowski:

I’m here hopefully till things go our way, my health permitting, that they will finally admit they were wrong.  It’s not a bad thing to admit it.  This will only bring back our trust in you.

How can you say you are doing the Lord’s work, when you are actually destroying everything our Lord wanted for his people. I am actually ashamed to say I’m a catholic, when our, so called, holy leaders of the church are doing such injustice to God’s people.  Not your people mind you, but Our Lord’s people that he put in your hands to nourish our faith, not destroy it.

 

 

 

 

Demonstration Today June 26th

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As we head downtown to make our cause known today, here are some words from Archbishop Chaput:

MALLORCA, Spain — Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia has called on Catholics to be “active witnesses” of their faith, taking inspiration from the 17th-century missionary Blessed Junipero Serra.

Rejecting the idea that the Christian faith is “a useful moral code” or “an exercise in nostalgia,” he stressed that the Christian faith is “a restlessness, a consuming fire in the heart to experience the love of Jesus Christ and then share it with others — or it’s nothing at all.”

“Young or old, we need to live our faith as Junipero Serra did — all in, 100%, holding nothing back, with charity, endurance, passion and hope,” Archbishop Chaput said. “That kind of faith changes lives and remakes the world.”

Good to remember as the Church abandons the Catholics of Frankford.