One of our parishioners was able to get a call in to EWTN Live with Fr. Mitch Pacwa on Wednesday evening. She shared some of the problems in her 'upstate New York' parish, and was able to receive advice from Fr. Pacwa.
The show will have an encore airing this Sunday at 4 a.m. for anyone interested in watching.
UPDATE: Go here for an audio link of the show. You can listen online now. The show was the Open Line show during the day, and not the Wednesday evening show. Sorry about that!
First of all, Thank you to the parishioner who called Father Mitch Pacwa. I believe you were prompted by the Holy Spirit to do this. I will surely tune in and I hope this might unlock a few new ideas on which direction to go in.
ReplyDeleteWe should all email Dean to have hime tune in as well. Perhaps it will help him to see the distress he's put on his parish, the flock he's been entrusted to care for. And give an outsiders perspective.
ReplyDeleteI don't have cable. If it's not too long of a discussion (regarding our parish) could someone burn it & upload to this site?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Amy could not be more misinformed about Deacon Dean's previous parish. When Deacon Dean arrived at Guardian Angels in 1995 it was a one church entity. When he left in 2006 it still was a one church entity. Without the exception of the parish school closing in 1997 (it had been struggling for years) There were NO closings of any sort and damage control was NEVER called in. Talk to Fr. Ed Palumbos, director of priest personnel of the DOR. Guardian Angels was one of the few parishes in the diocese to see a strong increase in attendance over the 11 year administration. Yes, the Henrietta parishes recently (just this past month) clustered, but all three churches remain open. Logically, this doesn't make any sense either. If the diocese thought Dean's last administration was so bad, why would they ask him to run one of the largest parishes in the 12 county diocese? Also, I have never heard confessions ever being discouraged by the deacon, what exactly was said?
ReplyDeleteThen why are so many people leaving if he is making the right decisions?
ReplyDeleteIf we are one of the largest parishes why don't we have a priest/pastor...how many other churches our size don't have one? How many "cities" in the diocese don't have a Pastor??
ReplyDeleteDeacon Dean must get his heart in order to be an effective leader. He can not wave the feather of compromise without being caught in the winds of deception and division. There has been a huge de-emphasis on confession, the sacrament of the mass, the rosary, and adoration with a great emphasis on music and combining to make one big church. This is not to say, he hasn't given some spiritual uplifting masses. But his ideals are not authentically Catholic. He has said things that are very scandalous to individuals, who due to their nature, do not want to expose him on this blog. It would directly point back to them. Father Pacwa addressed this with strong conviction. It is too bad there wasn't more time for discussion.
ReplyDeleteI think Fr. Pacwa is right, it's the ladies of this parish who are going to save it!
ReplyDeleteWe should collectively raise questions to be asked at these small group meetings such as "Why doesn't the disapproval of your parishioners" mean anything to this so called strategic planning committee?
ReplyDeleteSt. Gemma, you are right on!
ReplyDeleteWithout looking at persons or personalities, does it make sense that two staff people were let go because of financial reasons and then there is a posting on the diocesan job opening web page for a music leader for the Life Teen Mass? These are the kind of things that are confusing. These are the kind of things that cause us to believe that there is intentional misdirection, manipulation, deception and lack of good faith.
ReplyDeletethere is much written about the lack of the spiritual development people expect. Is not the Pastor the Spiritual leader only according to the parish structure in this diocese and people like the deacon, the parish administrators. Doesn't leave much room for administerial influence on the pastor's part does it?
ReplyDeleteThe administrator rules the council and committees YIKES
Amy, regarding the previous parish where Dean worked. It was not peaches and cream but rather more like oil and water. I have talked to folks from up there and will not write any more but just know there was lots of suffering.
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