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The Parishioners Speak out in Dallas
April 15, 2002 | Slyfox

Posted on 04/15/2002 8:31:13 PM PDT by Slyfox

I attended the protest at my church, St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Dallas, TX, where our pastor, Fr. Stephen Bierschenk, was relieved of his duty on a trumped up charge of non-compliance with the diocesean "no tolerance" policy intended to weed out child abusers.

Fr. Bierschenk was given one month to come into full compliance, and as of today, well within the one month deadline, every background check has been completed. Being unjustly fired from his post at our church and after the urging of parish leaders and a multitude of the faithful, he has decided to take his case to Rome,

Fr. Bierschenk has a strong case. Two other priests in the Dallas diocese in the last two years, who were also inappropriately treated, have taken their cases to Rome and have won. According to Canon Law, a priest may not be removed from his post during his appeal.

During the Confirmation service tonight, with the bishop in attendance, every young person being confirmed took the name of Stephen as their Confirmation name. At the end of the service, as the altar servers and priests and the deacon came down from the altar to exit the church, the bishop took the side entrance so he wouldn't have to face the multitude and EDBCmedia outside.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: catholiclist
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To: Slyfox
I am not Catholic so forgive me if I offend. I understand your sadness at the thought of losing your Priest. In my denomination (PCUSA) the loss of a beloved pastor is often difficult, but can lead to change and growth of the congregation. One man does not make a church.

As for informing the media, I don't see what the diocese would have to gain by alerting the media. It would seem to me with the recent scandals, that any publicity would be bad publicity for them. Do you agree?

TS

41 posted on 04/16/2002 12:33:33 PM PDT by SelmerTS111281
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To: SelmerTS111281
First of all, if the bishop had said to him that he was really needed to help develop a growing parish, Father would've been sad to leave but he would have joyfully accepted his new assignment. But, how it was handed to him was not right. How the diocese involved the media was not right. He is being removed for reasons other than a trumped-up charge of non-compliance of not doing background checks on a volunteers. Liberals have a natural distaste for guys like him. It was just a matter of time before they found something to hang him on.

The person in charge of alerting the media was the woman chancery officer. I wonder how she feels now that it has become a media circus and has embarrassed the bishop.

None of us at the church had any intention of protesting in the face of the world. In fact, we had no inclination to protest until we were made aware that Father had been truly wronged and was deserving to have the matter looked at by Rome. But, we have had to deal with what has been given us. We are not a parish who has been chomping at the bit to protest.

What we have here is a good man who is having his face dragged through the mud for no reason. That is why we are upset. A good man does not deserve to be treated in such a manner.

42 posted on 04/16/2002 12:57:29 PM PDT by Slyfox
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To: Slyfox
Did the girls take the name "Stephen" for their confirmation names too?

Sounds like somebody put them up to this.

It appears, in the article Smedley-Butler referenced, that any record of anybody being checked was missing.

In a showdown with the bishops, who have dug in their heels, you're not going to win.

I'm not aware of anything in Canon Law that forbids a bishop from moving a priest at any time, for any reason.

43 posted on 04/16/2002 1:13:18 PM PDT by sinkspur
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To: Slyfox
Your Priest is fortunate to have followers as passionate as you. I'm afraid I still don't see what the diocese has to gain by involving our friends in the media. I admit, I am on the outside and therefore may require more concrete evidence than you are providing.

Peace, TS

44 posted on 04/16/2002 1:20:31 PM PDT by SelmerTS111281
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To: Slyfox
The girls also took the name Stephen. It was not a setup on part of anyone but the kids themselves. We were all stunned.
45 posted on 04/16/2002 1:21:55 PM PDT by Slyfox
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To: sinkspur
Bierschenk should shut his mouth, accept the bishop's transfer, and serve God in obedience.
And so should the pampered parishioners at St. Thomas Aquinas, the wealthiest parish in the Dallas diocese.

It is my understanding that Dallas had a HUGE problem with sexual abuse and homosexual priests a few years ago. Appparently it had to do with the liberal attitudes of the Bishop, his staff members and the folks in charge of the seminaries. Is this a NEW Bishop? If so, then people should be thrilled he's trying to do something to change the past.

Let me guess, this Fr. Biershcenk isone of those 'relevant priests who can talk to the young'.

46 posted on 04/16/2002 1:29:24 PM PDT by SuziQ
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To: SuziQ
Is this a NEW Bishop? If so, then people should be thrilled he's trying to do something to change the past.
Let me guess, this Fr. Biershcenk isone of those 'relevant priests who can talk to the young'.

After reading a few more posts, I'm willing to be 'corrected' in my original opinion if this Bishop is the same as was there during the scandals. Maybe he just doesn't like this particular priest. But parishoners should be careful about talking down the Bishop in front of their kids. The kids don't have the same level of judgement as adults, and it could hurt their practice of the Faith. Heck, it could hurt the Faith of adults as well!

47 posted on 04/16/2002 1:41:29 PM PDT by SuziQ
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To: SuziQ
It is my understanding that Dallas had a HUGE problem with sexual abuse and homosexual priests a few years ago. Appparently it had to do with the liberal attitudes of the Bishop, his staff members and the folks in charge of the seminaries. Is this a NEW Bishop? If so, then people should be thrilled he's trying to do something to change the past.

Well, Bishop Tschoepe wasn't liberal, he was just clueless. He wasn't a very smart man, and liked to go around blessing parking lots and animals and meeting parishioners, but he wasn't one for getting involved in a lot of administrative issues. He left that to the Vicar General, Msgr. Robert Rehkemper, who was a liberal, but ended his career in the diocese when he infamously blamed Rudy Kos' victims for their involvement with the pederast priest.

There are actually two bishops in Dallas, and it is the coadjutor who will take the old bishops' place who is being hardline in getting these background checks done.

Let me guess, this Fr. Biershcenk isone of those 'relevant priests who can talk to the young'.

Actually, Fr. Bierschenk is one of the most conservative priests in the Dallas diocese. I don't know how he does with young people.

48 posted on 04/16/2002 1:45:43 PM PDT by sinkspur
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To: SelmerTS111281
I'm afraid I still don't see what the diocese has to gain by involving our friends in the media.

That is what has us all baffled. On a related note, I was involved in a dioceasan sex ed fight in 1984. We NEVER went to the media with it. We dealt directly with the bishop. It was at one point leaked to the media through, again, a feminist when she realized she was losing her fight to sexualize the kids in all of our school and CCD programs. We miraculously won that fight and we felt it was wrong to bring scandal to the church. However, in this case, what else can we do when we are dragged into a media circus at Sunday Mass?

I suspect the feminist in charge of this one counted on the fact that we are such a reserved parish that we would be silenced by the media involvement. What she didn't count on was the fact that a number of us have been bruised in other fights in other churches. St. Thomas has been a refuge for us. Well, she pulled the media in, now she will have to deal with embarassing the bishop.

49 posted on 04/16/2002 1:47:04 PM PDT by Slyfox
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To: Slyfox
Well, she pulled the media in, now she will have to deal with embarassing the bishop.

The bishop is not the one who is embarrassed in this whole fiasco. In the end, Steve will still have to go to McKinney.

Most Catholics believe the bishop, especially given how tough this looks in light of the wimpiness of the Northeast bishops.

50 posted on 04/16/2002 1:54:48 PM PDT by sinkspur
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To: Slyfox
We'll see.
51 posted on 04/16/2002 1:59:01 PM PDT by Slyfox
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To: SuziQ
This bishop is the one who had to face the fallout of the Rudy Kos case when it went to trial.
52 posted on 04/16/2002 2:03:13 PM PDT by Slyfox
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To: Slyfox
There would have been no protest at all had the bishop honored his decision to give Father until the end of the said month for total compliance.

What an arrogant thing to say! It's not for you to set conditions for how your bishop must behave for you not to protest him. The bishop can change his mind whenever he likes, and there is nothing licit you can do about about. It doesn't matter at all how much you like "your" priest. He serves at the bishop's pleasure, not yours. That's the way the Catholic Church is set up, and cry as you might, you are not going to change that basic structure.

You seem to be completely oblivious to real issue. This isn't about conservatives or liberals, or whether a bishop is fair or unfair, it's about assent and dissent. You need to decide which side you are on.

53 posted on 04/16/2002 2:19:58 PM PDT by Ronaldus Magnus
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To: Ronaldus Magnus
The bishop did not honor his word. There are people today who still think something like that still matters.
54 posted on 04/16/2002 2:57:49 PM PDT by Slyfox
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To: Slyfox
You seem to be completely oblivious to real issue.

Uh-huh. As I have explained, the issue is that the diocese has a conservative priest they have been trying to get rid of for years and they have found a few 'i's' not dotted and a few 't's' not crossed and they have seen fit to drag this good priest's face through the mud, insinuating that he did something wrong, which he did not.

Who's trying to change the basic structure? You obviously have no idea what the liberals and the feminists have had in mind for pastors like ours. Our pastor is one who plays by all the rules set by the Pope. We do those things in our church, which set the liberals teeth on edge. Our catechism classes, our music, our respect for our pastor are all in line with the way the Pope would do it if he were running our parish. Some people don't like that.

55 posted on 04/16/2002 3:10:25 PM PDT by Slyfox
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To: Slyfox
During the Confirmation service tonight, with the bishop in attendance, every young person being confirmed took the name of Stephen as their Confirmation name. At the end of the service, as the altar servers and priests and the deacon came down from the altar to exit the church, the bishop took the side entrance so he wouldn't have to face the multitude and EDBCmedia outside.

Love it! With all due respect, Your Excellency, you have got egg all over your face.

56 posted on 04/16/2002 3:14:03 PM PDT by RobbyS
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To: Slyfox
Even over persons under military disciple, a general officer, cannot simply "change his mind." In the scheme of the Catholic Church, a bishop has less authority than a general officer has in the scheme of the army.
57 posted on 04/16/2002 3:21:39 PM PDT by RobbyS
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To: RobbyS
You really took the time to read my report. For this I thank you.
58 posted on 04/16/2002 3:34:08 PM PDT by Slyfox
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To: Slyfox
You seem to have as little respect for the office of bishop and the Church as "the liberals and the feminists" you clearly bear so much hostility toward. You justify their same disruptive tactics in the name of your cause, the only difference being the persuasion of your politics. Not only are you are no better than they are, the Church may well be better off without either of you. You don't seem to understand or even care to know what it means to be an assenting Catholic.

Again, I will pray for all concerned.

59 posted on 04/16/2002 5:31:51 PM PDT by Ronaldus Magnus
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To: Ronaldus Magnus
Hostility? No. Righteous indignation at the fact that a good man is in the process of being borked? Yes.
60 posted on 04/16/2002 7:18:51 PM PDT by Slyfox
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