Posted on 08/25/2002 8:51:23 AM PDT by happytobealive
SUPPORT THE PRO-LIFE GROUND TROOPS WITH YOUR LONG-RANGE E-MAILS, PHONE CALLS AND LETTERS. It’s Sunday morning and pro-life protesters are at full force pricking the consciences of the churchgoers at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth, Michigan. Why don't we have messages waiting for the parish staff as they return from mass. Surely the Cardinal also would want to hear from us.
SITUATION SUMMARY:
Jennifer Grandholm, pro-abortion gubernatorial candidate, is a lector at the parish. On August 4, the Associate Pastor, Fr. Doc Ortman, published an essay in the parish bulletin saying a person’s views on abortion should have no bearing on their standing in the Church, and that in fact Jesus is pro-choice (http://www3.catholicweb.com/bulletins/59371/Aug-04-2002.pdf).
Witnesses for the unborn had already been protesting parish masses for some time, but Fr. Ortman’s heretical support of Ms. Grandholm increased their numbers (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/737686/posts).
The pastor, John J. Sullivan, and the Deacon, Timothy P. Sullivan, have since both published articles in the bulletin saying that the parish is pro-life in that broadminded way that encompasses all the many forms that life takes, but they did not challenge any of Fr. Ortman’s abortion apologetics. Perhaps, then, it is just a matter of heaping up enough hot school lunches, elderly drug benefits, and mass transit to achieve that genial Christian balance against the welfare of those 42 million unseen children.
Borrowing from the "New York Times Guide to Word Usuage", the pastor spends a sentence assuring us that the parish is indeed "anti-abortion", but hastens to inform us in some detail that he has spoken with the police and can have us arrested if we stray off "the strip of grass between North Territorial Road and the side walk". He encourages his guys not to "respond to antagonism" or "return harassment" for then the parishioners would sink to the protester's level and even "further smother a spirit of Peace". Everything will work out though, for they "have a powerful tool at [their] disposal, and that is the power of prayer" (Erasing any doubts, I suppose, in whose tent Yahweh can be found strategizing). (http://www3.catholicweb.com/bulletins/59371/Aug-11-2002.pdf)
More distressingly, Adam Cardinal Maida has not taken a public stand against this very public heresy. In fact, the only criticism he has leveled (through his spokesman) has been directed at the picketers’ tactics. Apparently the Cardinal’s teaching is that the protesters would more effectively combat this flagrant affront to a fundamental Catholic principle if they were not seen (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/737793/posts).
Last February, Cardinal Maida did speak (through a spokesperson) about Ms. Granholm’s fitness with regard to another controversy. The Cardinal's office said that there was no reason Ms. Granholm couldn’t speak to a Catholic youth group at St. Raphael Parish in Westland, as she is a “Catholic in good standing” and is not “pro-abortion per se, but [rather] does not think abortion should be illegal”.
Apparently it all worked out because Sr. Patricia Donnelly, SC, Director of Religious Education, said that “she gave a very good spiritual talk to the children. The way she did it, she really grasped the attention of the youth, by telling them how to be good.” (http://www.credopub.com/archives/2000/iss20000228/20000228p08.htm).
Perhaps not unrelated to this saga are two other incidents that the author happened upon in his research:
1) Cardinal Maida arranged for a special 2-hour mass for Presidential candidate Gore, allowing him to speak after the homily for 15 minutes while smiling clergy served as background for a network photo op (http://www.mich.com/~buffalo/girouxoped.html).
2) This year the Cardinal ignored pleadings from orthodox Catholics to disallow a gay Valentines Day Dance at Marygrove College, saying (through a spokesman) that “he will not get involved”. The dance had also been ignored the previous 6 years. (http://detnews.com/2002/religion/0202/14/d01-416299.htm).
CONTACT INFORMATION:
His Eminence Adam Cardinal Maida / Archdiocese Of Detroit / 1234 Washington Blvd. / Detroit, MI 48226-1825 / Phone: (313) 237-5816 / Fax: (313) 237-4642 / pr.office@aod.org
Rev. John J. Sullivan / Pastor / Our Lady of Good Counsel Church / 47650 North Territorial Road / Plymouth, MI 48170 / Phone: (734) 453-0326 / Fax: (734) 416-9257 / To E-Mail Fr. John: counsel-frjohn@ic.net
Rev. Doc Ortman / Associate Pastor / To E-mail Father Doc: counsel-frdoc@ic.net
Deacon Tim Sullivan / Phone: (734) 502-1818 / timpsullivan@prodigy.net
OTHER PARISH STAFF:
Father Elias "Eli" Salomon, SSJV / Associate Pastor / To E-mail Father "Eli": counsel-fatherEli@ic.net
Jeff Masters, Parish Manager / To E-Mail Jeff: counsel@ic.net
Marilyn Olszewski, Director of Religious Formation / To E-Mail Marilyn: counsel-marilynoles@ic.net
Mary Ann Jenkins, Youth Ministry Coordinator / To E-Mail Mary Ann: counsel4@micron.net
Michele Johns, Director of Music / To E-Mail Michele: counsel-michelej@ic.net
Kay Ray, Associate Director of Music / To E-Mail Kay: counsel-kayray@ic.net
Touchpoints (Christian Service) / To E-Mail Touchpoints: counsel-touchpoints@ic.net
Rosemary Kasunic, Parish Secretary / To E-Mail Rosemary: counsel-rosemaryk@ic.net
Tricia Smith, Finance/Accounts / To E-Mail Tricia: counsel-TriciaSmith@ic.net
Beverly Semeniuk, Secretary/Special Projects / To E-Mail Beverly: counsel-beverlys@ic.net
Rosemary Ziemba, Coordinator of Volunteers / To E-mail Rosemary: counsel-rosemaryz@ic.net
Huh. Sounds like your parish priests have become Vegans and joined PETA.
In all honesty, I don't know how anyone with a conscience can STAY a Catholic in the United States and Europe any more. You might argue that these are "isolated instances," but I would point out that this isn't some "grass-roots" movement, but members of your own Church clergy who are the miscreants, time after time.
And further, they are allowed to continue to make such statements without censure by higher authorities. That constitutes tacit approval, IMO.
And further, they are allowed to continue to make such statements without censure by higher authorities. That constitutes tacit approval, IMO.
I'll stay Catholic for many reasons, but I wish some of your points didn't pack so much punch.
P.S. I've enjoyed your comments in the short time I've been a FReeper.
We were just discussing a similar situation in a past year with our youth group, when a parent made some comments about disagreeing with a filmstrip that was shown to the teens. The announcement was made this year that if you don't agree with the church's teachings regarding abstinence and contraception, you do not belong as a youth group volunteer.
that is a very sound policy. no one should be in a leadership position that disagrees with church teachings, IMO. it drives me nuts to hear parents at the Catholic school my kids attend, disagreeing with stuff taught there. i want to say GET OUT and send them to PUBLIC SCHOOL, if you don't want them taught the Church's teaching!
Was there any pushback?
My sister's in Plano - could you be at the same parish?
It's just that I continue to be thoroughly amazed at the brass with which the U.S. Catholic hierarchy proceeds. The arrogance is unfathomable.
Sorry I misled you, I haven't been to the front yet. I was ambiguous with that one paragraph, because it was the best way I saw to weave those quotes in.
I knew it might be misinterpreted, but I rationalized that if we work hard on-line and in our own towns, we are part of the same army.
Besides, next weekend I hope to travel there from Chicago. Maybe a bunch of out-of-town Freepers could meet up.
Greyhounnd: $60 full-price round-trip; Southwest: $192 full-price round-trip
< sarcasm>There are some here who are in that wacked out mormon faith. Multiple wives, 11, 12, 13 year old girls as wives etc. I don't see how anyone could be mormon either, but I don't attack them, no matter how sick their faith is. < /sarcasm>
There are some here who are in that wacked out mormon faith. Multiple wives, 11, 12, 13 year old girls as wives etc. I don't see how anyone could be mormon either, but I don't attack them, no matter how sick their faith is.
I can see how someone who hasn't had years to learn about the good points of my faith, might be taken aback by the newspapers.
By the way I liked the way the owner of the Utah Jazz wouldn't watch his team play on the Sabbath -- even when they were in the finals. I think that makes up for Marie Osmond's divorce and on-again-off-again second marriage.
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