Posted on 04/21/2004 10:16:21 AM PDT by Phx_RC
Three key officials of the Diocese of Phoenix, all confidants of Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien, will be replaced July 1, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted announced Tuesday.
The departure of Monsignors Dale Fushek and Richard Moyer, and chancellor Sister Mary Ann Winters marks an almost complete change of administration from O'Brien's time as bishop.
. . .
O'Brien resigned in June after his arrest in connection with a hit-and-run accident. "I wanted to choose priests who are well known for their pastoral zeal, their prudential judgment, their sound doctrine, their ability to work collaboratively with a variety of persons, and their administrative expertise," Olmsted said of the new vicars general.
On their way out are:
o Moyer, who served as moderator of the curia since June, supervising diocesan efforts in response to the sexual abuse crisis.
As vicar general since 1982, Moyer, 72, also oversaw diocesan finances. He plans to retire.
o Fushek, who was appointed vicar general in 2000. Fushek, 51, will retain his position as pastor of St. Timothy parish in Mesa and receives a new appointment as assistant to the bishop's office for special projects. He will lead efforts to bring a Catholic college to the Valley.
o Winters, who was chancellor of the diocese since 1992. As chief administrator, her duties included record keeping, planning and minority outreach. She will take a yearlong sabbatical.
Replacing them will be:
o The Rev. Fred Adamson, pastor of Resurrection parish in Tempe. Adamson, 41, has been a priest for nine years and was a registered nurse before his studies to become a priest. He will become vicar general and moderator of the curia.
o The Rev. David Sanfilippo, 37, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena, has been a priest for 10 years, all of them at primarily Hispanic churches. He will retain his job as pastor, and will take on additional duties as vicar general
o Sister Jean Steffes, the new chancellor, has worked for the diocese since 1993 and is a former superior of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes. She currently leads the office of religious for the diocese.
Fushek denied that the changes had anything to do with events of the past.
"Bishop Olmsted wanted to put together a new team, and Monsignor Moyer and I were very involved in the selection process," he said. "We both felt he needed to bring in some new blood. Anytime a new leader comes in, he's got to put together a new team."
He said he and Moyer not only submitted their resignations to Olmsted, they asked him to accept them.
The local director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said he hopes the changes will bring about openness and honesty in the diocese.
"With this change in personnel, we hope to also experience a change in the diocesan approach to survivors of abuse," Paul Pfaffenberger said. "Too many times in the past, victims were ignored, discredited and even lied to."
Several other key diocesan personnel have been replaced since O'Brien's resignation. Archbishop Michael Sheehan, who served the diocese for six months between O'Brien's resignation and Olmsted's installation, replaced the diocesan spokeswoman. Olmsted has changed diocesan attorneys and appointed a new editor of the diocese's newspaper. The only top official remaining is the assistant chancellor, the Rev. Michael Diskin.
Adamson said the bishop has set a tone of moving forward from O'Brien's troubles.
"Continued healing will be very important," said Adamson, who serves on the diocese's Community Response Team for Sexual Misconduct.
Adamson said details of his position have not yet been worked out. He said his goal is to "understand the vision" of the bishop, who took over in December.
Sanfilippo, who is fluent in Spanish, said he sees "a lot of hope" on the horizon.
"The church has been through difficult times, but we are in Easter season, a time of resurrection and hope," he said. "Christ makes all things right."
(Excerpt) Read more at azcentral.com ...
The above bolds and underlines added for emphasis.
The Rev. David Sanfilippo, 37, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena, has been a priest for 10 years, ....
Oh yea!!! Know this holy Priest well. Holy, orthodox, manly, ... you get the picture.
I'm gonna have to stop by and pay him a congratulatory vist!
The new media person is a very good person.
She, Mary Jo West, is a recent convert and is well known and respected. She has a lot of Phoenix TV media experience. We hope and expect that our holy Bishop Olmsted will take her under his wing and assist her as she grows in the knowledge of the Catholic Faith.
Pray that the remaining liberals in the Diocesan office do not wear her down and get her discouraged.
The remaining liberals? ...well, its being worked on, to diminish the quantity to zero.
Have you noticed that even though the diocese is looking for a new managing editor for the Catholic Sun that NO ADS for that have been placed in the National anti-Catholic Reporter? . . . heyhey that is more good news.
The requirements stated in the ad in the Sun include:
"...working knowledge of and loyality to the Roman Catholic Church (including its teachings and doctrine) and the Diocese of Phoenix. ...must be a confirmed, practicing, Roman Catholic in good standing..."
Good Friday brings out 2 sides of abortion issue
By:Michael Clancy
The Arizona Republic -- Apr. 10, 2004 12:00 AM [Excerped]
One of Phoenix's largest abortion protests was met with a vigorous rebuttal on Good Friday by Planned Parenthood officials, who accused Catholic Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of headlining a blockade of the organization's central Phoenix headquarters.
More than 1,000 people joined Olmsted in the orderly protest, held annually on Good Friday, when Christians commemorate the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The crowd, limited to the sidewalks by Phoenix police and employees of Planned Parenthood of Central and Northern Arizona, stretched well beyond the building at 5651 [North] Seventh St. A lane of northbound Seventh Street was restricted during the height of the noon protest, and protesters lined both sides of Montebello [Street which goes east of 7th St].
Much of their time was spent praying the rosary, transmitted from one end of the crowd to the other by walkie-talkies.
. . . [snip]
Planned Parenthood President and CEO Bryan Howard said the protest was the largest he had seen in his seven years with the organization. The protest, which lasted about three hours, curtailed business at the building, which houses offices and medical facilities.
"When a young woman who needs our services faces a crowd of that size, it effectively constitutes a blockade," Howard said at a news conference during the protest. "Our parking lot usually is full on a Friday."
It was all but empty on this Friday.
Howard said abortions, moved to a different site two months ago, constitute a fraction of the services Planned Parenthood provides. It offers birth control, treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and well-woman exams for early cancer detection, he said.
"No organization does more to prevent abortion and to protect women's future child-bearing than Planned Parenthood," he said.
"The protesters are correct in believing we have a problem. Their solution is wrong, misguided and dangerous."
Howard accused Olmsted and the protesters of perpetuating "fear and shame about sex and sexuality," while his organization "promotes knowledge and responsible choices."
About 10,000 women a year choose abortions in Arizona, a number that has slowly declined over the past 15 years.
"We don't believe in harassing employees of Planned Parenthood or their clients," said Tom Takash of Glendale, who organized the protest and is a leader of Children of the Rosary, a group that opposes abortion. "We are not here to cause trouble, but to pray for people's conversion."
He attributed the large turnout to increased publicity for the event and the leadership of Olmsted, who led the rosary at a similar but smaller protest on Christmas Eve as one of his first duties as bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix.
The bishop frequently was mobbed by well-wishers on Friday.
He said the church offers services for people planning families and for pregnant women.
"I come here to pray for the mother and the child," Olmsted said. "Any abortion is a great evil. We want to help women become the mothers they were meant to be."
-----------
Note: Underlines, bolds, and bracketed words added to original.
16 New Members are announced for the USCCB National Advisory Council
WASHINGTON (January 21, 2004) -- Sixteen new members have been added to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops" National Advisory Council, a 63-member body which meets semi-annually to review documentation and offer recommendations concerning matters before the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
. . .
In the Diocesan Priest category, new diocesan priest representatives, elected to four-year terms, are:
Reverend Kenneth S. Van Haverbeke, Wichita, KS;
Reverend Richard Vega, Lompoc, CA;
Reverend James S. Wall, Phoenix, AZ.
. . .
The 2004 officers of the Council are:
Mrs. Adriana Vlasic, Bloomfield Hills, MI, Chairperson;
Sister Linda Werthman, RSM, Farmington Hills, MI, Chairperson-Elect;
Mrs. Rose Hogan, Anna, IL, Secretary;
Mr. Juan Escobar, Pottstown, PA, Internal Affairs;
Reverend William D. Hammer, Louisville, KY, Reactive Chairperson;
Monsignor Richard Sniezyk, Springfield, MA, Proactive Chairperson.
The past Chairperson of the Council is Mr. Brian Corbin, Youngstown, OH.
__________________________________
Office of Communications
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3000
January 22, 2004 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
--------
Notes: Rev James Wall is the pastor of Saint Thomas the Apostle parish in Phoenix.
He and his Parochial Vicar Rev John Ehrich are among the best priests in Phoenix.
I knew Jim when he was a seminarian. I got to know him while we were helping facilitate a retreat for St. Mary's Chandler Confirmation students. He cut his finger somehow and I had to administer first aid.
It's also wonderful to know that in addition to Fathers Wahl,Sanfilippi,Adamson and Erich there are at least twenty to thirty other very good,holy and orthodox priests in the diocese.
I wonder if there is anything specific that we conservative,orthodox parishioners should or could be doing to support our new Bishop and those priests who have been working hard without much support? Any thoughts from anyone?
Black Elk and Ninenot,Bishop Olmsted has also authorized the Indult Mass which will be starting in June after all these many years.
Oh,before I forget,one little blip on the horizon. I notice that Father Fuchek will continue negotiating with a Catholic College to come out here. Last I heard it was the LaSalle Christian Brothers out of the university of Dayton. I hope that is not the plan,since I have learned that they are practically not Catholic. I don't think any diocese can overcome the rot that can contaminate it from poor,uncatholic teaching at the college or university level.
I guess he owes you one now;that is,unless they had to amputate his finger as a result of your medical care.
I can't wait until June when the Indult Mass begins here. I heard that St. Mary's in Gilbert might have had High Mass in Latin on Easter Sunday...do you or anyone know anything of it?
Wow!! Appointing Father Wahl to the USCCB committee is really good news.
I sometimes attend St. Thomas the Apostle's 5:30 pm daily Mass. Father Wahl is an excellent Priest! Fr. Wahl and his associate Priests always hear confessions daily a half hour before each of their Masses (a morning one too). That is, at least the one offering Mass. Many of the responses are done in Latin (Sanctus, Agnus Dei).
That all says a lot about this venerable "elder" parish in Phoenix under his pastoral care. And considering that it has one of the more sought after Catholic grade schools in Phoenix is more cause for joyful news!
Thanks Phx_RC!
Not one mention of fundraising ability. An excellent sign.
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