Father Robert Altier to be Assistant Chaplain of Nursing Home

A VOICE IN THE DESERT ^ | 5/11/2006 | MILESJESU

[MILESJESU]

Father Robert Altier to be Assistant Chaplain of Nursing Home

Father George Welzbacher, pastor of the Church of Saint Agnes, has issued a statement regarding the unexpected reassignments of both himself and Father Robert Altier. Sometime in mid-June, Father Welzbacher will be leaving Saint Agnes parish at his own request and move to an unspecified location. But the biggest surprise is Archbishop Harry Flynn's shocking decision to remove Father Altier from Saint Agnes and appoint him as assistant chaplain of a nursing home in an outlying district 30 miles southeast of Saint Paul-Minneapolis.

At the age of 45, Father Altier has served 17 years in the priesthood, 14 of those as Assistant Pastor at the world-renowned Church of Saint Agnes, and now Archbishop Flynn has decided it is just and proper to relegate him to a nursing home. This is a priest who generously spends long hours in the confessional bringing souls back to God, who has been responsible for guiding numerous young people to offer their lives in religious vocations, who for 17 years has painstakingly given instruction through his Fundamentals of Catholicism course to over 150 people each year and brought hundreds of converts into the Catholic Church, who is renowned for his skills in spiritual direction, who acts as board member and advisor to several orthodox Catholic organizations, and who up until recently had been preaching to a worldwide audience via A Voice in the Desert website and Relevant Radio broadcasting.

[Talking_Mouse]

Very interesting difference in how the Free Republic responds to a Bishop reassigning people

I will continue to pray that Fr. Altier is used by the Lord for His greater glory.

[MILESJESU]

FATHER ALTIER, A HUMBLE PRIEST BUMP

[Straight Vermonter]

I have been thinking that this whole scenario reminds me of the ordeals that St Louis de Montfort had to endure in dealing with his bishop. Thing worked out wonderfully for St Louis I pray they will work as well for Fr Altier.

[MILESJESU]

It is possible that Saint Louis De Montfort did not have such a nut case to deal with like Father Altier has to deal with not to say it was not an ordeal.

As, Laity in the Catholic Church we are totally powerless and can only pray or write to the "Apostolic Nuncio" in the United States for those of us who live in the United States -- if anyone wants to take it further they can write to the Cardinal in charge for such matters or even to the Pope if this situation goes from bad to worse.

Thanks for your comments.

[MILESJESU]

Anyone is welcome to post suitable comments on this thread.

However, if they are posted to me in the next half hour, I will not be able to respond for some time as I will be busy posting some of Father Altier's Past Homilies on some Threads here at FR.

[baa39]

A bishop will only care about a letter from someone in his own diocese, and even that, as we've all experienced, usually has no effect. Only hundreds of letters will get the matter any attention at that level.

As for writing to the Pope, that may be a bit presumptuous, it goes right into the 'out' basket and down the chain to appropriate person.

The proper next step for us may be writing to our Apostolic Nuncio. If people would focus efforts there, and he were to get letters from Flynn's AD as well as from other Catholics who benefited from Fr. Altier's talks, it might raise a concern. I believe tying in the children's issue, the TAT classes is the key, because it links it to the real issue, which is becoming an actual scandal promoted by the USCCB, not just a matter of one priest being side-lined.

[Nihil Obstat]

The proper next step for us may be writing to our Apostolic Nuncio. If people would focus efforts there, and he were to get letters from Flynn's AD as well as from other Catholics who benefited from Fr. Altier's talks, it might raise a concern.

Good point. It will also help the Nuncio know what kind of Bishops we would like to have.

[baa39]

"I am only familiar with asap and btw. I am still learning the ropes around here."

Good for you! Thanks for your posts. FYI, here's a good one to know for use on FR: "IMHO" for "in my humble opinion"!

"LOL" is "laughing out loud" and "ROTFLOL" is "rolling on the floor laughing out loud"

I have only become internet savvy recently myself, so I applaud your efforts.

[Salvation]

The priests at the nursing homes here in Oregon help out everywhere -- what a difference an Archbishop makes, huh?

[MILESJESU]

This Archbishop Flynn is no "TRUE SHEPHERD" to me.

In Fact, My stomach churns whenever I refer to him as an Archbishop.

Yes, I agree with you. I just cannot understand why no one from the Vatican is stepping in and disciplining this Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.

He should be excommunicated asap.

The longer he is allowed to continue the more problems he will cause to the Faithful not just in Minneapolis but throughout Minesota.

[MILESJESU]

There is a new Post on the Desert Voice Web Site.

This is what it says:

"It has been falsely reported that Fr. Altier requested to be transferred to the nursing home. He did not.

He is accepting the reassignment in obedience".

http://www.desertvoice.org

[MILESJESU]

Here are 2 emails that I have received today, from Friends who now live in Minneapolis and who have been Parishioners at Saint Agnes in Minneapolis for the last 8 years.

1)From:FRIEND IN MINNEAPOLIS

Subject:Re: Re :Do you Guys know anything about this ?

Date:Thu, 11 May 2006 18:19:46 IST

Dear -----

It appears true.We learned about it yesterday.

It is legal for an Archbishop to reassign any ordinary priest in his diocese.Because their faculties are not being suspended (which would require canonical
legal action), there is nothing illegal.

It does suck however.We will be getting two new priests, Fr. Udel, former interim rector of St. Paul's Seminary and Fr. Kasel, who grew up at St. Agnes and found his vocation there.

Father Welzbacher may have requested the transfer, as his health has deteriorated of late(he is 77 or 78 as well).

Pray for Fr. Altier, he will need strength to bear all this, and pray for St. Agnes.

Yours in Christ,
FRIEND IN MINNEAPOLIS

MESSAGE TO ALL:

The contents of this message are authentic except that I have removed my name and the sender's name. He had also addressed me by my first name and ended the email with his name so I had to remove that too.

I have also deleted our email addresses as this is a Public Forum and I did not want to reveal our identities.

By Freep Mail i would have no reservations about revealing our identities.


2)From:A FRIEND IN MINNEAPOLIS

Subject:Re: Re : Thanks and Message.

Date:Thu, 11 May 2006 20:18:04 IST

He is being assigned to a nursing home in Hastings,MN.

He is being put where almost no one will see him, but the
Archbishop is not getting rid of him.

[redhead]

Father Welzbacher is an awesome intellect. He restored a small rural church in southern Minnesota. No altar girls. Altar boys wore cassocks and surplices. Eucharistic devotions, etc. were common. He was transferred to St. Agnes (a magnificent Baroque church in St. Paul) which was considered to be the parish with the most "conservative" Masses. I don't know all the details, but I suspect that Father Welzbacher might also be being muzzled, which would not surprise me in the slightest.

[MILESJESU]

Let me tell you what I believe. I do not live in the United States, but all Conservative Catholic Priests are being muzzled and silenced one by one in the Archdiocese of Minneapolis.

In this case, Evil Flynn is killing two birds with one stone by silencing Fathers Welzbacher and Altier at one and the same time.

If he can get away with this, he will try these antics with other Conservative Catholic Priests from Minneapolis.

I guess he wants to turn Minneapolis into a "Pink City of the Mid West".

I am a Conservative Asian Catholic who has friends who live in Minneapolis and who have been Parishioners of Saint Agnes for the past 8 years from 1998.

They tell me horror stories regarding the antics of Flynn who has been liberalizing and spreading all kinds of immorality in the Archdiocese somewhat like Cardinal Law of Boston or much worse than him.

[NYer]

He is accepting the reassignment in obedience".

And so must you! Recall the words of our Lord before Pontius Pilate. "All power is given to you by God!" Who are we to suggest that Fr. Altier is not better off as Assistant Chaplain at this nursing home. How many people reach the end of their lives, totally bereft of faith. If you were in this nursing home, what better priest to minister to your soul than Fr. Altier? He has accepted this assignment; so must you. Remember him in your prayers. ALL priests need prayers, especially in times of turbulence and confusion.

[Coleus]

OUTSPOKEN PRIEST TAKEN OFF INTERNET IS SENT TO NURSING HOME AS ASS'T CHAPLAIN

Sometimes, we get confused. Such was the case the other day when we were informed that Father Robert Altier, a well-known priest in St. Paul, Minnesota, was being assigned (he is 45) to a nursing home.   The priest was the subject of recent controversy when his prelate, Archbishop Harry J. Flynn [left], ordered him to stop broadcasting over a Catholic radio network called Relevant Radio (based largely in the upper Midwest) and to cease activity on a website that propagated his homilies -- many of which were staunch conservative ones and some of which were critical of bishops and especially what he sees as rampant homosexuality in the priesthood, including the St. Paul-Minnesota archdiocese.   We're not sure because Father Altier does not comment on that publicly. He has commented publicly on a sex-education program that he felt was unfit for children, and this is what seemed to spark the latest controversy. Currently an associate pastor at St. Agnes Church in St. Paul, he will now head to Regina Medical Center in Hastings as an assistant chaplain (meaning he will no longer be a regular daily Mass celebrant in public). While at St. Agnes, Father Altier's Masses -- relegated to the early hours of morning -- were unusually well-attended. He was viewed as a staunch conservative.

From those Masses came homilies that were distributed via the internet. There will be no more such homilies. While Dennis McGrath, official spokesman for the archdiocese, told Spirit Daily that Father Altier was happy with the reassignment and in fact had requested it, Father Altier confined his comments Thursday to saying, "I am just being obedient to the bishop. This is what he requested. This is what he asked me to do." He withheld further comment, saying only that the archbishop is "a good man."  The sex-education program is known as "Virtus" and is related to a program called Talking About Touching, designed in response to the sex-abuse scandal. "Unfortunately," says the website dedicated to Father Altier, "these graphic sex-ed programs are in direct violation of Vatican teachings on human sexuality and do nothing to stop predators but instead place the burden of protection on young children themselves." This is apparently Father Altier's viewpoint.   The new assignment, which will last for three years, will allow him tremendous free time, he said, during which he plans to read, write, and exercise. "I've been too busy the past few years to exercise and I've put on some pounds that I may be able to take off now," he said. "There's a 'Y' below the nursing center."

[Salvation]

Pray for A Voice in the Desert --- Father Altier to be removed from Saint Agnes parish --- It has been falsely reported that Fr. Altier requested to be transferred to the nursing home. He never made any such request, but is only accepting the reassignment in obedience.

Trust God at all times, my people! Pour out your hearts to God our refuge!                       ~ Psalm 62:9

Father Altier Assigned to Nursing Home
Our Letter to Archbishop Flynn 
The Archbishop's Message to the Public - March 20
Response of Fr. Altier and Fr. Welzbacher, pastor
A Statement from the Webmaster at Desert Voice

Letters from the Desert - your response
Is this the reason Father Altier was silenced? Father Altier innocent of any improprietyAbout Fr. Altier and Desert Voice
Fidelity Green Light Award and Site Review 

email@desertvoice.org

In obedient compliance with the expressed written request of Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Father Altier’s homilies and spiritual presentations can no longer be published on www.desertvoice.org or broadcast on Relevant Radio. This action of the Archbishop is not related to any scandal or sexual misconduct on the part of Father Robert Altier. We regret any inconvenience and humbly ask for your prayers. All concerns should be directed in a spirit of charity to: Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis  Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn 226 Summit Avenue Saint Paul, MN, USA 55102 (651) 291-4400 communications@archspm.org

[MILESJESU]

First, of all I would like to respond to Freeper NYer's comments that if Father Altier is accepting this reassignment in obedience so must you.

I am sorry to say I will not accept anything in obedience at all. This is pure and undaulterated BS and Hardcore Injustice being orchestrated and perpetrated by a "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing-- namely Harry Flynn who has some guts to call himself an "Archbishop". He is not even a Christian to me. I think I have greater respect for Conservative Baptist, Presbyterian Pastors and Priests from the Eastern Rite Churches than I have for any Catholic Bishops any where as I believe large numbers of them are destroying the faith of the faithful just like evil Flynn. I do not wish to accept any of this BS. I am sorry to say this --

For a person, who has personally suffered at the hands of ecclessiastical Authorities while in formation at a Trappist Monastery in the United States I know all that is there to know about these Authorities. There was not a living soul for me when I was harassed to an unbelieveable extent and there was no one who I could talk to when I had to suffer the indignity of being subjected to all kinds of immorality while the authorities at the Monastery were most indifferent to my situation and did not care a damn in the slightest as to what was happening in the cloister or in any other part of the Monastery. Let me make this clear once and for all.

Freeper Coleus has spoken in Comment NUMBER 36, about something that Father Altier used to speak about that is "That HOMOSEXUALITY is rampant in the Priesthood and more so in the Archdiocese of Minneapolis.

I am a living witness of all the immorality that I have observed in Religious Life. Father Altier was not talking BS when he spoke about Homosexuality in the Priesthood being rampant. Nobody wants to accept this that it has been happening in the past and is probably still happening. I know of a number of Dioceses and Archdioceses in which Homosexuality was rampant from 1998-2002 when I was living in the United States-- nothing much was done about it then or now. Do not be shocked by what I am going to say now, but I no longer believe in Celibacy or the Celibate Priesthood although "I am a Staunch and Conservative Catholic".

I have not only seen and observed unbelievable Immorality in Religious Life by Catholic Priests but it came to a point of losing my Faith completely. Rather, like the Eastern Rite Churches I strongly or only believe that the Married Priesthood should be instituted asap.

If any Freeper gets upset with what I have said regarding the Married Priesthood -- well they are not aware what I have been through -- I should have been insane at some level with all the experiences I have had. I strongly urge anyone on this Thread to read an awesome book called "Good Bye Good Men" by Michael Rose.

It talks about the "LAVENDER Mafia" in Seminaries in North America and how widespread a problem this is.

This is solely my opinion that what has happened to Father Altier over the past two months is because the "Lavender Mafia" is firmly in control in the Archdiocese of Minneapolis. Finally, I have just received a new email from Ken and Elizabeth Schwab who run "A Voice in the Desert".


From:email Subject:Update

Date:Fri, 12 May 2006 04:32:26 IST

Dear Friends of DesertVoice,

Praised be Jesus Christ!

We would like to notify you of recent changes concerning Father Robert Altier’s situation. It has been just over two months now since Archbishop Flynn requested that Father Altier’s homilies no longer be published on the internet. Throughout this time, we have continued to pray and hope that he would have a change of heart and reverse his request. After allowing some time for the “dust to settle,” we sent a letter (via U.S. mail) to Archbishop Flynn asking him to reconsider. He has not responded and we have now posted our letter on the DesertVoice website.

More notably, the Archbishop has just given Father Altier a new assignment and we have also posted information concerning this on the website. You can check out the newest updates at www.desertvoice.org. As an approval has already been secured, the possibility does exist of publishing Father’s homilies and catechism lessons in a book format, and a Catholic publisher is considering printing some of the material in the fall of 2006. This would be a tremendous opportunity for people everywhere to have access to his fine spiritual instruction, and we are hoping this effort will be successful. Once again, we ask God to reward you for your heartfelt support and prayers. Be assured that we will continue to maintain this website and will not give up.

We are asking everyone to remain constant and vigilant in prayer for Father Altier as he journeys through these dark days. It is not over yet!!! Recalling the words from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews – Do not surrender your confidence; it will have great reward – let us remain steadfast in prayer that the good which God wants to bring out of all this will soon come forth and A Voice in the Desert will be heard once again. Truly, Father Altier’s example in this trial speaks to us more eloquently than ever before. DesertVoice webmasters

P.S. Please continue to show your support by visiting www.desertvoice.org daily.


To Freeper NYer-- All, I will say is get real. Do you really think Father Altier is better off at the Nursing Home. It is only because he is a Holy and Humble Priest that he is accepting this reassignement.

Who would want to be sent to a "Nursing Home" which is almost in the middle of no where as compared to ministering in an active parish like Saint Agnes.

I am shocked that no one from the Vatican is stepping in and taking action and that no one from anywhere is taking action. Is this the Catholic Church ?

Reminds me of the Hard Core Injustice I went through.

I do not agree with this statement from Freeper NYer at all at any level.


"He is accepting the reassignment in obedience". And so must you! Recall the words of our Lord before Pontius Pilate. "All power is given to you by God!" Who are we to suggest that Fr. Altier is not better off as Assistant Chaplain at this nursing home".

[MILESJESU]

Whatever, I may have said in Post 39, may have been a gut reaction but most of what I said I truly believe.

As, a Staunch and Conservative Catholic I have deep reservations about the Celibate Priesthood.

Why can't we have optional Celibacy like the Greek or Orthodox Eastern Rite Churches or like the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches that exist in the United States or in the Middle East.

The only Catholic Priests I have immense respect for are Fathers Robert Altier, John Corapi, Shannon Collins, Bill Casey, Dominic Mary from E.W.T.N. and others from E.W.T.N. and Bishops like Charles Chaput from Denver and Fabian Bruskewitz from Lincoln, Nebraska and perhaps a few others who are True Shepherds.

The rest can go to "Hell" and that is literally my opinion.

Today, in the 21st Century the Catholic Church is suffering from a paucity of "True Shepherds" and those that do exist are silenced, banished, and exiled.

I love the Catholic Church but I am deeply disgusted by what I have been seeing in the past and now in the present.