We Get Letters:

Kanickers,
Dec. 1, 2005

I, like others, am concerned about why Holy Communion is no longer taken to parishioners that pertain to Holy Spirit Parish. Is anyone in charge of fulfilling this blessing?

My mother, Omega Perez, pertains to Holy Spirit Parish and for a long time now, no one has gone by to give her Holy Communion. She had a 4 bypass in August and is presently at Las Palmas here in McAllen.

She only sees the Holy Mass on channel 60 and that's all. She hungers to partake of the body of Christ. We had to request a priest from Mission to come pray for her due to the fact that she was in critical conditions, but praise the Lord, she overcame the complications. She was in 2 different facilities and to this day no one from Holy Spirit has gone by to take communion.

I personally have gone in numerous times to the parish and left her name, address, and phone number to see if someone could even go by her house when she was there and no one ever went.

Thank you for your prompt attention to my concern and I'll continue praying for you all. In Jesus Name.

~A friend who cares for you all.

The Monitor
Sunday November 27, 2005

To the editor:

Thanks to God for my church

At this time of year, we take stock of the many blessings we have received in our lifetime. I would like to express my thanks to God for the first 23 years of Holy Spirit Parish. During those years my life has had many blessings that enabled me to grow in my faith and develop a true understanding of the gospel message. I want to express my thanks for Holy Spirit when:

• It was a vibrant Vatican II parish.
• All people were welcome at the table of the Lord.
• Diversity was accepted and respected.
• Our pastor was spiritual and collaborative.
• Peace and justice meant witnessing to the gospel, not hiding behind a chapel door.
• Ministry was not dependent on agreement with the pastor.
• Homilies challenged us to live the gospel message and were not repeated week after week.
• People were respected for their opinions.
• The pastor told you the truth, whether or not you wanted to hear it, because it was the truth.
• People were educated in the religion and not shielded from the facts.
• Leadership was based on the ability to lead and not on one’s abandonment to the will of the pastor.
• Committees were composed of people with different views, rather than just "yes" men.
• Worship was truly worship, not an opportunity to display arrogance.

There are so many other things to be grateful for when Holy Spirit Parish was a true expression of the gospel. My prayer is that God returns us to honesty, spirituality, peace and justice and removes the blanket of suppression and intimidation that exists. The embers are still burning among those who are grateful for the past.

Harold Mosher, McAllen

Kanickers,
I am heartened to see some of our ministries continuing despite Monsignor (My Lord) Brum. The Giving Tree, being mainly charity, is something Lord Brum, by his gracious countenance, allows. One of the new charities, shoes for the people of Afghanistan, is an excellent idea, and I congratulate Marine McShane for doing this. It is reminiscent of the Eyes Wide Open campaign of the American Friends Service Committee that displays boots and shoes of military and civilians killed in Iraq.

But I am concerned about the ministry ironically represented by the dove. Basic toiletries and food for our military in the Middle East? Is the Pentagon not supplying these basic needs? What does the Pentagon do with all the money? Do people realize that half of their income tax goes to the Pentagon and that we spend more on the military than the rest of the world, friend and foe, combined?

Like the military baskets before (2 baskets for the military vs. one for the poor) I am afraid that this ministry takes away from the poor. People will not give extra, but anything they give to the military will take away from the other good ministries. I say if you really want to help the troops, contact Congress and the President to get them out of there as soon as possible!
~A peace and justice-loving parishioner and parent of Marine who served in Iraq

Tribunal

Well,... I guess that the results from the tribunal shows to all that a Tribunal of the Catholic Church is nothing more than a one-sided exclamation of exactly what "they" want declared. What a goat-rodeo!

Looks like it is going to take a court of the United States Government to show the Catholic Church a few of the teachings of Christ! Shame.
~Parishioner

The Louie-loving letters are short, the same, and devoid of fact. The letters challenging him to be a pastor are long, searching, and uncomfortable to read.

A comparison of two leaders: in the short run, Hitler had his nation including the bulk of the hierarchical Catholic Church in Germany loyally following him to the end. In the short run, his own people who chose a known murderer, Barabas, over him, betrayed Jesus. In the long run, we all know what happened to both.

How will this little local drama at Holy Spirit play out in the long run? The once vibrant, solvent, Vatican II Parish in disarray with many of its ministries dead or dying. Many of the most active parishioners long gone when it became too painful to see the new pastor's agenda opposed to love and respect. An agenda to destroy the legacy and character of their beloved parish, with an iron hand of arrogance gained through years of uncontested power and control at other parishes. Too painful to see indeed.
~A parishioner

It is very common, actually, for a priest to have a little circle of "spies" that keep him informed about fellow parishioners. This happens in Catholic churches all over. Our last priest bragged he had a better spy network than the CIA. Who are these people? They tithe, mostly, they say the rosary in public and always say yes to the priest, no matter what. Never, never should you consider a cause the bishop does not agree with. So us bad people tithe too, until we have had enough and decide to use our money where it is more needed. Well, God bless us, every one. ~Catholic from Sweeny, Texas

In Good Standing with the Catholic Church?
I would like to know what the Reverend Monsignor means when he constantly uses the phrase "in good standing with the Catholic Church?" I realize that he screens every parishioner like a hawk by referring to that phrase, but what is the definition of that phrase? Is this phrase used by every Catholic Priest to evaluate the worthiness of God's children to actively participate in any of the church's ministries, committees, and other functions?

The manner in which Monsignor Blum uses this phrase leads me to believe that if you disagree with him on any topic, one is automatically "not in good standing with the Catholic Church." We are, therefore, immediately considered an outcast and not welcome at the Table of the Lord.

However, if one believes and agrees with everything Monsignor does, even if he is very wrong, i.e., refusing to give Holy Communion to persons he dislikes, those parishioners are rewarded handsomely by being allowed in any ministry of their choosing. In other words, just agree and be obedient at all times and things will be much easier for you.

What hypocrisy coming from someone called a Monsignor! That man is consumed with egotistical power and complete obedience to that power. If not, the sky falls upon one like a wrath of hatred. And all of this is allowed to happen in the name of the Catholic Church???

What are we becoming? Are we blind to the heresy displayed by this priest? What would Jesus Christ say about the blind followers of such a tyrannical leader who despises children of God simply because they have better or different ideas than he does? I think Jesus Christ would react by throwing chairs and tables across the room much like he did with the Pharisees! We would all be thrown out of the temple in utter disgrace!
~A Concerned Parishioner


Dear Kanickers,
Every two weeks I look forward to reading the latest issue of Somos el Cuerpo de Cristo. It's not only educational, but the only way so many of us parishioners find out what is happening at our parish.

In the News Commentary of the latest (November 13, 2005) issue, it is mentioned that the Reverend Monsignor( Fr Louis?) will be deposed on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 ... I don't understand, can someone explain what is going on? Is this not a serious thing? Why is he being deposed?
~A concerned parishioner


Kanickers:
This is a note from a concerned parent about our Religious Program. I want to know what is going on with the constant changing of meetings for parents for First Communion? We never had that before. We are having so many changes that we are confused as to what date and time we should show up. What a mess! Can't the priest make up his mind?

Most of the time, our priest doesn't even show up, so what's the point? Some events, like Reconciliation, run very late because our priest doesn't show up on time. This is very hard on our kids who have to get up the next day to go to school.

Next thing you see is having First Communions in a separate mass in our parish. When my other child celebrated First Communion in past years, our family loved the fact that the community, who had seen him/her grow up, now was witnesses of their First Communion. I guess the destruction of our parish continues; now our children are the next targets.
~A concerned parent



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