We are Glad

We are glad things went so well!

Healing
On two separate occasions in the past few days, Bishop Peña has indicated that he will institute a healing process for Holy Spirit Parish, beginning with the Lenten season.

This is the best news Holy Spirit has heard since the events of June, 2003, and it promises the beginning of the meeting of the most important and persistent request that has been put to the Bishop by so many people over these many months. That is, to provide this parish an opportunity to find reconciliation and healing and to set in motion a process to restore the “dynamic, progressive Vatican II parish” that the Bishop praised so highly in February, 2003.

I suggest that each of us e-mail Bishop Peña, thanking him for recognizing the depth of the hurt in the Parish and for instituting this long sought healing process, and offering him the promise of our prayers for its success.

Gerald Brazier, Parishioner

You can send an e-mail to Bishop Peña at the following link:
rjpena@cdob.org

Note: If you would like to contribute a posting or a comment to this site, please send it to: kanickers@aol.com, with "Holy Spirit" in your title line. You may also e-mail this article to a friend simply by clicking on the little envelope below.

Parishioners' Newsletter of 02/20/06

Somos el Cuerpo de Cristo
Thoughts from Some Fellow Parishioners of Holy Spirit—February 19, 2006

Canons to the Left of Them; Canons to the Right of Them
In his address to the Parish, the Reverend Monsignor spoke of trusting him as he does “what is good for the Parish.” In the Canon Law that he quoted there is a phrase “with the assistance of lay members of the faithful.” From the beginning, he has been approached along many different avenues, trying to bring the discussion of “what is good for the parish” to meaningful forums. All these efforts have been rebuffed—he seems to believe that his canonical authority as pastor gives him absolute power to discern what is good for the Parish, without any honest effort to listen to the parishioners.
Light travels on a two-way street in our church, or I hope it does.
Thomas Merton

Expertise and Competence
In the United States there is a deeply ingrained mistrust of experts, those who by education and experience have gained knowledge and competence. It seems paradoxical that we, as a society, are very willing to boast of and benefit from the triumphs of our democracy and our way of life yet frequently pour almost venomous contempt on the very people whose work made it all possible. This democracy and this way of life are the fruits of the labors of experts. From its very inception, the United States was built on the philosophical ideas of the Enlightenment (an intellectual movement roundly denounced by the Church, by the way—all that bad stuff about the rights of man and freedom of expression, you know) and since has grown to world dominance on the back of our science, engineering, and technology.

Expertise and competence in the Church don’t seem to fare any better—there is, within the Church, as much mistrust and even overt antagonism surrounding experts with education and experience in theology, liturgy, religious education, etc. as there is in society at large towards experts. “No pointy-headed, ivory-tower intellectual is going to tell me what do,” is an often voiced sentiment. This is particularly true when the experts’ opinions run counter to the status quo or long and comfortably held ideas and practices. All ideas, whether in science, philosophy, or theology, were once new and had to wear away the established structure before becoming accepted.

Felipe Salinas’ piece on religious education that appeared on the Blog is an example of expert opinion, honed by years of education and professional experience in the Church. His argument is compelling and needs to be taken into account. If the Parish won’t turn to parishioners whose talents and opinions have been formed from professional knowledge and experience, then to whom should it turn? One of the many tragedies of our Parish’s recent past is the squandering of human resources that has been the result of the Reverend Monsignor’s war on expertise and competence.

Family
We refer to our parish using terms like “family” and “community of believers”. These words evoke a group of people connected together by common beliefs and values, and a group who value each other. As a parent, I am constantly reminded that each of my children is an individual wonderfully created by God, each with unique gifts, thoughts and needs. We are one family, but each individual brings differences that enrich all of us. In my family, there can be no room for taking sides or talk of who wins and who loses – I believe it must be the same for my parish.

For our parish, I think this Hasidic Tale quoted in Spiritual Literacy, edited by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat bears repeating:
“An old Rabbi once asked his pupils how they could tell when the night had ended and day had begun.
“Could it be,” asked one of the students, “when you can see an animal in the distance and tell whether it is a sheep or dog?”
“No, “answered the Rabbi.
“Another asked, “Is it when you can look at a tree in the distance and tell whether it’s a fig tree or a peach tree?”
“No,” answered the Rabbi.
“Then when is it?” the pupils demanded.
“It is when you can look on the face of any man or woman and see that it is your sister or brother. Because if you cannot see this, it is still night.”
From fellow parishioner, Michelle Peña

$$$$$ Update
According to the Sunday Bulletins, in the past eighteen weeks parishioners have donated $23,716.56 less than the $261,000 the parish budget called for during that period. If the spending patterns of the last fiscal year have continued (13.4% over budget), then during this eighteen week period an additional shortfall of $34,960.68 was created. This gives a total of $58,677.24 of red ink (versus budget) for the eighteen week period ending February 12th. Stretching that pattern for an entire year, the Parish would fall short by $169,512.03.

One is the Loneliest Number
Bishop Bruskewitz of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, issued a warning in April, 1995, that any Catholics in and of the Diocese of Lincoln who attained or retained membership in Call to Action (CTA) after April 15, 1996, would be excommunicated. No other bishop has taken such an action.

Bishop Bruskewitz of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, is the only United States bishop who refused to participate in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ audit of clergy sex abuse.

Little Things
There are some big issues that have divided our parish, but what about some of the little things that have been lost?
“My only agenda is to do what is best for the parish”, Reverend Monsignor Louis Brum.
● How did doing away with Children’s Liturgy make our parish better?
● How did doing away with the symbolism of preparation for a family meal associated with the dressing of the altar by members of the parish before the Eucharistic meal make the parish better?
● How did the lack of understanding the role of parents in sacramental preparation and as a result publicly quizzing a child about who helped him understand what communion means and then telling him he was wrong when he answered that it was his parents, make our parish better?
● How did doing away with the symbolism of breaking of real bread for the Eucharistic meal make the parish better?
The Reverend Monsignor asks for our trust, but how can we trust him with the big issues when he provides no explanations for his decisions related to the little things that were meaningful to his parish?
A parishioner for a unified parish where all are welcome to serve our Lord.

Pensamiento
“The first thing you can do is make sure you treat your people well, and understand that your associates are what will make you a success.”
H. Lee Scott, President and CEO of Wal Mart.

Prepared by RGV Parishioners for Progress and edited by Jerry Brazier. Copy this, and pass it on to fellow parishioners, either by e-mail or paper. If you want an opportunity for prayerful discussion of these and other issues about the parish or have any other comments, please contact us at mailto:gbrazier@rgv.rr.com

Note: If you would like to contribute a posting or a comment to this site, please send it to: kanickers@aol.com, with "Holy Spirit" in your title line. You may also e-mail this article to a friend simply by clicking on the little envelope below.

For The Church

For the Church:
Gracious Father,
we pray to you for your holy Catholic Church.
Fill it with your truth.
Keep it in your peace.
Where it is corrupt, reform it.
Where it is in error, correct it.
Where it is right, defend it.
Where it is in want, provide for it.
Where it is divided, reunite it,
for the sake of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

~William Laud
Provided by Michele Peña, From Day by Day, the Notre Dame Prayer Book for Students, Thomas McNally, C.S.C. and William G. Storey, D.M.S., copyright 1975, 1983 printing, Ave Maria Press.

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Father Louie's Speech + Letters

Father Louie's Speech
I just came from 5:30 PM mass (February 11, 2006), and after hearing the announcements, the Rev. Fr. Louie gave a speech unlike any other. It was a surprisingly good speech, but I thought to myself "Who REALLY wrote this?" If you haven't seen or heard it, it will be in your bulletin Sunday morning...

While hearing it, I really thought he was going to resign, but irony struck and it didn't happen... This man is extremely stubborn... he really thinks he did something good for this parish by firing Ed Arguelles and banning all of the other parishioners from this "unified parish", as he puts it at the end of his letter.

I feel like I'm in a communist country where I can't speak my mind or have an opinion or I will be taken down like so many of the others. Our church is dying...
~A saddened parishioner



Church Will Suffer With Arguelles Gone

The Monitor Newspaper
Sunday, February 12, 2006

To the editor:
I am not a member of the Holy Spirit Catholic community but I am aware of the problems that they have been experiencing over the last two years, mainly by close friends who attend the church and the letters to the editor in this paper. Several of the problems expressed I do not have personal experience with, but there is one event that I can personally speak to.

You cannot find in this city a finer or more dedicated and sincere person than Ed Arguelles, the director of music at Holy Spirit for the last 20 years. The fact that someone in charge at the church relieved Mr. Arguelles of his position will most certainly only make the problems at the church worse.

It is obvious that the individual that fired Mr. Arguelles is completely out of touch with the real world. Ed Arguelles is one of the hardest-working, extremely well-respected and most decent individuals that this city possesses. With the problems already facing the church, why would someone seek to make them worse by firing him? What was the real agenda behind this act? Was it what was best for the people of the church or was it insecurity, fear or simply revenge?

It is not necessary for anyone to tell me to mind my own business since I am not a member of the church. It became my business when it involved a person of the caliber of Ed Arguelles. This cold and cruel mistake on the part of the church is one that will certainly only add to the troubles at Holy Spirit.

E.A. (Amby) Tanner
McAllen

Note: If you would like to contribute a posting or a comment to this site, please send it to: kanickers@aol.com, with "Holy Spirit" in your title line. You may also e-mail this article to a friend simply by clicking on the little envelope below.

Letter Attempting Dialogue

February 9, 2006

Dear Parishioners of Holy Spirit Parish,
I have read the request for letters of support for Msgr. Louis. I agree the Msgr. has had a most difficult time at Holy Spirit Parish, but with all the active and intelligent members of our Parish, from both sides of our divisions, I feel that most of our parish’s troubles could have been avoided. I don't want to be radical, but I do want to get my point of view across. Here is my humble attempt at beginning dialogue to resolve our differences.

My name is Joe Aleman III. My family & I attend the 10:30 Spanish mass at the Parish. My parents, Joe & Anita Aleman, were one of many "founding" families of Holy Spirit Parish. This history is the reason it upsets me so much to see one of the most productive & proactive parishes in the Valley being systematically disassembled.

In our productive past, our Parish had many active ministries that reached out to many interests. I have been told that our Parish, before the termination of the employees, was the second highest provider of donations in the Diocese of Brownsville. Personally, I never attended a bible study, walked for our sister parish in El Salvador, nor participated in any functions of the Knights of Columbus, but I was glad that those that wanted to, could. Why? Because each group was practicing their faith and ministering in the way they each chose.

Msgr. Louis is a fine priest, but I strongly disagree with his decision to discontinue certain ministries of our Parish. I also do not agree with his attempt to “prohibit” members of our Parish from participating in ministries of the mass just because they disagree with any of his interpretations. We are all different and it is not realistic to believe every parishioner will agree in every matter of our church and faith. The worldwide members of the Catholic Church never have and never will. That is OK. It is all right to disagree with one another.

We are MANY parts, but ONE body. ALL of us, the liberals, conservatives, peace & justice people, Knights of Columbus, Habitat for Humanities people, Catholic Daughters, Spirit of Girls, Marriage Encounter, Boy Scouts, ACTS people, Religious educators & volunteers, Puppet Ministries, the people who visit the elderly & sick, choir members, lecturers, youth Groups & their directors, Eucharistic ministers, the employees and any other volunteers that I may have inadvertently failed to mentioned, are ALL part of the Body of Christ.

And as the Body of Christ, we ALL should be allowed to serve at mass if we so choose. If I disagree with Msgr. Louis, that does not mean that I am not a “Good Catholic”. I often disagreed with our previous pastor, Fr. Jerry, yet I was never prevented from practicing my faith and expressing my thoughts. Each one of us should be allowed to serve as a Eucharistic minister, lector, or choir member if we so choose. The mass should be a place where we all come together and unite ourselves around the Blessed Eucharist, not divide ourselves between the “Good Catholics” and those who do not agree with our priest.

Since his arrival, Msgr. Louis has systematically “prohibited” many parishioners of our parish from serving as Eucharist ministers, serving as a lector and singing in the choir. These members have been denied their right to practice their faith because they simply do not agree with all of his decisions.

Three weeks ago, a very active member of our parish was sent a certified letter from Msgr. Louis relieving him of his duties as a youth director volunteer. For over ten years, this dedicated parishioner and his family have dedicated their time & resources to many of the young adults who grew up within our Parish. I, myself, have never had the time, nor the inclination at helping in this ministry, so I am glad that he and his family were there to meet the need. We should all say a collective “Thank You” to him for his efforts and not ask him to stop “volunteering” his time in this ministry because he openly disagrees with Msgr. Louis.

Last week brought the termination of one of the most talented choir directors in our country. I do not know Mr. Ed Arguelles personally, but I think we all can agree that his musical talents have enhanced the spirituality of the 12:30 pm mass. In the 23 years that he has served as choir director, he has never been controversial or disrespectful to our priests or Parish. He simply disagrees with some, or all, of our priest’s decisions. Therefore, he also received a letter from Msgr. Louis relieving him of his duties as the choir director of Holy Spirit Parish. His termination is really OUR loss. A really big loss for our community.

My family & I attend the 10:30 mass and our choir director’s skill & musical talents are one of the main reasons I enjoy and am fulfilled when I attend mass. I hope she doesn’t publicly disagree with Msgr. If she does, she had better be ready for her letter, too.

I consider myself fortunate that my children didn’t see Msgr. Louis publicly yelling at a young, immature employee of the Parish during the mass of January 1, 2006. Although I agree that the employee’s fathers response to Msgr. Louis during the mass was disrespectful and inappropriate, I think the whole incident could have been avoided if the priest had used greater discretion and not humiliated and thrown the kid out the church during the mass in the first place.

Msgr. Louis is a fine priest, but a poor leader. Holy Spirit Parish needs a leader that can harness ALL of the talents of our parishioners, bring us back into unity, & put us all to work spreading the gospel by action, not just words. With better leadership, all of us can return to our own ministries of good will and can again make our parish a warm and welcoming church to gather in, and subsequently increase our tithes to the Diocese.

I know many wonderful members of our Parish on both sides of our division. Speaking with many of them, we all agree that mass at our Parish has not been pleasant these last few weeks. We all feel a little sick in the stomach stressing out on events that happened or what might happen during the mass. Let’s just stop. None of us are perfect “Good Catholics”, but that is OK. We are each trying the best we can to get into the Promised Land & hopefully take a few people with us.

So let us pray for Msgr. Louis. Let us pray for ALL the members of our parish as well. We, ALL OF US, are the Body of Christ united in our beloved Holy Spirit Parish. Priests will always come and go. Msgr. Louis, alone, is not Holy Spirit Parish. Let us ALL ask our Bishop to provide us with a leader that will unite us, not divide & conquer our Parish.

Whether you agree with me or not, I wish God’s blessings for you and your loved ones. God Bless ALL OF US at Holy Spirit Parish.

Thank You,

Joe Aleman III
Parishioner


A note from Kanickers:
Another SECRET Parish Council Meeting. Details in 'comments' under the A New Parish Council posting of January 30, 2006.

Note: If you would like to contribute a posting or a comment to this site, please send it to: kanickers@aol.com, with "Holy Spirit" in your title line. You may also e-mail this article to a friend simply by clicking on the little envelope below.

Parish Newsletter of 02/05/06

Somos el Cuerpo de Cristo
Thoughts from Some Fellow Parishioners of Holy Spirit—February 5, 2006

The Last Waltz
…the church bells all were broken and the three men I admire most,
The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died. Don McLean

We sit here forty-seven years after February 3rd, 1959 (Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, etc.), and have our own death of music to think about.

The Reverend Monsignor lied in his letter to Ed—the firing was disciplinary, which the Reverend Monsignor very explicitly said in his conversation (!) with Ed. If “the truth shall set you free,” then what are the consequences of falsehood? The letter to Ed drips with hypocrisy and duplicity and isn’t even worthy of the talents of whatever lawyer the ordinarily inarticulate Reverend Monsignor drew upon to compose it.

The foolishness about Call to Action (CTA) comes up yet again as a reason for Ed’s dismissal. The whole business about CTA is a red herring—if there were no such organization active in the Parish, some other excuse would have been latched onto. There is only one reason for any of this—the maintenance, not of authority, but of power.

Ed is a real mensch, standing up for his friends and speaking the truth—so now he is free.

Servant-Leadership
“[Bishop Raphael] Fliss [of Superior, Wisconsin] said, ‘With regard to Fr. Ryan Erickson, I admit and regret that I did not respond appropriately nor in a timely manner. He did incite considerable division within the parish by his pastoral style, his manner of teaching and even his vesture. I was duly made aware that sides were being formed. I should have intervened sooner, if not at once. I acknowledge I neglected the complaints and did not listen carefully to the parishioners.’ ” from the National Catholic Reporter, 2/3/06.

Our Bishop Peña should take a lesson from his brother bishop and avoid further embarrassment to himself and the Church in the Valley by ceasing to ignore complaints and start listening carefully to the parishioners of our Parish. It is inconceivable that he would allow the Reverend Monsignor to continue on this destructive path even after he (the Bishop) has formally scheduled mediation efforts with several parishioners. Either the Reverend Monsignor or the Bishop (or both!) are not acting in good faith in the period preceding these mediations by carrying out (or allowing) the provocative act of dismissing Ed Arguelles. Again, is this servant-leadership?

FYI—Three Bits of Canon Law
A) When the ministry of any pastor becomes harmful or at least ineffective for any cause, even through no grave personal negligence, the diocesan bishop can remove him from the parish.
from The Code of Canon Law (Canon 1740)

B) The causes for which a pastor can be removed legitimately from his parish are especially the following:

1. A manner of acting which brings grave detriment or disturbance to ecclesiastical communion;

2. Ineptitude or a permanent infirmity of mind or body which renders the pastor unable to fulfill his functions usefully;

3. Loss of a good reputation among upright and responsible parishioners or an aversion to the pastor which it appears will not cease in a brief time;

4. Grave neglect or violation of parochial duties which persists after a warning;

5. Poor administration of temporal affairs with grave damage to the Church whenever another remedy to this harm cannot be found.
from The Code of Canon Law (Canon 1741)

C) If an investigation shows that there exists a reason mentioned in Can. 1740, the Bishop is to discuss the matter with two parish priests from a group stably chosen for this purpose by the council of priests, at the proposal of the Bishop. If he then believes that he should proceed with the removal, the Bishop must, for validity, indicate to the parish priest the reason and the arguments, and persuade him in a fatherly manner to resign his parish within fifteen days.
from The Code of Canon Law (Canon 1742)

There is an indication in an e-mail sent to several parishioners that the Bishop will conduct such an investigation with “parish priest consulters,” beginning in the week of February 11th. This shouldn’t take too long, so it looks like it will be early March when the “persuasion” begins, right?

An Honest Peace, A Just Peace
“Peace is not the absence of conflict, peace is the presence of justice.”

This quote has stuck with me, although at the moment who said it escapes me. It resonates with me because peace is what I so desperately want for my church. But I want an honest peace, a just peace. I don’t want a bury-my-head-in-the-sand and just pretend peace. Like so many, I pray that my parish family will be based on trying to live the gospel and not secretive power games. I was not taught in Catholic school that Jesus came with a message of “my way or the highway.” I was taught that Jesus said, “Come to me.” I was taught that Jesus set a high standard based on love of God and neighbor, and that Jesus offered blessings and not bannings.

Many of us have lamented that we are now at a point where it will take a miracle to heal our broken parish family. Please remember that miracles happen every day, and that miracles can happen one person at a time. One of the most remarkable characteristics of Holy Spirit Parish has been its strong sense of community, its sense of an extended family. I have found that attending mass with members of my extended family has made such a difference. Share meals together, spend time talking and supporting one another. The miracle of peace can begin by experiencing “wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am.”
from fellow parishioner, Michelle Peña

$$$$$ Update
According to the Sunday Bulletins, in the past sixteen weeks parishioners have donated $24,077.14 less than the $232,000 the parish budget called for during that period. If the spending patterns of the last fiscal year have continued (13.4% over budget), then during this sixteen-week period an additional shortfall of $31,076.16 was created. This gives a total of $55,153.30 of red ink (versus budget) for the sixteen-week period ending January 29th. Stretching that pattern for an entire year, the Parish would fall short by $179,248.23.

Pensamientos
If the people lead, the leaders will follow. Anonymous

You must be the change you want to see in the world. Gandhi

He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who perpetrates it. Dr. Martin Luther King

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends. Dr Martin Luther King


Prepared by RGV Parishioners for Progress and edited by Jerry Brazier. Copy this, and pass it on to fellow parishioners, either by e-mail or paper. If you want an opportunity for prayerful discussion of these and other issues about the parish or have any other comments, please contact us at mailto:gbrazier@rgv.rr.com

Note: If you would like to contribute a posting or a comment to this site, please send it to: kanickers@aol.com, with "Holy Spirit" in your title line. You may also e-mail this article to a friend simply by clicking on the little envelope below.

More About Edward

Dear Kanickers,
The firing of Edward Arguelles is the LAST STRAW for the parishioners of Holy Spirit!

Why was Edward fired if not for disciplinary action?

It was because he wore “black” to show support for his fellow brothers and sisters that have now all been removed from their life-long ministries simply because they are considered “Catholics-Not-in-Good-Standing” by our Most Reverend Monsignor Father Louie. If someone does not agree with him, they are quickly classified and “removed”. Who has given this man the right to declare that ANYONE is not a Catholic-in-Good-Standing?

Edward has given 23 years of his life to Holy Spirit Parish! Sundays… Weekends… After-hours... Whenever! He and his lovely family have been model parishioners. He has always been there, ready and willing to serve! And what a shame to loose all of that talent! How Stupid!

WHEN IS THIS GOING TO END?

Fellow parishioners… It is time for all of us to call the Bishop and DEMAND that this person be removed as our pastor. If he can “remove” one of the most serving and devout parishioners of our parish, will WE be his next choice? And, for him to have the audacity to lie about why he did it… WHAT AN INSULT TO ALL OF US!

Please call or e-mail Bishop Peña and insist that this situation at Holy Spirit be addressed immediately!

WE MUST ALL ACT NOW TO STOP THIS INJUSTICE!

Bishop Peña’s Brownsville Tel Number: (956) 550-1510
Bishop Peña’s San Juan Tel Number: (956) 782-1728
Bishop Peña’s E-mail address: rjpena@cdob.org

~A VERY ANGRY PARISHIONER


A Note from Kanickers
Dear friends,
I have received many posts and comments about the unwarranted firing of Edward Arguelles, our dedicated Choir Director of 23 years. Many are not even suitable to post. I understand we are angered over this action and it reflects in the tone and language of our comments.

I also totally agree with the above posting. It is time that this foolishness at Holy Spirit ends. It has become quite evident that Reverend Louis Brum has no interest in anything other than his own agenda for Holy Spirit Parish and that he has no intention of ever meeting with parishioners to establish a dialogue to try to resolve these problems.

I am hereby requesting that instead of your sending your comments to me, that you join me in directing your concerns to our Bishop, Raymundo Pena. The above posting has his telephone numbers and e-mail address. It has now become imperative that he intervene in this matter!

I will continue to retain all of your comments and will continue to post a ‘reflection’ of those received.

Thank you for your continued response.
Kanickers~
(Caution: Please click on "comments" below for an important note about the danger of e-mailing the Bishop.)


A SONG IN A STRANGE LAND
Upon hearing the news of the dismissal of Ed Arguelles as music minister, I felt incredibly saddened. It brought to mind Psalm 137:

Psalm 137
Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem
1) By the rivers of Babylon - there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion.
2) On the willows there we hung up our harps.
3) For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
4) How could we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?

For giving voice to the mourning in his heart and expressing it in solidarity with his brothers and sisters, they are trying to silence Ed. Silence his voice, his guitar, his leadership, his intelligence, and all of his gifts. According to the letter, he is even being warned not to identify himself in any way with Holy Spirit Parish, except maybe to "pay, pray and obey", like a good Catholic.

The message to all of us is becoming clearer than ever: get in line, zip that lip, dress right, or... get out. Perhaps the time has come for us to sing our songs silently. Whatever form the music ministry takes, maybe we should zip it. I dare say that without our singing, the worship experience will be even more vacuous than ever. Or maybe, after mass, start singing "We Shall Overcome" as a postlude. That mighty song has sustained many a tired people in their struggles for justice! And Lord knows, we are tired.

Ed, remember that Woody Guthrie's guitar had emblazoned on it the words, "This machine kills fascists." Not literally, but through the power of music, and the emotions and ideas it conveys. Keep on singin' brother, wherever you have a chance! We'll miss following your lead.
Felipe Salinas


Dear Kanickers:
The shark strikes again! What an awful attack on one of the most devout parishioners that Holy Spirit Church has ever had. Our beloved Choir Director did not have to be fired if only our current pastor knew about God's Love for all his people and had God's Love in his heart.

I propose that all the choir members leave the choir immediately in support of Mr. Arguelles. Perhaps one of the choir members can announce at Mass this coming Sunday why they are all leaving the choir. We cannot allow this pastor, whose heart is full of hate for those that dare have a different opinion than his, to continue to take revenge on us. We must keep on fighting to return this parish back to ALL of the parishioners. And, furthermore, if we all relinquish our power to him, than we have lost our dignity and integrity as a parish.
~A Very Concerned Parishioner


Look Not at the Puppet, but at the Puppeteer!
Please do not assume that the firing of Edward Arguelles was totally the work of Fr. Louis Brum. The real culprit here is the Puppeteer! When management fails to act to correct a problem, it keeps getting BIGGER and BIGGER and BIGGER! This one is about to EXPLODE!

By not acting on the Fr. Louie problem at Holy Spirit Parish, the Bishop is condoning and promoting this horrid situation. He has been informed of what is happening time and time again. It has all fallen on deaf ears. No surprise, just look at all of the other problems in the dioceses that the Bishop has failed to address and act on in a timely manner. Looking the other way and hoping that it will correct itself is the classic mark of a poor leader. Sometimes, just praying about it doesn’t work… you have to ACT and CORRECT THE PROBLEM!
A Holy Spirit Parishioner



The Monitor Newspaper
February 5, 2006
To the editor:

Holy Spirit parish in Inquisition
They say history repeats itself. This is definitely true at Holy Spirit parish (McAllen) where a remnant of the Inquisition has reared its ugly head. No longer are differences respected, but rather considered antagonistic. No longer are those who disagree with the pastor to be a part of the various ministries, but rather banned from them. Now those who stand in support of anyone who has been banned are banned themselves. So much for standing with the outcast and the downtrodden as Jesus did. So much for promoting healing and unity as Jesus commanded.

The sister from Progreso continues to write letters to the editor in support of our pastor. I’m sure she is doing that out of a friendship she must share with him. But she does not belong to our parish. She does not know how her friend pastors, or rather fails to pastor. She does not know how he has become vindictive and punitive. She does not know how he has shunned parish leaders and allowed others with no knowledge of theology, liturgy or parish workings to dictate policy.

The sadder thing is that, not only does the Progreso sister not know how things really are, but neither do many of the parishioners. They come to church on Sunday and see a seemingly jovial and welcoming priest (unless they came on New Year’s Day when he screamed during Mass at a young man to leave the church). They see a priest who speaks of the Eucharist as being the center of his life (although he switches places with other ministers of Communion in order to avoid giving Communion to certain parishioners).

Yes, the Inquisition has invaded my parish and will be allowed to stay unless and until the bishop allows us to reclaim the life of our vibrant parish. In no other diocese would a bishop allow a pastor to continue on the uncharitable track of destruction our pastor has taken. It is a common belief that the bishop is behind the pastor. Why would a bishop be bent on destroying the life of a parish? Where is the pastor’s integrity? What does the bishop have on him?

If only the pastor would want to be a part of the life that was — he would readily be welcomed.

Eleanor Marks,
San Juan


~More To Come~

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