Why Change our Religious Education Program?
Why Change our Religious Education Program?
Via E-Mail, Aug. 21, 2006
Dear Fellow Parishioners,
It is just unacceptable that the "pastor" of our dysfunctional parish has chosen to change the religious education program that has been so successful for so many years. He has chosen book knowledge over real life living of the Gospel. It is apparent that he has no willingness to serve the "people of God", but rather to study our God.
Our children have had the wonderful experience of learning what it means to be a Catholic Christian through the program that has existed for years. Now he is asking them to be as inexperienced as he apparently is at actually living that life.
Is he afraid of those who might be more educated than he? Is he afraid to take off his collar and actually live the life of Christ? Is he so happy to choose those who are simply open to his directions to lead the parish, rather than those who have successfully done so for years, within the guidelines of the Church and diocese?
It is time to question! It is time to challenge! The lives of our children are on the line. Their commitment to Christianity and the Church lies in their understanding of what Jesus relates in the Gospel.
Christ said, "Do this in remembrance of Me". He did not say study the fruits of the Spirit or the gifts of the Holy Ghost. He gave his apostles the directive to go out and spread the message I have given you. He did not say to hide in a chapel and adore Me. He knew He had accomplished His mission. It was now up to His followers to carry the mission out. You cannot do that behind the walls of a chapel.
He did not say to go and make sure everyone respects you because you wear a collar. He said, "Do unto others as I have done unto you." How can we respect, listen to, and follow someone who has no respect for those who have the knowledge that he apparently lacks.
Our children are going to suffer for lack of leadership in the development of their faith and spiritual guidance. Parents, speak up! Let your needs and the needs of your children be known. Let the pastor know that you want your children brought up according to the mission of the Gospel and not just in the memorization of church teachings.
Our youth group has benefited greatly from the program that has been inspiring and has had an impact in their everyday lives. I see it in my daughter and in all the acquaintances she has among her peers. Through the previous program, they learned to pray together, accept differences among each other and live in harmony as Christians with faith in their Church and each other. Our pastor is attempting to do away with that because he apparently does not understand what that is all about. Just to let him know, "IT IS ABOUT BEING A CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN IN THE TRUE SENSE OF THE GOSPEL." It is LIVING the Gospel and not just memorizing words. It is living the words of the Gospel.
His fundamentalism is contrary to Vatican II, which he apparently has difficulty with. It meant change and learning. I have doubts about his ability to learn, especially if he does not read and is more concerned about his status as boss rather than his ordained ministry to serve others and live the gospel.
It is hard to live without the collar and "wash the feet of others" if you do not believe that is your ministry. It is easy to be an institutional ordained minister because the Church does everything for you. You just have to look important. I just cannot get that message from what I read in the Gospel. But it apparently makes him comfortable while the rest of humanity searches for the truth and reaches out to the needs of those who may be different and less fortunate than he is.
I pray for him. I feel sorry for him. I hope that he will see the light and realize that his mission is to help and serve rather than to hate and create devious plots to eliminate those he disagrees with. I thank God my daughter completed her Confirmation class before this abomination occurred. She will be a much better Christian because of her past experiences and will not have to spend her classes memorizing her faith rather than learning how to live it.
Harold Mosher~ A Catholic Christian who believes in living the faith rather than memorizing and doing nothing about it. Service is not vengeance nor is it exclusionary. It is about being there for all who seek the Word of God, not just those you choose to serve.
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5 comments:
As always, excellent letter Harry. Someone like you who has been here from Day 1 to see the parish grow into the mature faithful it has been must be very frustrated to see how far back it has fallen in the past 3 years.
When are the "insiders" going to realize how they are participating in the evil wrought by the corrupt bishop and pastor currently lording over Holy Spirit Parish and say, "Enough is enough; I will no longer be part of this grave sin."
The destruction of Holy Spirit continues. Why does our Bishop continue to close his eyes to what is happening at Holy Spirit?
We are loosing precious talent that has taken us YEARS to acquire, including dedicated parish leaders like Harry Mosher.
Sad, but just look at who is replacing all of this lost talent! We have gone from "highly qualified" to "barely qualified"! What a sin against our youth!
It is with great sadness, that I write these words.
Where exactly are you at with Jesus? All of you, who can not accept any changes and who only focus on chastising those who have been called to lead this Church. Isn't that what Jesus went through? People chastising his ways? Focus on your hearts and your life with him. Maybe then we can find the peace that we need and that this church deserves to have.
Our children are learning more from your actions. What do you think Jesus would have taught them? Maybe that Love is never rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over injuries. Love does not rejoice in what is WRONG but rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to love's forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.
1cor 13:4-7)
Love thy neighbor was one of his commandments. Are we living by this? These comments do not sound like it.
Dear Anon. #3:
In any struggle those on both sides, oppressors and oppressed, claim that God is with them. So you must look beyond that claim and see the FRUITS of their positions. Holy Spirit before the bishop's upheaval had an abundance of Catholic ministries and all were involved who wanted to be. Now many ministries are missing, such as the ENTIRE Peace & Justice Commission and many parishioners are prevented from serving as eucharistic ministers only because the disfunctional pastor doesn't like them.
It is true that Paul said that love is patient, kind, all that, but Paul's words must be reconciled with Jesus' words and actions. It is too complicated to hash out here, but read the gospels of Matthew and Luke: Jesus tears into corrupt clergy, like Fr. Brum and the bishop, relentlessly and with, well, unkind (to say the least) words. Essentially he cursed them.
I would love to meet with you to further discuss this. You know where to find me.
Re: Anonymous Number Three
Christ taught us, above all else, that EVERYONE was always welcome at his table. How in God's name can you accept a priest that EXCLUDES parishioners from serving in His ministries? Where is the "Love Thy Neighbor" in that? The one wonderful thing about the old Holy Spirit was that EVERYONE was always welcome! NO ONE WAS EVER EXCLUDED OR TURNED AWAY because they disagreed with the pastor!
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