Tuesday, June 12, 2007

FOURTH ANNIVERSARY


WE REMEMBER...


WE CELEBRATE...


WE BELIEVE...


A lot has happened at Holy Spirit Parish over the past four years. I will be posting a Fourth Anniversary Review soon.

Until then, there was a recent post that pretty much summarized much of what we have had to endure at the hands of Bishop Raymundo Peña and our current pastor, Monsignor Louis Brum. I have decided to repost this response just in case anyone missed it.

My question to our Bishop remains, Why?

~Kanickers

Anonymous said:

Dear (Name withheld),

Thank you so much for expressing your feelings about Holy Spirit Parish. I feel everyone should have the right to express his or her thoughts and feelings about their Catholic parish without fear of reprisal from their Bishop or Priest.

Don’t you agree?

When you claim Holy Spirit as "your" church, how long have you been a parishioner here?

· Were you here when Bishop Pena cashed-in the Employee Retirement Fund?

· Were you here when Bishop Pena retaliated against Father Jerry for allowing employees their legal right to union representation?

· Where you here when Bishop Pena sent his security guards and diocesan staff into Holy Spirit to fire the union employees and change the locks on the church doors?

· Were you here when Bishop Pena embarrassed Catholic communities throughout the United States for his deplorable actions against his employees?

· Were you here when Bishop Pena, through a letter written by his Vicar General, was exposed for offering to provide “expert help” to other Bishops in the methods of squandering any attempts of Church employees to unionize, while he continued to claim he “walked” with Cesar Chavez?

· Were you here when several hundred Holy Spirit parishioners signed a “Letter of Petition” asking Bishop Pena to meet with them to answer for his actions, which to this day has never been addressed?

· Were you here when hundreds of Holy Spirit families migrated to other non-denominational churches or just quit going to Mass in disgust of the actions of our Bishop?

· Were you here when Father Brum removed our duly elected Parish Council.

· Were you here when Father Brum appointed his own “secret” Parish Council at Holy Spirit?

· Were you here when Father Brum fired our Peace and Justice Director and discontinued our Peace and Justice Program?

· Were you here when Father Brum fired our long-time Music Director?

· Were you here when Father Brum humiliated Sister Moira and publicly slandered her on so many occasions?

· Were you here when Father Brum removed parishioners from ministries because they expressed concern over some of his actions at Holy Spirit?

· Were you here when our long-time staff finally got so disgusted with Father Brum’s ability to run the parish that they all quit?

· Were you here the numerous times that parishioners asked and were refused to meet with Father Brum to attempt to restore peace to the parish?

· Were you here the numerous times Father Brum and his “secret” Parish Council have refused to provide an accounting of our parish finances?

· Were you here when Father Brum declared that specific parishioners were "not in good standing" with the Catholic Church because they questioned some of his actions and methods?

· Were you here when Father Brum squandered our long-standing Night Prayer Service and Vatican II Classes?

· Were you here when Father Brum totally destroyed our Religious Education Program?

· Were you here when Father Brum suggested that parents “home school” their children in Religious Education and promised to support them with religious educational materials that have yet to be provided?

· Were you here when Bishop Pena declared the alleged actions of Sister Moira to be groundless and instructed Father Brum to reinstate her to ministry, which he then “torpedoed”?


So (Name), when you speak of the tools of the devil; “stiff-necked pride”, “lack of respect”, “arrogance” and “hatred”, of whom are you speaking? Those few of us that have had the guts to speak truth to power?

Maybe it is time you removed your blinders!

May the peace of the Lord be with you!

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are very kind to use the headline of the "anniversary of the attempted firing" etc. I would have said the anniversary of the hostile takeover of our parish.

Anonymous said...

Where is Mission Service Project this year?

Where is Vacation Bible School?

Anonymous said...

· Were you here when Bishop Pena declared the alleged actions of Sister Moira to be groundless and instructed Father Brum to reinstate her to ministry, which he then “torpedoed”?
I FIND THIS VERY HARD TO BELIEVE. CAN WE PROVE THIS BY ASKING THE BISHOP FOR THE MINUTES THAT MUST HAVE BEEN TAKEN AT THAT MEETING. I KNOW FROM MY EXPERIENCE THAT THE BISHOP DOES DOCUMENT ALL MEETINGS. SO HERE WE GO AGAIN, IT IS WHAT YOU WANT IT TO BE. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH AND THAT WOULD SURELY TURN THINGS AROUND FOR YOU PEOPLE. I KNOW FOR SURE THAT SISTER DOES NOT ALWAYS SAY HOW IT DOES HAPPEN. I HAVE WITNESSED.....

Anonymous said...

Interesting. Just what is it that you have witnessed about Sister Moira?

Anonymous said...

Yes, I think we would all like to know what you witnessed about Sister Moria.
Also, do you really want to get to the truth here? You may not like what you uncover.

Anonymous said...

Just FYI - it is my understanding that Sister Moira gave Ruben Solis - president of our so-called parish council - a copy of the bishop's letter in which he said he would be sure that Fr. Brum would not "torpedo" Sister's efforts to be a Eucharistic Minister. Check with Ruben and ask to see that letter

Anonymous said...

I would still like to see the bishop's minutes to that meeting. Did the bishop use the word "torpedo"?
Also, Sr. Moira has done some public forums and has publicly demoralized the name of our Bishop and Pastor. Why should she give me communion with that attitude?

Anonymous said...

Yes, I would like to know the truth. Remember the truth will set you free.
Why should sister be a minister when one day she actually broke the consecrated host and gave a piece to her friend and has done nothing to show her forgiveness for her actions. She and a few others are persecuting the church in which they say they belong to. It does not make any sense to me. Go and fight against those supplying drugs to our children or drunk drivers who are killing innocent people - don't go against the faith in which you say you belong to. No logic, no sense, just stupidity.....

Anonymous said...

Maybe I don't understand? Was this friend in a state of Grace? Had this friend presented herself to receive Communion? Was Sr. Moira an authorized Eucharistic Minister? Are you saying that Sr. Moira distributed the Precious Body of our Lord to someone that was not in a state of Grace? Please explain.

Anonymous said...

“She and a few others are persecuting the church in which they say they belong to. It does not make any sense to me.”

In this case, hasn’t it been the Church (Bishop) that has done the persecuting? That is what doesn’t make any sense to me.

Why would our Bishop want to destroy one of the most vibrant, successful Catholic parishes in the diocese when his Church in the Valley is loosing Catholics as fast as he can say, “Our Father”!

Our Bishop will never visit one, and neither would you, but both of you should make a trip to the colonias to see how many Catholics remain there.

Colonias were once 100% Catholic… Go there now… NONE! Not ONE Catholic! This holds true in ALL of the colonias!

Wouldn’t it make better since to place your efforts on going back into those areas to try to recover your previous parishioners than to tear down the most successful parish in your diocese just for revenge against four very dedicated Church workers?

Talk about “No logic, no sense, just stupidity.....”

Anonymous said...

Yes, the bishop did use the word "torpedo" - he would make sure Fr. Brum did not "torpedo" Sister's efforts to be a Eucharistic Minister - I told you before - ask Ruben Solis to see the letter.

Anonymous said...

I WILL NOT ASK RUBEN...THANK YOU...BUT NO THANK YOU....

Anonymous said...

So why ask in the first place? Because you thought it was made up? Now that the truth is easily available you're not interested any more.
That proves that some people prefer ignorance over truth, and that is what has caused division at Holy Spirit. Some prefer to maintain their heads buried in the sand, Why? perhaps they are afraid to see the truth because it is not as pretty as they wish.

Anonymous said...

I NEVER ASKED...THOSE ARE YOUR WORDS...I SIMPLY SAID THAT I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE....
IT IS YOU PEOPLE WHO PUT WORDS INTO OUR MOUTHS.
WHY DO I NEED TO ASK RUBEN, WHY CAN'T SISTER SHOW ME THE LETTER...
WHAT IS SHE HIDING? AND BESIDES I RATHER KNOW THE TRUTH FROM THE SOURCE AND RUBEN IS NOT THE SOURCE. THERE YOU GO AGAIN ALWAYS POINTING THE FINGER - NO ONE IS BURYING THEIR HEADS IN THE SAND IT IS YOU PEOPLE THROWING THE SAND AT US. GET A LIFE... WHY DON'T YOU JUST FORGET THE PAST AND CONCENTRATE ON THE PRESENT AND ACCEPT. REMEMBER WE DON'T EARN HEAVEN BUT INHERIT IT. DON'T MISS OUT ON THE INHERITANCE OR YOU WILL BE LEFT OUT IN THE DUST...SO SORRY FOR YOU.

Anonymous said...

I believe that the Bishop is giving you people too much time. He has more important things to do than to constantly receive letters from you. I think it is time that our Bishop not entertain you people anymore. For what! The terrible accusations and remarks you make about him. He has to be a saint to put up with all this nonsence. Anyone who shows disrespect to our Bishop should be turned away and their imput should not be accepted. If I were the Bishop, I would not answer any of your messages, etc. This stuff on this web page is pure hatred and anger. Why can't you write about something nice for awhile. There are many people who support our Bishop, he need not answer to a few who are discruntal. So, sorry for you.