Comments for Fr Louis.

Wow!
How could a priest that was so warmly welcomed by his parishioners be so quickly turned away?


Our Parish’s Financial Status
As a long time parish member, I am troubled, angry, and extremely concerned about the way this parish is being managed (or mismanaged) by Father Brum. It appears there are only a very few parishioners that truly have access to what is really going on in the parish regarding finances, decision-making, program changes, and the dismantling of the various commissions. The message is very clear that if one disagrees with Father Brum about any issue, that individual is labeled a “troublemaker” and not a “good Catholic.”

To me, this smacks of clericalism (clericalism is defined as the “ policy of maintaining or increasing the power of a religious hierarchy”). This clericalism is further demonstrated by his reluctance to embrace differences and keep an open mind. It is clear Father Brum’s management style does not value the laity’s participation, and sadly, he does not have the skills to deal productively and respectfully with current conflicts, nor does he have the skills (or interest) in working to heal our parish.

The process Father Brum has undertaken in the past sixteen months is very reminiscent of how our Diocese operates. He has clearly chosen to take the road of ruling by intimidation. He also has developed an atmosphere of secrecy by not being open regarding our parish finances, as well as, many other issues. His typical response has been that of defensiveness and accusations. At a minimum, Father Brum has shown he has very poor management and poor interpersonal communication and listening skills. Father Brum does not value the parishioners (both lay and religious) who can think for themselves and question his decisions and actions.

David Saavedra



A word of advice for Father Louis:
Holy Spirit Parish can be a very unforgiving place for a priest that is unaccustomed to being challenged by his flock.

Parishioners at Holy Spirit are much too knowledgeable to be fooled by insincerity and deception. For the most part, parishioners at Holy Spirit are also quite active in pursuing church teachings and expect their pastor to be knowledgeable enough to challenge their spiritual appetite and curiosity. This is the reason Fr. Jerry was so well accepted here. He could address our spiritual concerns and he would even encouraged us to ask!

Unlike other Catholic parishes, Holy Spirit parishioners are not your average “see you on Sunday” Catholics. Since its inception, Holy Spirit parishioners have been encouraged to be involved in the operation and decision making process of their parish. There was never any secret meetings or discussions. Everything was always totally open.

Policy and operational procedures that are now in place at Holy Spirit are the result of logical and theologically correct methodologies that, in most cases, have been voted on by the entire community.

Many of these practices have been in place for many years and have now become traditions, i.e. “Fresh Baked Bread”, “Full-Immersion Baptism”, “Training of Children for First Holy Communion", “Peace & Justice Activities”, “Washing of the Feet”, policy on “Donated By” items, “Scripture Classes”, “Children’s Laity of the Word”, “Election of Parish Council and Finance Committee Members”, “Open Parish Council and Finance Committee Meetings”, “Downtown Stations of the Cross”, “Affirmation Night”, "Town Meetings with Full Parish Participation", "Small Church Communities", etc…. NO SECRETS… EVERYTHING OUT IN THE OPEN... NO PARISHIONER WAS EVER FORBIDDEN TO PARTICIPATE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T AGREE WITH THE PRIEST!

As you have discovered, your "Gestapo" methods to try to change these long-standing traditional procedures have met with extremely stern resistance and unless you can provide your parishioners with sound, logical reasoning for making any changes, I’m afraid you are not going find much support. “Because that’s the way I want it”, doesn’t carry much weight at Holy Spirit. A priest is here to serve the community… not to be served by the community!

Which brings me to the heart of my advice. You have now reached a fork in the road on your journey at Holy Spirit. You know that your Gestapo methods are not working and you now see your flock turning against you. It’s quite simple. Either start serving your community… or get the hell out!
-A Fed Up Parishioner.



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Secret Finance Committee Meeting

Fellow Holy Spirit Parishioners…

I am VERY CONCERNED about what is going on in our parish!

Last week, Mr. Conrado Alvarado (Finance Committee Chair) was asked if the Parish Finance Committee was ever going to meet again. Mr. Alvarado indicated that the Finance Committee was supposed to have met last Monday, but the meeting had been canceled because Fr. Louie had been sick.

No parishioners were informed or were even aware of the scheduled Finance Committee meeting, in spite of the fact that the Finance Committee meeting has been a topic of discussion for quite some time, as there has been concern from many parishioners on whether or not the “new” Parish Finance Committee was going to honor the obligations of the previous Finance Committee, relative to funding of the Staff Pension Fund. (More information on this in the last Parish Underground Newsletter of 4/03/05).

Several long time parishioners have expressed a desire to be present at the next Finance Committee meeting to remind all of the old, remaining Finance Committee members that they were ALL ORIGINAL PARTIES to this obligation which, along with Fr. Jerry, was made on behalf of the entire Parish.

On Monday evening past, members of the [new, old, remaining] Peace and Justice Commission were at the Parish offices to attend their monthly meeting when they discovered that all of the parish offices had been locked, with the exception of the late comers door, which at the time was being manned by Mr. Conrado Alvarado.

He was previously observed allowing Oscar Cardenas, Ken Healy, Abdula Kalifa, etc, into the Parish offices. It was determined by the observing Peace & Justice Committee members that this looked much like a gathering of what now remains of the [old] Parish Finance Committee.

When a member of the Peace & Justice Committee asked Mr. Alvarado if he could attend the meeting, Mr. Alvarado informed him that he COULD NOT, as it was a CLOSED MEETING. He later stated that he did not have the authority to say that it was a closed meeting and indicated that Fr. Louis would be arriving shortly.

When Fr. Louis arrived, he informed the Peace & Justice Committee member that this was a PRIVATE MEETING. He said that he had every right to have a private meeting with anyone that he chose and that it shouldn't be a concern to anyone and that he would be glad to have a private meeting with anyone else who wanted one, if they would simply call his office to make an appointment. He stated that his right to have a private meeting should be respected and also stated that any meeting that was listed in the Sunday Bulletin would be considered a “Public Meeting” and that everyone would be invited to attend those meetings.

What is going on in our Parish? Is our Pastor and Chair of the Finance Committee now shutting interested parishioners out of our parish meetings? In the past, we were all graciously welcomed and thanked for showing an interest in the affairs of the parish by attending Parish meetings. Has this changed? Are we now doing things in total secrecy and are those remaining Finance Committee members all too weak to stand up to their priest and explain that what he is doing is WRONG and is not at all the norm at Holy Spirit Parish? Does there remain a leader among any of them?

PLEASE HOLY SPIRIT PARISHIONERS … OPEN YOUR EYES TO WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR PARISH. Above all, express your total dissatisfaction to your Finance Committee Members and to your PASTOR. Let them know with no uncertainty that this type of management style WILL NOT BE TOLERATED at Holy Spirit Parish!
-A VERY Concerned Parishioner



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The Pope's Legacy

Sister Helen Prejean

The Real Woman Behind "DEAD MAN WALKING".

The Pope's legacy: The Death Penalty

Above All Else, Life
By HELEN PREJEAN

Boulder, Colo. — Of the many great legacies of Pope John Paul II, the one I prize the most is this: he was instrumental in helping the Catholic Church reach a position of principled opposition to the death penalty- an opposition that brooks no exceptions.

The effects of the pope's leadership will be felt for years to come, both in the highest echelons of the Catholic hierarchy and among the Catholic faithful in the pews. Whereas polls once showed that American Catholics supported the death penalty about as much as other Americans, they now show that support for the death penalty among Catholics has fallen below 50 percent. Just last month, Catholic bishops in the United States inaugurated a vigorous educational campaign to end the death penalty.

This is a moment I have been waiting for, hoping for and praying for more than two decades, ever since I walked out of the killing chamber in Louisiana after watching Patrick Sonnier electrocuted to death in 1984. And it is the pope who made it possible.

In the early 1980's, I began looking for a way to have a direct dialogue with the pope about the death penalty. During this time I had accompanied three people to execution and plunged headfirst into public debate. My efforts to persuade Catholic bishops in the United States to include the death penalty as an integral part of their pro-life campaign had been futile. While the bishops had issued numerous statements that cited the moral failure of the death penalty, they had failed to conduct energetic educational campaigns to change the hearts and minds of the people in the pews.

At last, in 1997, I finally got my chance to communicate directly with Pope John Paul II. It happened through the case of a Virginia death row inmate, Joseph O'Dell, whose spiritual adviser I had become and whose plea for justice had attracted the pope's attention. Lori Urs, who was working on the legal team trying to save Mr. O'Dell's life, visited Rome and handed my letter to the pope on Jan. 22, 1997. A friend of mine in the Vatican, present when my letter was delivered, assured me that John Paul read every word of my letter.

And an impassioned letter it was, pouring into the pope's lap 14 years of searing experiences of accompanying human beings into killing chambers and watching them be put to death before my eyes. "Surely, Holy Father," I wrote, "it is not the will of Christ for us to ever sanction governments to torture and kill in such fashion, even those guilty of terrible crimes. ... I found myself saying to them: 'Look at me. Look at my face. I will be the face of Christ for you.' In such an instance the gospel of Jesus is very distilled: life, not death; mercy and compassion, not vengeance."

I spoke candidly about my disagreement with one part of the pope's 1995 encyclical, "Evangelium Vitae" ("Gospel of Life"), which, while urging imprisonment instead of execution, allowed the use of the death penalty in cases of "absolute necessity." Whenever governments kill criminals, I pointed out in my letter, they always claim to act out of "necessity." I urged him to close the loophole and make Catholic opposition to government executions unequivocal.

This was no small thing. The teaching of the Catholic Church upholding the right of the state to execute criminals "in cases of extreme gravity" had been in place for 1,600 years.

But that's precisely what the pope did: he removed from the Catholic catechism the criterion "in cases of extreme gravity." The omission changes everything, because Catholic teaching now says that no matter how grave the crime, the death penalty is not to be imposed. This cuts the moral ground out from under American politicians who advocate the death penalty for the "worst of the worst criminals."

The quantum change in the catechism took place in September 1997, and in 1999 when the pop visited St. Louis, he uttered words of opposition to the death penalty that could not have been more uncompromising: "A sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil."

For this statement, and for his leadership, I am forever grateful. Thank you, Pope John Paul. Because of you, the Catholic Church can at last stand alongside those human rights groups that oppose, unequivocally, government killing.

[Helen Prejean, a Catholic nun, is the author of "Dead Man Walking" and, most recently, "The Death of Innocents." She spoke at Affirmation Night (the one banned by Fr. Brum) at Holy Spirit Parish in 2002.]

Submitted by a parishioner-


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Newsletter of 4/03/05

Always In Our Hearts!

Somos el Cuerpo de Cristo
Thoughts from Some Fellow Parishioners of Holy Spirit—April 3, 2005


Peace and Justice, Redux
A five minute Google Search discovered that the following dioceses in the United States are among those that have an Office of Peace and Justice:

Chicago, Portland (OR), Los Angeles, Seattle, Phoenix, El Paso, Raleigh (NC), Fort Worth, Lexington (KY), Joliet (IL), Salt Lake City, Worcester (MA), Kansas City (KS), Venice (FL), Richmond (VA), La Crosse (WI), Gary (IN), Madison (WI), Peoria (IL), Lansing (MI), Charlotte (NC), Providence (RI), Arlington (VA), Oakland (CA), Pueblo (CO), Rockford (IL), Reno (NV), Albany (NY), Gallup (NM), Covington (KY), Louisville (KY), St. Augustine (FL), Kansas City (MO).

Additionally, the following dioceses have offices with slightly different names, but the same function:

Cincinnati (Social Action), Santa Fe (Social Justice), Newark (NJ) (Social Justice), San Antonio (Social Concerns), Owensboro (KY) (Social Concerns), San Jose (CA) (Social Justice and Human Concerns), St. Paul-Minneapolis (Social Justice), San Bernadino (CA) (Social Concerns).

What prompted this Internet hunt was the continued efforts by the Pastor to dismantle not only the work of the parish’s Peace and Justice Commission, but also even its name. He is somehow convinced that such work, even such a title, is inappropriate for a Catholic parish. The Peace and Justice Commission, its name and its work, has been characterized as the “lunatic fringe,” the last bastion of aging radicals, so far out of the Church mainstream that they are an embarrassment to “real” Catholics.

This, like so much else being foisted on the parish, is complete nonsense as the above data from forty-one dioceses around the country show. Are we to believe that our Pastor is wiser about the implementation of the Church’s teachings than the leaders of these forty-one dioceses? Is our faithful gospel witness in the Parish to be simply “Pray, Pay, and Obey?”

Christian love of neighbor and action for a better society cannot be separated. The Scriptures and the authentic tradition of the Catholic Church call the Christian community to labor individually and collectively to meet the needs of others. Action on behalf of social justice is a constitutive element of the gospel. Those who wish to live fully the pious life cannot be content with occasional acts of generosity. Attention must be given to unjust and oppressive structures in society. Christians must struggle against not only poverty, racism, sexism, and any form of exploitation of one person by another, they must also struggle against the structural causes of such injustices (Peoria Diocese, Statutes on Justice and Peace).
Peace and Justice seems to play pretty well in Peoria.

The Easter Vigil
Much has been made of the Knights of Columbus and the “incident with the rosaries” at the Easter Vigil (see the Blog). Are the powerful rituals of light and dark, fire and water, bread and wine, so fundamentally unsatisfying to some that the liturgy has to be “tricked up” with pious, but irrelevant to the occasion, ceremonies to make the sacramental celebration “feel right” and be complete?

As noted in a previous newsletter, “where the official liturgy does not spiritually nourish people in sufficient measure, Christians tend to focus on popular devotions.” [October 31] What else can we expect when our parish liturgy is slowly being transformed into an ornate show that we watch, rather than a communal celebration that all of us make together?

As For Me, I’ve Made a Choice
Easter Sunday—a high point in the liturgical celebrations of our church—and I kept waiting for the joyous spirit of the resurrection. The setting was beautiful and the chimes at the “Gloria” were moving, but I just couldn’t get past that display of golden cups. Watching the ceremony surrounding the cups underscored how we are being encouraged to become spectators instead of participants doing “this in memory of me” and celebrating together as our Lord wished.

But Easter did find me through the words of Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. Twenty-five years ago she founded the Green Belt Movement, and began to plant trees, new life and hope. She lives the amen, the “I believe.” Her movement’s slogan is: “As for me, I’ve made a choice.” Prophetic words. As for me, I have made a choice and been chosen. The resurrection is mine, and the choice is mine to live it and not allow myself to become a spectator. From a Parishioner

That Annoying Justice Thing Again
When, in 2001, the Diocese of Brownsville implemented a change in its retirement plan from “defined benefit” to “defined contribution,” it created a situation in which some older employees were affected negatively (i.e., they lost a lot of money). More than any other event, the retirement change prompted the unionization of four parishes (funny what being treated unjustly leads some people to do).

As part of the union contract with Holy Spirit, the parish is obligated to pay a total of $1,800 per month to the UFW pension fund, in which the workers will be vested after five years and will be guaranteed a defined benefit upon retirement. When the diocese changed the retirement plan and after it disbursed payouts to each employee, it distributed, from the surplus that remained in the over funded pension fund, monies to each parish to do with what they wished.

At Holy Spirit, a decision was made by the Finance Committee and Father Jerry to put the distributed funds in a dedicated account and use it to meet the union contract obligation. Guess what? No additional money has ever been set aside from general revenue for this account and the money will be gone in May. The Parish is under legal obligation to make the $1,800 payment each month—will it (we) be doing that?

A Brief Note
Last fall, a check in the amount of $6,254.04 was donated to the Parish through the Texas Civil Rights Project. This money is the total that had been collected in 2003 for the designated fund to help support the fired workers. The four workers are very grateful for the outpouring of love and support that they received, and, therefore, they released this money to help the Parish.
The Pastor has refused to have this fact published in the Sunday bulletin.

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: gbrazier@rgv.rr.com

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Pope John Paul II

A Final Goodby...
1920 - 2005

VATICAN CITY (April 2) - Pope John Paul II, the Polish pontiff who led the Roman Catholic Church for more than a quarter century and became history's most-traveled pope, died Saturday in his Vatican apartment. He was 84.

"The Holy Father died this evening at 9:37 p.m. in his private apartment. All the procedures outlined in the apostolic Constitution 'Universi Dominici Gregis' that was written by John Paul II on Feb. 22, 1996, have been put in motion," the Holy See said in a statement.

The announcement came from papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls and was distributed to journalists via e-mail. John Paul expired as cardinals were leading some 70,000 people in prayers for him in his "last journey."