Newsletter of 12/26/04

Thoughts from Fellow Parishioners of Holy Spirit/

Peace and Justice, Decommissioned:
Within a week of being honored with a national award by her religious community, the Sisters of Mercy, for her work for peace and justice, Sister Moira Kenney was informed by our pastor that "her services as Coordinator of the Peace and Justice Commission were no longer required."

In addition, "after much prayerful thought and consideration," he made other changes to the Commission, with no consultation with any of the members. In fact, our Pastor has never attended a meeting of the Commission, even though repeatedly invited.

These changes, as originally announced, eliminated (among others) the following activities:

Affirmation Night, that honored those in the community working for peace and justice and has brought major speakers to the parish, including Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking and noted critic of the death penalty.

Downtown Good Friday Stations of the Cross. A part of our parish for years.

Labor Issues. Where attention has been drawn to Catholic social teaching, including advocacy for justice in the workplace (maquiladoras and for the farm workers in the field).

Peace and Non-violence Issues. Where information is provided about the Church's teachings on discrimination, hate crimes, capital punishment, war, etc. This has included protesting the Afghan and Iraqi wars (wars condemned by the Church), and protesting the atrocities committed against religious workers and the oppressed of Latin America by graduates of the School of the Americas.

Housing Issues. Parish participation in the Homeless Coalition, the Community Hope Project's Housing Division, and efforts to establish a Catholic Worker House.

Hunger Issues. Parish participation in the Crop Walk to alleviate hunger, our membership in Bread for the World, and plans to establish, in conjunction with other parishes, a soup kitchen.

In his discussion about these changes with Sister Moira, our Pastor indicated that he was unhappy with the people currently involved with Peace and Justice Commission, calling them "divisive."

The inference could be drawn that removing Sister Moira and curtailing the activities of the Commission were not necessarily motivated by principled differences about the implications of Catholic social teaching, but instead, were motivated by personality conflicts that our Pastor has with people active in the Commission who are among those who have been critical of his work in the parish.

On other occasions, our Pastor has characterized some of those who are critical as "evil." A divisive person is one who brings divisions, not one who points them out; an evil person is one who causes distress and harm, not one who seeks to heal and restore.

Charity and Justice:
There is a distinction between the call we have as Christians to be charitable (feed the hungry, clothe the naked, etc.) and the call we have as Christians to hunger and thirst for justice.
Anyone who has spent time working face to face with those in need eventually comes to the realization that those important efforts, though never to be abandoned, are not sufficient.

In many situations, the suffering of people is the direct result of malformed or malfunctioning social systems that violate the principles of justice laid down in the Gospel. In those cases, the Church teaches that we must work to reform the systems—we cannot stand silent and deal only with the results of the injustice.

Such a mandate requires public action; it may even require action in the political arena. Concern for life issues eventually leads to working for abolishing the death penalty and trying to end American involvement in war. Concern for health, housing, and immigration issues eventually leads to political action to reform our government policies that lead to the unjust treatment of people.

These (and others) are Catholic issues, they are not separated from our faith in some other domain. The Vatican and the Bishops of the United States have been very clear on this point, many times risking controversy to call us to action (see Faithful Citizenship at: http://www.blogger.com/app/www.usccb.org).

It appears, however, that our parish will no longer be allowed to be a voice for issues like these and we of Holy Spirit will no longer be allowed to carry out the Gospel mandate for peace and justice as part of our parish life. Someone may be made uncomfortable by the Gospel message—therefore we must be silent?

Dissent.
What has for long years been considered “dissent” in the churches by those who want more answers than questions, more clerical authority than spiritual investment, may not be real dissent at all.

People are not challenging Christianity and leaving the Church. They are not arguing against the need for a spiritual life. They are not denying God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They are not ridiculing religion and going away. On the contrary. People currently considered “excommunicated” or “suspect” or “heretical” or “smorgasbord” believers, are in many ways, among the most intense Christians of our time.

They do more than sing in the choir or raise money for the parish center or fix flowers for the church. They care about it and call it to be its truest self. They question it, not to undermine it, but to strengthen it. They call for new ways of being church together. They do not dismiss the need for the spiritual life. They crave it. What’s more, they look for it in their churches. But, they crave more than ritual. They crave meaning. They look for more than salvation. They look for authenticity and the integrity of the faith. Sister Joan Chittister, OSB, In Search of Belief, page 9

The Sanctity of Life:
A rose has been placed on our altar to remind us of our church’s teaching on the sanctity of life—that life is a gift and should be respected from “womb to tomb”. Certainly at this time of year, we remember especially the miracle of the womb as we hear stories of the infant Jesus. But just as the coming of the Christ child into our hearts should make a tremendous difference in how we live, the teaching of the sanctity of life dictates a fundamental change in our actions as well.

If we truly accept that all life is sacred, we must not only protect the unborn and the elderly. We must treat every person we encounter with the dignity due one of God’s own. We must even treat with dignity and respect those who disagree with us or those who don’t do things our way.

God’s creation is diverse, unique and infinite - and there is room for all at God’s table. If we cannot gather to celebrate in all our God-given diversity, then the rose on our altar is just a rose. In this season, we muct remember that Christ came for all, to love all. We are called to do the same. From a Parishioner.

Prepared by RGV Parishioners for Progress and edited by Jerry Brazier. If you want an opportunity for prayerful discussion of these or other issues concerning our parish, please contact us at mailto:gbrazier@rgv.rr.com. If you would like to have your comments or correspondence posted on Reflections of the Spirit, please e-mail your post to Kanickers@aol.com, with an inclusion of "Holy Spirit" in your title line.

Newsletter of 12/12/04

Thoughts from Fellow Parishioners of Holy Spirit.

Some Thoughts for Advent.
We all know that our culture has commercialized Christmas, but has the commercial spirit also crept into our faith life? Is our advent wreath just another decoration? Are we more concerned with making sure all the gestures, candles and vessels look correct, than what they mean?

Two thousand years ago, the Christ child came—but not to a perfectly appointed temple. He came to a humble manger. He came to a man and woman who had nothing but hearts full of love and trust in the will of God.

After our advent season of preparation, the Christ child will come again. This Christmas the Christ child will come once again to the manger of humble hearts—hearts with love and trust in God: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. From a parishioner.

If You Want Peach, Work for Just Ice.
The foolishness of relying on the spell checker to do proofreading was brought home a few weeks ago, as the phrase heading up this section managed to slip into a draft of some comments on "peace and justice". The word processing software didn't know what was supposed to be there, and so allowed the properly spelled, but meaningless, phrase to past muster.

But even if the words are spelled right, the phrase from Pope Paul VI, "If you want peace, work for justice," still passes through the minds of many, even Catholics, as a misunderstood or consciously rejected proposition, and ends up garbled in our conversations within the Church and when we present ourselves to the world at large.

The sermon offered to the parish on the weekend of December 5th, presented a view of peace, justice, and the relation between the two, that is not only at odds with Paul VI's, but appears to be at odds with that familiar ''job description of a Christian," the Sermon on the Mount.

Peace is not the same as tranquility and tranquility is not the goal we seek—we seek the peace that is the fruit of a just society. The Apostle Paul, Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Siena, the Prophets of Israel, even Jesus Himself were harsh, public critics of the established religious institutions—they did not stand by in quiescent tranquility, valuing unity with authority above all else, but spoke out against what they thought was wrong. Their comments were not complaining or whining.

Sometimes philosophical and theological differences have little significance on our day to day lives as Christians, but other times, such differences matter. When the very nature of the parish community, its ministries, and its liturgy are impacted, then the differences matter.

An Advent Parable
This Advent, just learn to wait. It's one of life's greatest lessons.

The ancients tell the story of a greathearted soul who ran through the streets of the city crying, "Power, greed and corruption. Power, greed and corruption." For a time at least, the attention of the people seemed to be riveted on this single-minded openhearted person for whom all of life had become focused in one great question.

But then everyone went back to work, only slightly hearing, some downright annoyed. Still, however, the cries continued. Finally, one day, a child stepped in front of the wailing figure on a cold and stormy night. "Elder," the child said, "don't you realize that no one is listening to you?"
"Of course I do, my child," the elder answered. "Then why do you shout?" the child insisted, incredulous. "If nothing is changing, your efforts are useless." "Oh no, dear child, these efforts are never useless," the elder said. "You see, I do not shout simply to change them. I shout so they cannot change me."

That is the fruit of Advent. That is the secret of waiting. It is ourselves we must teach to listen. It is we who must wait again for new life, like all of those before us who waited for the "fullness of time." Sister Joan Chittister , OSB, contemporary spiritual writer.

Congratulations to Sister Moira.
A distinguished national award was presented at Mass on December 12th to Moira Kenny, RSM, who was honored by her community, the Sisters of Mercy, for her work in peace and justice. Sister Moira, among many other things, is the Chair of the Holy Spirit Peace and Justice Commission. Scores of people joined in a social after the ceremony—the Pastor couldn't make it.

An Update.
From a fax sent by the Diocese as a weekly update:

Canonical Judges to Assess Contract Validity.
Three ecclesiastical judges with doctorates in Canon Law were scheduled to be in the Diocese of Brownsville next week to assess an internal matter of the Church, the canonical validity of a contract entered into on May 23, 2002 between Holy Spirit Parish in McAllen and the United Farm Workers Union. However, one of the judges has taken ill and the process will be rescheduled.

The judges will be here as part of a Diocesan Collegiate Court [Tribunal] to review the case. All have written and lectured extensively on matters of Canon Law issues.

What is not part of this weekly update is that the Bishop has failed to inform the litigants in the Holy Spirit workers case of the existence of this Tribunal, much less its scheduling, as required by the mediation settlement. This weekly update appeared only a few hours after questions about such a Tribunal were raised with the Pastor.

In answering these questions, our Pastor indicated that it was at his instigation that the validity of the contract is being reviewed. Additionally, he stated that he dislikes the UFW and agrees with our Vicar General that parish employees don't need unions. His solution: have priests take courses in administration.

So, even though the long established teaching of the Church supports the right of workers to organize, such a teaching does not apply to the Church itself! It is clear that the diocese doesn't want unions or see a need for them, but shouldn't the parish employees be able to decide for themselves whether they do or not? This is the teaching of the Church and is the heart of American labor law.

Some Suggestions.
Everybody have a wonderful Christmas—deeply spiritual and loads of fun. Remember, in your prayers and in your generosity, the poor and needy or our community.

Prepared by RGV Parishioners for Progress and edited by Jerry Brazier. If you want an opportunity for prayerful discussion of these or other issues concerning our parish, please contact us at mailto:gbrazier@rgv.rr.com. If you would like to have your comments or correspondence posted on Reflections of the Spirit, please e-mail your post to Kanickers@aol.com, with an inclusion of "Holy Spirit" in your title line.

Newsletter of 11/28/04

Thoughts from Fellow Parishioners of Holy Spirit.

They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift sword against nation nor ever again be trained for war. (Isaiah 2:4). From the scripture reading for the First Sunday in Advent.

Architectural Digest
There is a persistent rumor that our Eucharistic table will be replaced by a solid stone altar. This would be one more step back into the dark times when "the meal which unites us with Christ's sacrifice" took second place to "the reenactment of a ritual sacrifice" as our primary view of the Eucharistic celebration.

More on Liturgy.
Then he took a cup and... gave it to them, saying: Drink from it, all of you… (Mt 26:26, 27).
At Holy Spirit, one cup is not being given to us but instead is being set aside exclusively for the priest and deacon. This is bad liturgical practice motivated by either bad theology or plain arrogance.

What's with the rose on the Eucharistic table?
That fascinating bedtime read, the GIRM (p. 77) says, Floral decorations should always be done with moderation and placed around the altar rather than on its mensa [table].

Here is some perspective about the significance of our Eucharistic meal: It's from our reciprocal love and, in particular, from the concern we have for those in need that we will be recognized as true disciples of Christ (Jn 13:35; Mt 25:31-46). This is the criterion on the basis of which the authenticity of our Eucharistic celebrations will be confirmed. Pope John Paul II, in his proclamation of the Year of the Eucharist [not the Year of Adoration].

The UFW, the Church, and the Parish.
Youngsters in our parish who are preparing for Confirmation are asked to participate in community projects during their two year formation period. They are not compelled to be part of any particular project, but the projects they do participate in must be from a list suggested to them by those in charge of the program. This year the UFW Walkathon (held on November 21st) was one of the projects proposed.

Our pastor refused to allow project credit to youngsters participating in the Walkathon saying, "it would be inappropriate until the parish issues with the union are settled."

Since the legal issues are settled, it is difficult to understand what such a comment means. Unless, of course, it is an expression of an antagonism towards the rights workers have to organize, whether they be in the fields or in church offices. What do those new banners say, No se puede?

Councils, Committees, and Commissions.
Harry Mosher and his family have been at Holy Spirit for twenty three years and are founding members of the parish.

Harry resigned from the Parish Finance Committee this past week, citing that the real deliberations of the committee have been taking place in "rump sessions", at which only some of the members are welcome. Harry stepped aside.

The Parish Council has not met for several months. The Liturgy Commission has not been consulted about the many liturgical issues in the parish. The Peace and Justice Commission has met with unrelenting antagonism in its efforts to bring fundamental Gospel issues before the parish community.

This is our parish, and the structures in place to enable it to function as our parish are being either dismantled or ignored. Whipped into Shape?
Stand up, stand up, stand up for what's right. Bob Marley.

At Mass on the weekend of November 21st, the pastor stopped the Eucharistic Prayer just before the consecration and told a young boy (about eleven or twelve), who had been standing, to either kneel or sit.

At that Mass and at several others on the weekend there were a scattering of adults who stood throughout the Eucharistic Prayer and were not so chastised. If parishioners are to be publicly chastised, then why single out and bully young children? So much for our pastor's assurance given to the Parish Council that "no one would be forced to kneel".

A second-hand report has our pastor saying to someone outside the parish that he has "whipped Holy Spirit into shape." Such a sentiment is repellent and if the quote is essentially accurate in its content, it exposes for all to see the underlying motivation of so many actions. It is not concern for good liturgy. It is not concern for spiritual vitality. It is about exercising power and imposing one person's will on others—a perversion of the gospel understanding of authority.

As Father John McKenzie has said, "The use of power in the vulgar sense of the imposition of one's will on another is in direct opposition to the sayings of Jesus in which this form of self-assertion is forbidden formally and explicitly. Power is not a substitute for apostolic leadership". We thank you [Lord] for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you." The Eucharistic Prayer.

Some Suggestions.
Pray for Your Fellow Parishioners. We ask everyone to pray for all of those that work for the parish, particularly our staff.

Faith in Action. This Advent, we ask everyone to participate in the Giving Tree activity and to bring rice and beans to help alleviate hunger in our region.

Clarifications.
Our pastor has not been seen posting copies of Somos el Cuerpo de Cristo around the church. He has had the bulletin board removed from the gathering space, however.

The small crosses placed amongst the flowers outside of church on November 21st, commemorating the deaths of the six Jesuits murdered by U.S. trained soldiers in El Salvador were not there at the pastor's request. When he removed them, the pastor was overhead saying, "why do these people [the Jesuits] concern us, they were not from around here."

There is no truth to the rumor that the pastor has designated the song, Do Not Fear To Hope, as the official Holy Spirit anthem.

We, as a people and as a nation, must begin to change the way we confront the shattered moral order. We must bring into our public policy this conviction that we will only make true peace on the pillars of justice and love. Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit, from his sermon of November 14, 2004

Prepared by RGV Parishioners for Progress and edited by Jerry Brazier. If you want an opportunity for prayerful discussion of these or other issues concerning our parish, please contact us at mailto:gbrazier@rgv.rr.com. If you would like to have your comments or correspondence posted on Reflections of the Spirit, please e-mail your post to Kanickers@aol.com, with an inclusion of "Holy Spirit" in your title line.

Newsletter of 10/17/04

Thoughts from Fellow Parishioners of Holy Spirit.

Democracy and the Church.
"Involving laywomen and men in leadership levels in the church does not mean the church is becoming a democracy. But, when I hear that charge, I could counter that in some sense there has never been a more profound democracy in the history of Western civilization than the church. I'm not talking about a political democracy, I'm talking about communal discernment of the presence of the Holy Spirit."
Fr. Donald Cozzens, author and a priest of the Cleveland diocese.

Parish Council.
Canon Law (the Church's law) does not require that a parish have a pastoral council,... but if the bishop decides that it should, then; "…In this council, which is presided over by the parish priest, Christ's faithful, together with those who by virtue of their office are engaged in pastoral care in the parish, give their help in fostering pastoral action." (Canon Code 536.1). Visit the website at: http://users.adelphia.net/~markfischer/index.html , for details on the formation and function of parish councils.

The Parish Council at Holy Spirit, though containing at-large members, has also been structured around the ministries of the parish and its Commissions (Worship, Peace and Justice, Social Activities), reflecting Canon Law's desire for "those engaged in pastoral care" to serve.

Our pastor has indicated that he will disband the current council and will create a different structure for a new one. This structure has not been disclosed, yet our pastor has been quoted as saying; we need to have "doctors and lawyers" on a parish council.
We would presume other people from the parish community would not be excluded, but it seems as if being "engaged in pastoral care" is not a primary criterion for membership on the new council. This is further reinforced by our pastor's desire to exclude the pastoral staff from being on the council (or even attending its meetings, as the pastor has implied in statements to the current council).

"Communal discernment of the presence of the Holy Spirit," as Father Cozzens says, should be the mode of operation of a parish council, resulting in a "profound democracy" that is fitting for the Body of Christ.

In the Body of Christ, so beautifully described by Paul in First Corinthians, Chapter 12, there are many parts with many different functions, but no single one being more important than another; and though there are many gifts, there is but one Spirit.

A well-structured parish council that enables the parish community to discern the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for this or any other parish. Our current pastor has demonstrated that he is not comfortable in working collegially, either with the staff or with the Parish Council and the Commissions. This pattern of behavior does not bode well for the future success of any parish council, and in fact, does not bode well for the future success of the parish ministries or the parish itself.

Holy Spirit Parish does not belong to the pastor, to do with as he sees fit, anymore than the parish belongs to any other individual. The parishioners (including the pastor) are the "local version" of the Body of Christ, each person with a role (or roles) to play.

Authority is a role that serves the good of the whole Body, just like others within the Body, and a pastor serves the parish by exercising the authority defined by his position. This is different from exercising power, which as Father McKenzie observes (see below) "is foreign to every line of the New Testament in which authority is mentioned."

Authority in the Church.
"… the transformation of the Church into a power structure is not a confirmation of authority, but a perversion of authority. The power of the Church … is the power of love. Authoritarian power is foreign to every line of the New Testament in which authority is mentioned.

The Church has experienced corruption in many forms; it has known simony, nepotism, concubinage, and other vices. But these forms of corruption are possibly more tolerable and less harmful to the mission of the Church than that corruption by which the Church is made a means for men to wield power over other men.

The use of power in the vulgar sense of the imposition of one's will on another is in direct opposition to the sayings of Jesus in which this form of self-assertion is forbidden formally and explicitly. Power is not a substitute for apostolic leadership. Power is not even an inferior way of achieving that end. But men adopt the way of power because they feel that true leadership is beyond their capacity.

Apart from the possibility of graceful resignation when this incapacity is recognized—a course of action not often enough considered—there is the other possibility of growth to the stature of true leadership. This growth is the work of the Spirit, not of human talent and industry."
Fr. John McKenzie, S.J., the foremost Catholic scripture scholar of his time, in his book Authority in the Church.

Some Suggestions:
Pray for Healing in the Parish. We ask that everyone take a few moments each morning (ideally at 9:30, the time of the "hostile takeover") during the next two weeks to say a short prayer for the healing of our parish community.

Faith in Action. As a sign of our support for peace in the world and the swift and safe return our troops from Iraq, we ask each person, over the next two weeks, to bring a single flower and place it in the St. Francis of Assisi alcove in the back of church. This alcove is already dedicated to those from our parish serving in Iraq and other places of combat around the world.

Speaking Out.
"A Christian should speak up…. It has to be done. The moral insensitivity of those in authority, on certain points so utterly crucial for man and for the Church, has to be pointed out and if possible dispelled. It does not imply that we ourselves are perfect or infallible. But what is a Church after all but a community in which truth is shared, not a monopoly that dispenses it from the top down. Light travels on a two-way street in our Church; or I hope it does."
Thomas Merton, Trappist monk and spiritual writer.

Prepared by RGV Parishioners for Progress and edited by Jerry Brazier. If you want an opportunity for prayerful discussion of these or other issues concerning our parish, please contact us at mailto:gbrazier@rgv.rr.com. If you would like to have your comments or correspondence posted on Reflections of the Spirit, please e-mail your post to Kanickers@aol.com, with an inclusion of "Holy Spirit" in your title line.

Papal Nuncio Letter 07/24/03

Letter to the Papal Nuncio

July 24, 2003

Most Reverend Gabriel Montalvo
Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See
3339 Massachusetts Ave.
N.W.Washington, D.C. 20008-3687

The faithful parishioners at Holy Spirit Catholic Parish in McAllen, Texas have suffered a severe emotional loss as a result of actions taken recently by the Bishop of Brownsville, Raymundo Pena, and his surrogate, Reverend Ruben Delgado, against our four sisters in Christ.

The four women: Ann Williams Cass, Edna Cantu, Rosario "Chayo" Vaello, and Martha Sanchez, were fired by our new "Pastor", Reverend Delgado, who did not do the wrongful deed himself; rather, he used the diocesan workers supplied willingly by Bishop Raymundo Pena.

The Bishop Pena/Reverend Delgado conspiracy against our sisters has caused deep pain felt by all members of our parish family. We ask and pray that you will help Bishop Pena publicly admit his error and make good by reinstating the four women with full pay and benefits, and in addition, recognize the full legitimacy of all working parishioners in the Brownsville Diocese with any labor agreements under contract. To do anything less than returning these workers to their positions is a violation of what is ethical, legal and moral. We, the faithful parishioners at Holy Spirit, will accept nothing less. Their full reinstatement is, after all, the Christian thing to do.

We will provide you with the evidence of the Bishop’s malfeasance in the following manuscript:

First, we will begin with the background of the conspiracy by providing a brief history of the events leading to the firing of the four women.

Second, we will show to you the suffering and pain endured initially by the parish workers and parishioners and later exacerbated by the calculated and callous actions perpetrated by Bishop Pena.

Third, we have provided you in the accompanying attachments with letters, newspaper articles, and petitions to Bishop Pena to support our claims.

Finally, we will provide you with our map for healing the wounds that we as workers and parishioners have wrongfully endured.

Background of the Conspiracy.
On Wednesday, June 18, 2003 our parish, Holy Spirit Catholic Church in McAllen, Texas, was to receive a new pastor, Reverend Ruben Delgado. However, on that day several administrators from the Diocese of Brownsville arrived at the parish office in place of Reverend Delgado for the purpose of handing out termination letters to the entire parish staff.

Four Holy Spirit Parishioners (and United Farm Worker employees) were present: Ann Williams Cass, Edna Cantu, Rosario "Chayo" Vaello, and Martha Sanchez. All four received their termination letters that morning, while the other letters were not distributed.

Reverend Delgado did not meet with these women personally to tell them the bad news, nor did he offer them any counsel. Furthermore, the diocesan employees, at the behest of the bishop, brought armed-security guards and locksmiths with them, who immediately began changing the locks on the parish doors.

The four workers were informed by diocesan employees that they were to vacate their offices by the end of the day and they were denied the opportunity to meet and discuss the situation with Reverend Delgado. In fact, Reverend Delgado did not even come to the parish office during this time to offer any condolences to the women.

The actions of Reverend Delgado and the Diocesan administrators have deeply disturbed not only the parish staff, but also the majority of the parish faithful. The firings perpetrated by Reverend Delgado and the Diocesan employees have disrupted a parish that was once very actively involved not only with a growing Church community, but also in matters of helping the disadvantaged in our own Rio Grande Valley community.

The Bishop’s Role in the Conspiracy to Fire the Women.
Bishop Pena has feigned ignorance concerning any direct role in the firing of the parish workers. Rather, he has seemingly left Reverend Delgado completely culpable. However, the bishop is implicated because of the overwhelming evidence that points to the fact that his involvement was central to the conspiracy.

First, the diocesan workers, armed guards, and locksmiths, all paid for by the bishop, obviously had foreknowledge of the events that were to transpire on June 18, 2003. Ironically, the actions were "orchestrated" by the bishop’s office[1] on the fateful day to maximize the pain inflicted upon the workers and parishioners of Holy Spirit. The workers were treated in an un-Christian manner by the brutality of the cruel methods used by the diocesan employees in the firings. The women had no chance to plead their case to the new pastor. The treatment they were afforded has caused severe mental anguish for the family of Holy Spirit Parish. We may only surmise that the actions were designed to hurt the people.

Second, Bishop Pena assured the "marvelous people of Holy Spirit Parish" that a "good pastor" would be provided to replace Father Jerry Frank (Bishop Pena’s letter dated February 10, 2003). This supposed "good pastor" left a disaster in the wake of his short stay. One of the "directives" perpetrated on the parish was the firing of the women. Subsequent to the firings and the departure of Reverend Delgado, the Bishop has claimed that Church Law will not allow him to undo the wrong left as a result of the firings.

At his web site, Holy Spirit Parishioner Dr. Gerald Brazier notes from Canon Law (Canon 1286) regarding Administrators of temporal goods, that church administrators: …[In] making contracts of employment, are accurately to observe also, according to the principles taught by the Church, the civil laws relating to labour and social life… (www.utpa.edu/faculty/gbrazier/holy_spirit.htm accessed July 22, 2003).

Furthermore, Holy Spirit Parishioner Mr. Rolando Gonzales notes in a letter to the editor in El Americano News (Segunda Edicion de Junio del 2003) that according to Canon Law, both "bishops and priests have ‘ordinary and extraordinary’ jurisdiction over their flock."

The bishop is obviously attempting to hide behind his narrow interpretation of Church law in order to not do what is right and just by reinstating the fired parish workers. Thus, one may only conclude that his decision to not take corrective action must reflect accurately his true intentions: to harm the workers and parishioners of Holy Spirit Parish.

In addition to the pain being suffered at Holy Spirit, the bishop has taken similar action against other parishes in the Rio Grande Valley. A pattern has developed that while the bishop says he is an advocate for social justice, his deeds belie his words.

The bishop claims to have "restructured" retirement benefits to help diocesan workers, but many, especially older retirees, have lost thousands in retirement income. This action, among others, has caused parish workers in the Brownsville Diocese to unionize.

The bishop makes public statements that he is supportive of unions and a friend of the late Cesar Chavez, yet he has behaved in a vindictive fashion by appointing priests to do his bidding by firing "at will", church employees in other parishes such as Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

In addition to Holy Spirit, Sacred Heart in Hidalgo, Saint Joseph the Worker in San Carlos, and Saint Joseph the Worker in McAllen have joined the United Farm Workers. In a letter to The Monitor (dated June 22, 2003), Holy Spirit Parishioner Dr. Terence Garrett has cited the bishop at his web site:

Catholic respect for human life and human dignity require also the safeguarding of the family, the protection of religious freedom, and a commitment to fostering peace and economic justice. Our faith does not permit a partial service which focuses narrowly on some of these goods at the expense of others (www.cdob.org/pressrelease/011603-political-life.htm accessed June 21, 2003).

Furthermore, the bishop has tried to make a virtue out of the fact that the average diocesan worker makes seven dollars an hour. This "virtuous action" makes the bishop look foolish and an object of ridicule. The Rio Grande Valley is one of the poorest regions in the country and the Church must do more to rectify this unjust situation. In addition to the lack of respect for unions in the diocese[2] the measly average diocesan wage hardly rises to real social justice.

The Bishop Refuses to Face the Parishioners at Holy Spirit.
Bishop Pena has consistently dodged meeting with parishioners at Holy Spirit Parish since the firings. The last time the bishop met with parishioners was February 15-16, 2003, where he openly declared at mass his admiration of the church for its Vatican II organization, programs, and emphasis on social justice for the Rio Grande Valley. However, at the time of the crisis in June 2003, the bishop has been suspiciously absent, though in a letter to Holy Spirit Parishioners dated June 21, 2003, the bishop "had planned to be with you at all the Masses to install and help you welcome your new pastor."

The obvious question is: Why didn’t Bishop Pena use the opportunity (already scheduled) to meet with parishioners and explain the situation? Instead, the bishop behaves as if he is in hiding, unwilling to face the parish. Despite all his admonitions for "healing," Bishop Pena has not made any real efforts to reach out, face-to-face, to his flock. This conscious attempt by the bishop to avoid direct communication with Holy Spirit parishioners has not served the diocese or the parish well.

The Road to Resolution of the Conflict between the Bishop and Holy Spirit Parishioners:
We, the parishioners of Holy Spirit, prayerfully offer our advice to obtain a peaceful and just resolution to the present conflict.

First, our sisters in Christ must be reinstated in their rightful positions in the church. These women have suffered needlessly and need help from everyone in the diocese in order to deal with the damage they have incurred.

Second, the bishop should meet with the faithful of the parish and thoughtfully explain his actions and apologize for the angst suffered by all in these awful circumstances. Healing will occur only with understanding.

And finally, the bishop needs to appoint a "good pastor" in order to properly lead the parish. The Holy Spirit Parish community needs to return to doing its good work regarding the Rio Grande Valley.

Please help us, your grace.

Respectfully yours,

Terence M. Garrett, Ph.D.
Cecilia M. Garrett
Gerald D. Brazier, Ph.D.

Committee for National Letter Writing,
Leaders for the Healing of Holy Spirit Parish

cc: Giovanni Battista Cardinal Re
Bishop Wilton Gregory
Bishop Raymundo Pena

[1] The irony is present here as Bishop Pena claimed subsequently that the parish workers had “orchestrated” actions against himself and Reverend Delgado.

[2] It is ironic and sad that the Vatican has extended unionization rights to their workers while the Diocese of Brownsville has acted against the rights of union workers at churches in the Rio Grande Valley.