The Archdiocese of Boston has told whiny priests to pipe down. (Unfortunately, it’s not the kind of rebuke against certain priests I’ve been waiting for.) The pastors of some parishes whose names were added to the list of potential closings last week have been complaining that the late addition was unfair. One pastor, Fr. John Kelly of St. James in Stoughton (not James Kelly, as the article says), said in his homily on Sunday that the parish had been “betrayed” by the archdiocese. He said they didn’t have the opportunity to present their case. Well, of course they presented their case in the cluster meetings. But when the cluster doesn’t do its job and make good recommendations, then the diocese has to step in. In addition, no one ever said that the cluster recommendations would be the sole criteria. It’s always been understood, at least by most, that the archbishop would have the final say.
Folks,
With Sex Scandals, War, Economic downsizing, Loss of Employment, Church closingsather loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
I’ve a cousin who is a diocesan priest here in the Belleville diocese. We’re going through ‘clustering’ (how progressive) and I asked him when he planned on retiring. His response was, “I’ll retire when I expire. Serving two or three parishes will be no problem.” He also states that no priest in good health should retire unless he has recruited a replacement! He has and looks forward to working with the new Father in two years. Sadly, we’ve rested on our laurels for too long, relied on an aging and graying Serra Club – God bless every one of them – and submitted the scrutiny of good men to vocations directors not in line with Church teachings.