We've had a lot of new visitors recently, so I wanted to remind you all of my comment procedure.
If you have a Google account and are signed in when you comment, you don't have to do anything else. Your name will appear.
If you do not have a Google account, you can still comment, but you must SIGN YOUR COMMENT.
Otherwise I will not post it.
9 comments:
Here's a sign...a sign that the catholic church and the scranton diocese is going to hell in a handbasket...
A priest in the Diocese of Scranton has been removed as administrator of three Throop parishes after he inadvertently displayed four photos of what a diocese spokesman called "minimally attired adult males" before the 8 a.m. Mass at St. Bridget's Church on Oct. 25.
The Rev. Edward P. Lyman was using his personal computer to project an informational DVD about the diocesan Annual Appeal fundraiser when he accidentally showed the "inappropriate personal photographs" that were stored on his computer, according to a diocesan statement read at the Throop Masses on Sunday.
This burns me up,while Church's and School's are still being closed....Yeah people you go right on and keep on giving to the Annual Appeal.Someday you will get it thru your thick heads that you are all being played.
karen
Karen,
Zzzzzzzzzzzz.
"I'm not giving to the appeal....." "All Catholics everywhere should stop donating....." "Why don't they wake up..."
If I had a nickle for everytime I heard that or read that...my parish would have it's bran new pipe organ!
And yet, Karen, the Church continues to thrive. Young men continue to respond to God's call to become priests, young women continue to enter into religious life.
People keep the Faith and they continue to contribute to the mission of the Church, DESPITE that fact that it's priests and bishops are it's own worst enemy!
What gives? The answer, Karen, is simple: God sustains His Church, and God is Faithful for the sake of those who are unfaithful. God cannot deny himself.
Indeed Karen, God bless our people, becasue they know that the Church fortunatley does not depend on the merits of the priests but rather the holiness of Christ. Our people know that the Church cannot simply close up shop and cease it's mission becasue priests are sinners just like anyone.
They know most importantly that Christ said "The gates of Hell and Death will not prevail"' and THAT Karen, is why they keep the Faith, THAT is why they keep on giving- becasue despite it all, they know that the Catholic Church is God's Church. They know it in their hearts, and they cannot deny God.
God will not forget their loyalty and Faithfullness to His Church.
Do you want to tell me more about how "Your not giving another penny..." That's alright, my contribution will MORE then make up for what your not going to give.
Besides, people who squalk about "Not giving.." usually never gave in the first place, or gave in a nominal fashion. These are the people who throw in their weekly dollars, or worse, go the store before mass and break their dollars for change and offer 25 centz. It is usually those who don't complain, and don't squalk who give the most. That Karen, is my experience.
Father Dave Bechtel
*rolls eyes* Karen. Come on. Sorry but... Priests are capable of sin too. And they removed him from his position, so what is the big problem here?
Okay I just glanced at Father Bechtels' response and I'm sure he covered what I'd have to say anyway. But don't relinquish your faith just because some priests are sinners. Yes that was an extremely awkward an inappropriate thing that happened with this priest, as it was displayed during mass. And how he's gone. case closed.
I mean just because this one priest's dirty secret was exposed to all (which of course is highly inappropriate) doesn't mean the whole Catholic faith is a hypocritical sham. 'S all I'm sayin'.
- L
Karen, The closing of the schools and churches is NOT due to the problems we have with our priests. The former bishop just decided to come in here and for whatever reason, re-vamp things. But priests like this need our prayers. And remember, we don't even know the whole picture yet. Why?? Because the diocese has little to say.
Elaine
Elaine:
Yes, the bishop just decided for no aparent reason to revamp things. Everything was just ducky before he revamped things. Parishes were not in debt, the Diocese was loaded with money, the schools were thriving, vocations plentiful. There were no problems until Martino just came in here and said "What can I do to ruin this thriving Diocese of Scranton? What can I do to make people angry? Everything is just too perfect I can't have that."
Elaine, please. The PROBLEMS WERE APARENT LONG BEFORE MARTINO EVER CAME ON THE SCENE. Bishop Timlin knew about the problems, but at the same time the prospect of closures and consolidations were not an option in his mind. He tried everything he could to NOT have close or merge schools and parishes.
Bishop Timlin's solutions were temperary. Bishop Timlin hoped things would turn around, but by the time of his retirement it was aparent more drastic measures would be necessary becasue things were getting far worse. Priests might be able to effectively pastor two parishes, but not three, four and five!
Some parishes were MILLIONS in debt becasue of the schools which Bishop Timlin could not bring himself to close. Bishop Martino's solution to that unfortunatley has not worked the way it was intended becasue assessments are still far, far too high, and parishes are still going bankrupt funding the schools.
Vocations are down, populations shifted. Look around you Elaine! Look at those massive churches in the Valley cities! You think they are heated by magic? You think churches designed to seat THOUSANDS should be kept open for 200 people? You think churches that will cost 4-6 MILLION DOLLARS (where are people going to come up with that kind of money and pay off an 800K debt at the same time) should stay open?
Elaine, you want to complain, but like everyone else, you have no solutions! Bishop Martino is a big rotten meanie for closing parishes and schools. Fine- do you have any meaningful solutions? What do you propose?
Father Dave Bechtel
hey traddy, didn't know where to put this, but fiqured you had to see it for yourself.and it's true as far as I can tell...Jake
Government-sanctioned cell phones (FREE) .
This was sent to me by a friend. I hope you are sitting down.
I had a former employee call me earlier today inquiring about a job, and at the end of the conversation he gave me his phone number. I asked the former employee if this was a new cell phone number and he told me yes this was his "Obama phone." I asked him what an "Obama phone" was and he went on to say that welfare recipients are now eligible to receive (1) a FREE new phone and (2) approx 70 minutes of FREE minutes every month. I was a little skeptical so I Googled it and low and behold he was telling the truth. TAX PAYER MONEY IS BEING REDISTRIBUTED TO WELFARE RECIPIENTS FOR FREE CELL PHONES. This program was started earlier this year. Enough is enough, the ship is sinking and it's sinking fast. The very foundations that this country was built on are being shaken. The age old concepts of God, family, and hard work have flown out the window and are being replaced with "Hope and Change" and "Change we can believe in." You can click on the link below to read more about the "Obama phone". just have a barf bag ready.
https://www.safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/Home.aspx
Father Dave--I, unfortunately unlike you, do not have the solution. But I do know this. Things were done very underhanded. Sure, some schools had to close; I'll buy that. But to hear that your childrens' school is closing on the 5 p.m. news?? Come on!! If we're going to call ourselves Christians, we have to do much better than that. Believe me; I lived it. And is this new and improved school system any better? Just recently, Traddy posted about how much in debt they were. People do not trust the catholic school system anymore. I can't blame them; although my boys received a wonderful education at O'Reilly and Seton. Please do not put me down for my views. You do not have this problem in Williamsport. We have been hit hard in this area. My post was to Karen to ask her prayers for this priest.
Elaine
Elaine:
The solution is: The people need to be more coperative with the Called to Holiness and Mission Process.
Could the Diocese have dealt with the school closings in a more "pastorally sensitive" way? Sure, But consider, no matter what they did, people would complain they were not "pastoral" enough in the way they went about things.
"Pastorally Sensitive" "Dialog" and "Communication" are code words people and yes, even the priests throw around to mean "We speak, the bishop listens."
Underhanded or not, "Pastorally Sensitive" or not, there is no escaping that this had to be done. Unless the people get on board with the process, unless the people start contributing in a meaningful and substantial way, unless the people get out there and LIVE their Faith (instead of telling people how "private" and "personal" their Faith is, and how it is "no one's business") there will be more to come in the near future.
THAT much, Elaine, is certain.
Father Dave Bechtel
Father Dave, I already said I agreed that something HAD to be done. I don't think you know the real way in which it was done. People in this area welcomed bishop Martino when he first came to the Diocese; we hoped for better dialogue; after all, even Jesus walked among the lepors and the adulteresses. It is too long to go into here, but many people, including myself, have been hurt, and bad. I am hoping for a new beginning. This has not destroyed my faith; no-one can do that. Call me an idealist if you will, but men of God need to be very available to the people. We'll talk later, I have to get ready for work.
Elaine
Post a Comment