Calls, emails still coming in…
-
- May
- 22
I’ve been overwhelmed with emails and phone calls from people who are unhappy—to say the least—about Cardinal Egan’s reshuffling of priests.
The emails/calls, I should make clear, have been unanimously opposed to the moves (although I did find one blogger who thinks that anonymously critical priests and the media who quote them are scapegoating Egan).
Much of the feedback I have received has been in support of Father Stephen Norton, the extremely popular president of Kennedy Catholic H.S. in Somers who is to be transferred to a parish in Hopewell Junction. Let’s just say: No one wants him to go, and they can’t understand why he has to go.
Norton has also gotten a lot of props for being the only priest (I believe) to address what’s happening on-the-record. He told me, basically, that he understood why people have questions, but that he’ll do whatever his archbishop asks and that there is no way he can see an assignment to pastor a parish as a bad thing.
Well, the Priest Personnel Board is supposed to meet today at 11 a.m. They had requested a meeting with Egan. We’ll see what happens.
The larger Priests Council is supposed to meet at 2 p.m. today at St. Joseph’s Seminary. Ditto.
I have to end my workday early today for two good reasons—to attend my wife’s graduation and to take my son to the Yankees game (yes, it will be freezing, but the tickets were expensive—too expensive!). So I don’t know when I’ll get to write about today’s events.
One point I do want to address now: A statement released by the archdiocese on the priest reassignments includes this:
According to Father Thomas Devery, Director of Priest Personnel, 75% of those appointments were based on the recommendations of the Priest Personnel Board, and the other 25% were made directly by the Cardinal in response to particular pastoral needs. It has always been the prerogative of the Archbishops of New York to make priestly assignments apart from the personnel board. This policy was recognized and affirmed in the 2006 guidelines for the Priest Personnel Board, approved by the Archdiocesan priest council.
What I’ve been told by priests close to the situation is that the Personnel Board had minimal input on any of the reassignments. This is coming from several sources who should know.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 at 9:01 am by Gary Stern.
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The world of religion, we don't have to tell you, is vast. The purpose of this blog is for Stern to note, flag and comment on some of the more interesting religious developments on the scene – weighty and quirky, somber and laughable, far away and just down the road. He won't interpret Scripture, take sides in conflicts or judge anyone. But he will take advantage of the journalist's license to observe.
What a shame. The Pope should replace Egan.