Part 1
I attended the meeting with the bishop and was appalled! It was again more rhetoric-refusal to answer questions, and his partner, Sister Valmer was more of the same. She told Kevin [of the Council of Parishes] that he had no right to ask the questions he did. Both she and the Bishop were in a hurry to "get away". Monsignor Joyce wasn't much better. His said the meeting would be 3 part-We never got to the "3". The bishop brought along other cronies who were to make a visual presentation and that didn't happen either. How can he expect people to place their trust in him? Once again the message was "I am going to do what I have to do no matter what you say or do." He heard, but didn't listen to the underlying concerns of the Catholic people of South Jersey.
I attended the meeting with the bishop and was appalled! It was again more rhetoric-refusal to answer questions, and his partner, Sister Valmer was more of the same. She told Kevin [of the Council of Parishes] that he had no right to ask the questions he did. Both she and the Bishop were in a hurry to "get away". Monsignor Joyce wasn't much better. His said the meeting would be 3 part-We never got to the "3". The bishop brought along other cronies who were to make a visual presentation and that didn't happen either. How can he expect people to place their trust in him? Once again the message was "I am going to do what I have to do no matter what you say or do." He heard, but didn't listen to the underlying concerns of the Catholic people of South Jersey.
I was in awe of the spirituality that was
present that evening. It was my first time to visit the church. I know of
it from [two parishioners] who are an integral part of your dynqamic and
vibrant church--small it may be. I will continue to pray for you and ask
that you do the same for us at Our Lady Queen of Peace.
-Tom Mazzola, a 53 year member of OLQP [Our Lady Queen of Peace in Pitman].
Thank you so much for your email! May God bless you in this struggle and may He and His Blessed Mother intervene for OLQP! Remember, I'm there for you and so is St. Mary's. Email anytime.
Part 2: Follow-up
-Tom Mazzola, a 53 year member of OLQP [Our Lady Queen of Peace in Pitman].
Thank you so much for your email! May God bless you in this struggle and may He and His Blessed Mother intervene for OLQP! Remember, I'm there for you and so is St. Mary's. Email anytime.
Part 2: Follow-up
The whole "democratic" process has been one big
joke!
In 2006 "Speak Up" sessions with the Bishop
visiting parishes to hear the parishoners concerns I felt that we finally had a
Bishop that was concerned. NOT! But, myself like others were
impressed by this gesture. (How naive we were.) I didn't attend because I
was happy with our church at Our Lady Queen of Peace-it wasn't because I didn't
care about our church or others. Who ever thought that there were plans in
the works to bring to fruition his carefully planned dynamic, vibrant church
plans?
2007: Deanery Meetings were scheduled to get the
people's input. This too was an exercise in frustration, as members were
"shut down" when they had a dissenting voice. In our parish we had
collected signatures of the vast majoity of our church membership requesting
that we remain a stand alone church. Yet members from other parishes went
ahead and voted to merge with OLOL Church in Glassboro. I was shocked to
hear that the chairwoman of our representation voted for it against the will of
the vast majority of the people's desire.
2008: Bishop issues his plan to reduce
parrishes from 164 to a much smaller number-perhaps the administration of the
dioscese should be reduced or eliminated and return to the Trenton Dioceses.
The Bishop appeared at St Mary's Church along
with Sister Valmar director of the entire process of change bringing about a
more "vibrant and dynamic church"!
The Bishop and his Director did NOT answer any
questions posed to him in the speak up session-part 1. He in part 2 gave
more of his double speak. He is off-base and out of touch with the reality
of how parishoners feel about their church.
We lost our priest Msgn Sean Cook on
Christmas eve 2006. This is the 1st time that I have experienced a priest
dying while serving our parish. Now we are in a position of losing our
church. The plan is to offer us 1 mass a
week.
-Tom Mazzola
-Tom Mazzola