We received this email yesterday. In reference to her last paragraph, I personally can attest to the fact that I know of at least three separate orders of priests who have offered to come into our Diocese and have been denied by Bishop Galante. I also know of an order of sisters who would love to come into the Diocese. They are apostolic, not contemplative, but habited and marian. I believe part of what they do is teaching. They would like to live at St. Mary's. If Galante and McGrath had really listened at the Listening Sessions, they would've learned that Catholics want religious and priestly vocations encouraged, but since that doesn't seem to fit in with the Diocesan plans, it is not something they are prioritizing.

It used to be that Catholic elementary schools were financed and controlled by the individual parishes. Parishes would support the churches through collections and parents ran fundraisers. Parishes had great pride in their schools.

Then Bishop Galante came with his plan to control and consolidate the Catholic elementary schools. He wanted the diocese to control them. As a part of his plan, he promised that parents would have more affordable tuition. When his plan took effect, many schools closed, teachers lost their jobs, and tuition nearly doubled. We are reaping the fruits of his plan for Catholic schools and it is foreshadowing of what will happen to the churches if his reconfiguration plan goes through.

Now Catholic high schools are a different story. Some of them are referred to as "diocesan" high schools, but they receive very little money from the diocese. They are largely funded by tuition; that is why they are more expensive than county colleges. However, they will probably continue to thrive for a while because parents are afraid of drugs and violence in some of the public high schools.

In addition, it is also shameful how this diocese is treating our retired sisters. Elderly sisters are discouraged from staying active in their vocations, such as teaching, and they get nothing from the diocese. They aren't even mentioned in the House of Charity appeal.Our bishop doesn't seem interested in promoting vocations in the Church.