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October 2007
(Editor's note: Catholic Church related stories have returned to the news recently and if you're like many Catholics, reaction to these latest stories have sparked some passionate and thought provoking discussions. In this issue of THE WORD FROM WEORC , we share with you our modest attempts to understand, sort through and process the state of the current Church and our place in it. We invite you to add your wisdom to the mix. We begin with a commentary on the Church following one such extended discussion.)
A group of Catholics discuss the resurgence of the Latin Mass. One thinks it signals further polarization. Another feels it provides a healthy variety of worship styles and spiritualities. A third says it will keep the self-appointed Vatican “correctors” so busy with fiddle-back vestments and old missals that they'll stop messing with our mainstream liturgies. Another thinks that, like Iraq , Catholicism is headed for a de facto three state solution with a loose central government. Instead of Kurds, Shia and Sunni enclaves, we'll have traditional, moderate and progressive networks. Someone responds that we're there already. However, even viable parishes live with apprehension that they're only one new autocratic, legalistic pastor away from disaster. Another says that, if that happens, their community would imitate Abraham and leave Ur and rent space at a local Protestant church and keep on keeping on.
After a coffee break, someone confesses that they've become embarrassed to admit that they're Catholic. The bad news keeps coming one drip at a time, like a Chinese water torture. Even late-night comedians joke about Los Angeles paying 660 million dollars to survivors of sex abuse by priests, and the Chicago pastor who stole a couple of hundred thousand to support his male stripper boyfriend. When Benedict XVI stated that non-Catholic churches are deficient, one jokester said, “The Pope said that God loves all his children, but he loves me more.” Lawyers complain that San Diego is acting like an ecclesiastical Enron the way they're trying to game the bankruptcy laws.
One person recalled that, when we were kids, the media depicted priests as heroes, like Spencer Tracy as Fr. Flanagan, or Pat O'Brien as Fighting Fr. Duffy, the chaplain, or Bing Crosby in “Going My Way”, or Karl Malden “On the Waterfront.” Now our local media speculate whether two Chicago priests sentenced recently will be endangered while in prison. Perhaps that has something to do with Quigley being closed because they only produced one ordination in the last decade.
 Another observed that some of the Church's key ministries are being eroded. Boston ended adoptions in protest of state laws forbidding discrimination against same-sex couples. Chicago withdrew from foster care because they could no longer obtain adequate insurance coverage. The impact of sex abuse settlements will probably lead to more cutbacks in what used to be considered essential services. And of course, the Church has developed its own unique type of outsourcing to deal with the priest crisis. Instead of contacting someone overseas to help with our computers, we import people to staff our parishes.
Someone asked about the good news. Many Catholics live good lives, have solid, if sometimes struggling, marriages, and bring Gospel values to the workplace. Many parishes are genuine, nourishing spiritual resources. Many priests are hard working, dedicated and generous. Some bishops have shown leadership in the current immigration controversy. Here in Chicago , the Catholic Theological Union builds bridges of understanding between Jews, Catholics, Muslims and Protestants. Schools like Cristo Rey are innovative in serving low-income families. Hundreds of so-called secular organizations serve the common good with Catholics in positions of leadership and influence. Despite the many problems of the Church as an institution, the criteria of Jesus are still being met. The hungry and thirsty are being fed, the sick are being cared for, the strangers are being welcomed, the prisoners are being visited, the naked are being clothed and the poor have the Gospel preached to them by words and actions. The glass is half-full.
Advice to the Forlorn 
Dear WEORC,
I am a resigned, married priest and was asked by Sister M. Agnes, our pastoral associate, to find a presider for our Sunday Liturgy while our pastor was in the hospital. Although I am not the only married priest in our parish, we are all known to be married. Even though we are aware of the Canons that would permit lay people to require we provide them with the Eucharist, our pastor would be in trouble with the Bishop if something like this were to occur.
My dilemma: Should we listen to the lay call and provide a valid Eucharistic celebration, Bishop be damned? Or should we settle for an approved Communion service and be safe?
Signed, Peter Ignotus
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Dear Pete,
You raise some challenging questions that will require further reflection. This is a serious issue that has already occurred in some parishes and will only become more acute as the shortage of priests intensifies. It touches some important theological and pastoral issues. Is the Eucharist an action of a gathered assembly which not only transforms the bread and wine, but also continues the process by which the Spirit transforms a community of Christians into the Body of Christ to carry on the Lord's mission? Or is the Eucharist the rite by which a special ordained person transubstantiates the elements into the Blessed Sacrament, which can be reserved in sufficient quantities to provide for Communion services in the absence of a priest? In other words, does it really matter if the people attend Mass on Sunday or have a Communion service instead?
A second issue is what is our responsibility as non-active ordained priests? It's clear that in emergencies, we not only can but should administer the sacraments to those in need. At what point do "priestless Sundays" constitute an emergency? Who makes that determination? The community? The bishop? The Vatican ? What are the risks? What are the fears? How are we called to serve responsibly in the eyes of God? If a new step is to be taken, how do we catechize the people about it? If we are called upon, what would we do? What is your thinking on this? Please let us know by writing WEORC, 1241 Anvil Court , Addison , IL 60101 or emailing WEORC@comcast.net .
This is the story of 75 seminarians who gathered 50 years ago in Rome to form the Class of 1961 at the North American College. They were hand-picked by their bishops to be future leaders of the church. Strangers at first, they grew close as they each dealt with a new language, unfamiliar city, rigid seminary regime, and challenging theology classes at the famed Gregorian University . Over the years that closeness has continued through periodic class reunions and a newsletter which currently features updated biographies, accompanied by “then and now” photos. One man commented, “After half a century I still remember my classmate's faces as seminarians, but who are those old guys?” 57 were eventually ordained. Of these, 31 have resigned and 26 remained active as priests. Here are some of the stories of those who remained, those who resigned and those who were not ordained. They provide a microcosm of the priesthood in America thru the past half-century.
Most have served as pastors. One spent his life as a seminary professor in Ohio . Another was a missionary in Peru . Many have held positions such as chaplains of Newman clubs or prisons, vicars general or chancellors, seminary rectors or professors, directors of cemeteries, diaconate training programs, charities or superintendents of parochial education and matrimonial tribunals. A couple have directed the Campaign for Human Development. Another is an archbishop currently serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Australia . Three are three bishops, of St. Augustine , Florida ; Lincoln , Nebraska ; and Fort Worth , Texas . One member of the class was accused of sexual misconduct with minors and recently removed from active ministry.
The class includes a wide range of theological positions. A very liberal priest reports that one of his episcopal classmates told him, “In a saner age, you'd have been burned at the stake a long time ago.” One of the nine monsignors commented wryly that the honor necessitated buying “expensive duds for the few times you wear them.” A long-time pastor said, “I'm a priest in line
with Vatican II, but neither too right nor too left. I'm considered pastorally attuned.” Here are a few more extended observations from the biographies:
• I've been a pastor and authored a book, was involved in Boston's busing controversy, served on the city's commission on disabilities, founded a group for the disabled called the Society of Simon of Cyrene, and chaired the Boston Housing Authority's monitoring committee at the time of the city's attempt to integrate public housing. The results were a few bruises and some success. I've also struggled with lung cancer, quadruple by-pass and melanoma. But, thankfully, I'm still on this side of the grass.
• I found myself burned out after pastoring alone for two parishes that formerly had five priests. I took a break and enrolled in a CPE course (clinical pastoral education) which proved to be the best spirituality I encountered in 30 years of priesthood up to then. Now, I pastor two small Hispanic parishes, and I think there's a divine plan to save America through these special people coming into our nation.
• After ordination I returned to Rome for a degree in Scripture. After teaching in the seminary for a while, I left the clerical state and worked with the poor in the prison system. In 1976, during a subway ride, I had an urge to pray the Advent Office of the Hours. That was the beginning of my journey back home. I returned to parish work in 1982.
Many left within ten years of ordination, fell in love and married. Vatican II had made the church too liberal for some. Others were frustrated that the Council promised more than it delivered. Many pursued advanced degrees and now work as college professors, a university president, psychologists or in social service. Some entered business. After teaching in Saudi Arabia , one became executive director of AMEU (Americans for Mid-East Understanding) focusing on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Another entered government, working at the Federal Reserve, Federal Trade Commission, and International Monetary Fund. One college professor specializes in the literature and history of the U.S. Supreme Court. A number are attorneys, one of whom defended former Vice-president Spiro Agnew.
Some remain active in their parishes as lectors, communion ministers, and RCIA presenters. After retirement, one man became a part-time hospital chaplain. A number have left the church. One said that too much “romanita” soured him on the institution. Another remarked, “I left the church in 1967. Twenty years later I rediscovered the Christ of the Gospels and returned to a more simple, non-barnacled faith.” One man became an Episcopalian and, after retiring as an alcoholism counselor, was urged by his pastor and fellow parishioners to become an Episcopal priest. He said, “They opined that I had been resisting the call to ministry for 34 years.” He's now very happy serving a small congregation in Michigan .
One member of the class was arrested in 1985 for sexual misconduct with minors, and sentenced to 6 years in prison where he survived beatings and harassment. He also took classes in horticulture. After release, he was quite successful until his past record caught up with him. He now lives in a single room and works at menial jobs in Texas . He writes, “In good times and in bad I realize that there has been a special presence in my life, sometimes challenging, sometimes chastening, sometimes protecting.”
One man has divorced, but most have strong marriages. A wife observes, however, “The most difficult thing is that these men of the cloth are so inept at sharing their feelings with anyone. It took a lot of encouragement and prodding to get my husband to open up and let me in.”
Most treasure their experience in Rome and have remained active in their parishes. A couple have become Permanent Deacons. One man recently took his family to the eternal city to share with them some of his memories from years ago. They attended a special Mass in one of the major basilicas where, he said, “the purple clad celebrants at the altar greatly outnumbered those of us in the pews.” As a group, these men are less expansive about their life stories. However, one account is striking. A man who left the seminary on the eve of sub-diconate ordination is now retired as vice-president of a large corporation., and in declining health. He describes himself as a non-believer, a spiritual agnostic, who had spent many years in psychoanalysis, but found most help from the AA program. He says: “I discovered how to live a righteous life apart from the dogmatism and guilt-inducing morality on which I kept stubbing my toe in Catholicism. I had never managed to build a loving partnership with another person. Lots of three- month liaisons and giddy one-nighters, but nothing lasting.” He now shares his large home with a foster son and his family, delighting at last in the role of a quasi-grandfather.
One man wrote about the death of his wife. “I will never forget holding Judy's hand and watching the heart monitor show fewer and fewer heartbeats, and then none at all…It takes time for the magnitude of such a loss to penetrate…The longing for Judy was an ache beyond my ability to describe. The house seemed so empty…One thing I found helpful was to select about 20 pictures of her from her fourth birthday until recent years, and have them framed as a montage. Sorting and selecting took a long time, and it felt like a big step forward…The 17 years with Judy were the best part of my life. I'm glad I told her that.”
A nun talks about the death of her pastor. “When Monsignor died in 2003, his parishioners gathered his past weekly columns in the parish bulleting into a book entitled ‘Compassion, Congeniality and Common Sense.' It was a collaborative project in memory of a pastor whom they greatly loved.”
A wife describes the death of her husband. They married in 1975 and he had worked in industrial sales in Cleveland . She says, “At the end Dick was in the hospital for eleven days, during which 250 people came to say their good-byes. He always had that good humor and joy of living about him.”
Ad multos annos.
Editors note: This article prompted a comparison to a recent reunion of former St. Edward seminarians. The Seminary was located in the city of Kenmore and operated for 46 years before closing in 1976. The seminary and most of its grounds now constitute Saint Edward State Park . See bottom of page.
Longtime WEORCer Curtis Schmidt contacted us recently and we were concerned by his current situation. As Curtis explains, “ In essence, it has been and continues to be, the best of times and the worst of times. A year and a half ago, we were the victims of real estate fraud that caused us to lose our Florida property. That was followed by weeks on end of illness and hospitalizations…. after nine months we lost our home. Needless to say, the medical expenses, have been overwhelming… During this time period, I had completed a small monograph on the extent to which the ideology of small government/no taxes had paralyzed the State of Colorado and much of the nation. As I went through weeks of illness, the book became transformed. It was given to me, out of the blue to understand the solutions to many other problems that plagued the nation…. Last week I submitted the first parts to a new publisher. They sell through Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com , and can have it out by mid-September. The book is titled: Seven Deadly Threats to America and it covers all the issues about which America is currently in turmoil, from the domination of the India/China middle class, to the collapse of Iraq and the implosion of the middle east; from the North Korea/Iranian nuclear threat to fanatical Islamic extremism. It has pragmatic, doable solutions to each, which is why I say ‘it was given to me'….Each illness and medical treatment has so worsened our immediate finances that on Friday they are going to shut off the phone, and next Monday the car insurance. Last week found us with no money for food, gas or medications, so I went from church to church, person to person, getting small amounts each day to get us through.” WEORC members moved by Curtis' plight can offer financial assistance to help the family's immediate needs by sending offerings directly to Curtis at 811 E. Phillips Lane, Littleton, CO 80122 (cell phone: (303) 941-2697 – email at: dr_curtschmidt@hotmail.com ). WEORC will also accept donations and forward them to Curtis.
WEORC received a note and business card from Rev. Donald Devine who is part of "The Charismatic Catholic Rite" and runs the "Spirit of God Community" in Southfield , MI . He was ordained 6/7/58 and married 12/2/89 . Further information is available by writing to Spirit of God Community, 22810 Nancy Avenue , Southfield , MI 48034 or calling (248) 356-2961.
Paula Wellnitz, OLVM from Orangeville , Utah writes to tell WEORC of " Home Place ", a house in a small town that she offers for retreats. People who might want to get away to discern where God is calling them could use it. It could also be used to get away for some quiet time near the desert and the mountains. Paula can act as facilitator, offering suggested themes or will adapt to each groups needs. " Home Place " is at 95 N. Main St., P.O. Box 3 , Orangeville , UT 84537 and can be contacted at phone (435) 748-2230.
~We Can't Thank You Enough!~
WEORC has existed for over 30 years without payment of dues or charges for services. Periodically, we ask for contributions to pay for postage and mailing costs of the newsletter.
Thank you to the following WEORCers for making a donation:
Gregory and Barbara Bishop , Patti Maxwell-Mascotti , Vincent Sforza, Jim Leith , Richard and Anna-Marie Bonelli, Steven Hoostal , Gene and Dee Suding , Bill and Lynne Brende l, Ed and Carole Goeden , George and Valerie Leblanc , Bill and Laurie Steinhauser , Bill and Muriel Albertson , Ron Schmidt , Al and Barbara Sikora , Frank and Janet Keller , Donald Devine , Jim and Winifred Bowman , Leo Petkus , Edward La Morte and Grace Grzanek , Barry and Donna Rankin, William and Kayreen Burns , Robert and Elizabeth Brown , James and Tinh Henry , Tim and Mary Kelley , Pat and Ed Geiss , Mary Austin , George and Denise Heeg , Wally and Marguerite Bloch , Al Lacki , Tom Nangle , Lee and Paula Bachman , Jim and Geraldine Tansey , David Kundtz , Bill and Mary Droel , Dominic and Mary Cronin , John and Jeanne Sattler , Suja Finnerty in memory of Jim Finnerty , William and Jeannette Hinz, Elfreide Grevendick, Paul McDonald , Ralph and Pattie Bastian .
We do not remove any names from our mailing list due to lack of monetary support. Please let WEORC know your new mailing address if you have moved or your new email address if it has recently changed at weorc@comcast.net
If you would like to make a donation, please make your check payable to WEORC and mail to
WEORC, 1241 Anvil Court , Addison , IL 60101
For a pdf.file of this newsletter click here.
I just coordinated a reunion of my seminary class that was ordained in 1968.
We had over 80 guys come and go during our 12 years in the seminary 1956-68. 26 were ordained. 2 of those ordained have died and the rest are roughly 1/2 active, 1/2 resigned.
A lot of what was shared by the NAC class would apply to our group.
The Friday afternoon session … provided an opportunity of spending 2½ hours to share some of our reflections on the seminary experience and our journey from there. About 20 of the class participated, seated in a large circle. Many themes emerged:
- Most clearly, the respect for the high caliber guy who came to the seminary and how gifted and idealistic we were
- An appreciation for the friendships that were formed there, some of which have continued over the years
- A frustration with elements in the seminary dynamic that were designed to curb bonding with classmates, prohibition of “particular friendships” and other factors that inhibited developing relationships
- As a result, the sense for some that our sense of closeness to classmates is less than that reported for college buddies who often remain in active contact throughout their adult years. There are some clusters of friendship, but the overall reality seems weak. There was sadness in this perception since the sense of closeness at the Reunion was very vital
- An appreciation for the good study habits formed during seminary that often carried guys through other demanding programs
- A disappointment with the time spent on Latin and Greek courses that did not translate into value later on
- The fear of becoming close to friends because so often they abruptly chose to leave or were “kicked out” for arbitrary reasons.
- Frustration with the way that those who “quit” were regarded and the rules that discouraged us from relating to them after they left.
- Wide disparity regarding current association with the Church. Many are very disillusioned about the way the Institution has retreated from the vision of Vatican II to a much more clerical model. Continued arbitrary use of authority and lack of progressive spirit in theology. Repression and sexual scandals.
- We appreciated that John participated in the entire Reunion including this sharing session. Admiration was expressed for his commitment to continued priestly service despite the problems within the Church.
- About 25% of those participating indicated continued active membership in the Church
Seattle , WA
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