ARTICLES

Don't Change Our Church!

Our Lady of Peace Parishioners Passionate for Orthodoxy

By Fred Martinez

On the evening of March 12, seven officials of the Diocese of San Jose, lead by Sister Pat Mitchell of the planning office met with staff, lay leaders and parishioners at Our Lady of Peace in Santa Clara. The meetings were called because of the diocese's decision that the pastor, Monsignor John Sweeny, step down. The parishioners' meeting was a standing-room only crowd of approximately six hundred including reporters. Most parishioners expressed concern with possible changes, and others were angered that Sweeny was stepping down. As about twenty parishioners prayed the rosary for them outside, most staff and lay leaders coming out of the closed-door meetings expressed hope that Sweeny's legacy of emphasis on the sacraments and spirituality would not be changed.

Keith Robinson, one of the attendees of the lay leader meeting said, "The lay leaders, emphasized the sacraments as the key to the parish's spirituality, emphasized that Monsignor Sweeny had built a truly culturally diverse parish, had encouraged lay leadership and social justice. We talked about the power of perpetual adoration, the focus on the Mass and the Eucharist, and confessions as the center from which the laity could exercise their role in striving for social justice." Robinson said the diocesan representatives at least appeared to pay attention. "The team from the diocese listened, took notes, and said that the lay leaderships' comments were consistent with the staff comments," Robinson said. "The diocesan team commented on how impressed they were by the parish's love for Monsignor Sweeny and consistency of the sacramental theme."

Most staff and lay leaders said the diocese officials were open to their suggestions. Danny Hernandez, who attended the staff meeting, said, "They were listening to us. They took notes. Lay leader Mary Pat Cirioilleri, coming out of the one closed-door meeting agreed, "We had a chance to express ourselves, and they were open to listening to all the things we felt were important. For example, there are all the ethnic groups, and they were able to pray in their own way in practicing devotion. We need in the future more outreach to the poor which Father Sweeny has been doing so much, and we need more of that."

One attendee of the closed-door meetings was not so positive. Mary Kennedy, an employee who attended the staff meeting, said, "I feel they are going to roll over us and force down the way they want. A way they think is good for us. I think they were trying to be gentle in what they want to do. All of us agreed that we don't need changes except for the phone in the hall." Kennedy said that the diocese officials met with Monsignor Sweeny from four o'clock to four thirty. Kennedy saw Sweeny leaving the meeting. She said, "He doesn't look beaten. He just looks like his just going along with the way it is so far. You know the way he always is."

Richard Scheninin, religion and ethics writer for the San Jose Mercury News, covered the March 12 meetings. He said, "I did talk to Bishop [McGrath] last week. The bishop said that Father Sweeny is a very holy man who is one of a kind. He understands why the people here love him. He said he knew people here suspected or were fearful of his trying to pull some kind of political/theological switch here. But, that Father Sweeny had simply reached an age and stage in his life when he should move on. And that he intended to take the statements of parishioners into consideration in choosing a successor." Our Lady of Peace is well-known as a place where one experiences orthodoxy. Scheninin, who arrived at Our Lady of Peace in the middle of the afternoon of the 12th noticed there were a lot of people in the church. He said, "It felt different than a lot of churches I go around to here. The people were very focused on their prayers. They were kneeling. It just felt different."

When Scheninin was asked his impression of Monsignor Sweeny, he said, "I immediately liked him a lot. I had never met him in person before. He seemed like a humble guy. There is something kind of dashing and youthful about him even though they say he is 77. He seemed like someone who would, without asking for it, demand respect. I just met him briefly for about 30 to 40 minutes. It gave me a little insight into why people feel so strongly about him."

The general parishioner meeting had a multi-ethnic crowd of around 600 people. There were some angry voices, but most were calm. One of the first parishioners to speak to the diocese officials said what others would later say, "We want Father Sweeny to remain here." After which came loud applause. After anyone spoke of Monsignor Sweeny or of not wanting changes at the parish there was noisy applause. At one point the crowd broke into a chant of "no change." Someone asked the crowd to calm down, and they did. Not too long after this a woman with children around her with a voice about to break asked that the parish not be changed. After her an elderly blind woman said, "I'd like to see perpetual adoration stay. Another women said, "This is like our home." Towards the end of the meeting a man said that he had personally seen many people saved from suicide at Our Lady of Peace. He asked that the parish not be changed.

The March 12 meetings ended a little more than a week before Holy Week with many parishioners fearing their parish would be changed. The result of meetings came on March 27 during Holy Week. The diocese of San Jose announced that the Order of the Incarnate Word would be assuming responsibility for Our Lady of Peace later in the year. The announcement is pleasing to Robinson, who said, "I have been privileged to know the Order of the Incarnate Word for the last four years as they worked at St. Patrick's and St. Leo's. The Order of the Incarnate Word is orthodox, Marian, pro-life, sacramentally focused, and an answer to all our prayers. Bishop McGrath and his personnel committee have shown a true pastoral concern for Our Lady of Peace parish and have given us a great group of priests to take what Monsignor Sweeny has constructed and build upon it. This is a fabulous Easter gift to the whole Our Lady of Peace community."

Others are reserving judgment. Mary Kennedy said, "I'm still worried. Just because they have a fancy name doesn't mean they're good."

Monsignor Sweeny said of the order "It's good. They are devoted to Our Blessed Virgin Mary through St. Louis De Monfort."

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