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Contents © 2000
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

LETTERS
JULY/AUGUST 2000

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SIENNA STRIKES A NERVE

One form of activism is money talks, [baloney] walks. Today I changed my long distance carrier to Sienna Communications because of your ad in the SF Faith. The ad was pretty much "in your face." I also recommended that Sienna consider radio spots on the "Savage nation," KSFO 560.

Thanks,

Thomas Campen
Lodi


EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE

I like your stories of evangelization and conversions. It touches my heart to serve the Lord, but how? I have a hearing handicap and am not a good writer. God knows how eager I am to be of service to Him and others. Still, I do pray I will be able to do what the Lord wants me to do. I am not hopeless. I have a vision in the near future for evangelization abroad or in the U.S.A., "Everything is possible with God."

God Bless,

Bert & Rose Olegarion
San Francisco


GRATITUDE NEGLECT

Thank you for the superb June issue. Your article on Maslow and the letter on HLI are invaluable [See "Maslow Was the Culprit," and "Ex-HLI Staffer Responds," Letters, June, 2000]. The Church is so hopelessly confused particularly on sexuality that the future is bleak. The Vatican seems to think that the movements (Opus Dei etc.) will preserve the semblance of Catholicism into the future (see Fr. Ian Ker's article on the Christendom-Awake.org website). Randy Engle did a superb job of exposing the heresies of Bishop James McHugh (recently promoted) on sex education, population, etc. He is the Vatican's own representative at UN conferences! The confusion about the liturgy is exemplified by the standoff on ICEL. The folks on both sides know that they have NO common ground and are forced to live together. I doubt that Archbishop Levada is very happy with Fr. Gerald Coleman as the rector of his seminary but he knows that he cannot fire him.

I have recently come into contact with the Konko Church here in San Francisco. Gratitude is the central practice of their faith. (It is a Japanese new religion) I was fascinated by the testimony of a Brazilian woman who recently joined them. She was a Catholic from a family of 12 children. She said that Catholicism as she knew it was a congregational faith that did not meet her individual needs. When she came to practice the Konko faith (she lives in a remote town in westernmost Brazil) she was able to experience gratitude in her life. When her husband died last year she was left with three small children. Her minister had advised her previously to put aside any resentment and she was able to face her husband's death peacefully. The Konko faith practices toritsugi mediation (akin to Catholic confession with the accent on spiritual direction). Gratitude has been the missing element in my Catholic faith. A cradle Catholic now 61, I suffer from ADD (Attention Deficit) with resentment always close to the surface. I find that Anglicans and Orthodox are far more sincere in their beliefs than Catholics who are trying to paper over the deep divisions among them. With kind regards and best wishes,

Sincerely,

Anthony Sistrom
Via email


LIFE'S TUITION IN THE SANTA ROSA DIOCESE

The following is a letter from Father Ryan, pastor of St. Elizabeth's Church in Guerneville, to his parishioners in late April.

"Dear Parishioners: Vatican II was a council that brought about unheralded changes in the structure of the Catholic Church. Changes, for example, in the liturgy -- Mass in the vernacular, priest facing the congregation, etc. These were changes that upended traditions that stood for fifteen hundred years. Now, despite these changes, and numerous other changes, one thing that has not changed is the power, control and authority that a bishop wields in this diocese. Unfortunately, for us, all of the above have been utterly abused over the past seven years by the recent ordinary of this diocese.

"The striking thing about the crisis we find ourselves in is the fact that it has begotten and created such terrific outrage throughout the whole diocese. Personally, I have experienced and endured some outrageous injustices from the bishops of this diocese because I stood my ground in protecting and defending the rights of the parishioners. Such a stance attracted little or no attention or support, not even from the clergy of the diocese. Little wonder, now, that some lay people are asking the question -- why did the priests, especially those who worked closely with him, allow him to get out of control?

"There are many answers to that question, but let me tell you the real answer because I personally experienced the outcome of standing up to Bishop Hurley and Ziemann. The answer is that a priest who takes that stand will find himself for years serving in Humboldt, Mendocino, or Lake County. Now, believe me, there is nothing wrong with being a priest in any of those counties. I know, because I have served in all of them. I have been in this diocese for 32 years and out of that I have spent 22 years in the above counties. Many of the priests in the Santa Rosa diocese refuse to pass Ukiah. Nowadays, who would want even to go to Ukiah!!

"Bishops have fallen and parishioners have been too frequently hurt and embarrassed, all as a result of far too many priests who say 'yes' to bishops, despite the fact that they totally disagree with them and even dislike them, but the 'yes' keeps them out of the so-called far away and outback counties.

"I have written to every priest and deacon in this diocese on two occasions, outlining the injustices committed against the people and myself as pastor. The first letter was in regard to Bishop Hurley's outrageous treatment of the parishioners of St. Mary's, Lakeport. The people wanted a church with a hall underneath, a perfect arrangement for the needs of the parish saving thousands of dollars. The parishioners had raised one million dollars in cash. The building they proposed could have been built for $850,000 in the 80s, but Bishop Hurley refused permission, saying, whatever would be built in Lakeport would have his stamp on it, and so it did. He, personally, had the church built to his specifications, costing 1.2 million dollars and NO HALL. This tragedy took place in 1987 and in 1999, the interior of two walls had to be totally replaced because interior gutters had leaked. It cost thousands of dollars to repair.

"The second occasion I wrote to the clergy was in regard to Bishop Ziemann's treatment of Holy Spirit's advisory council, and of me. There were two clubs there, men's and women's. These clubs refused to support the parish. The women's club did pay for the carpet for the sanctuary over a period of three years, but the men's club, who held four major, annual fundraising activities in Holy Spirit's parish hall, plus a monthly meeting, refused not only to donate to the parish, but even to pay for the parish hall utilities. These clubs considered themselves to be basically social clubs. The bishop sided with them mainly because they had some well-known professionals and businessmen in the club. Even though the advisory council met with him several times, he [Bishop Ziemann] just responded with phony excuses for his action, which was to oust me as pastor from Holy Spirit parish. The advisory council wrote to the pope, to the apostolic delegate in Washington D.C. and to the archbishop of San Francisco, complaining of Bishop Ziemann's unjust behavior towards me.

"So it is not true for anyone in this diocese to say that NONE of the priests took a stand against Bishop Ziemann. Actually, he had only been in the diocese six months when I wrote that letter to the clergy, warning them of the fact that we had a bishop who handled the truth very carelessly and justice was not regarded as a virtue by him.

"The clergy and laity of this diocese are asking to have some input to the selection of the new bishop. Now, that is a waste of time and energy. Furthermore, it does not work. If Bishop Ziemann had been interviewed by the clergy and laity before he was appointed bishop to this diocese, he would have pulled the wool not only over their eyes, but even over their heads. He is a master when it comes to phoniness. The selection of the new bishop is totally out of our control, but the control of the new bishop is totally within reach, both for the laity and clergy. If it is done in a Christian fashion and promptly, for the welfare of this diocese, then it should be acceptable to any common sensed bishop. A bishop or priest appointed to a diocese or parish must not forget that such an appointment is one of stewardship -- not ownership. It is one that is temporary, not permanent. The diocese and also the parishes that comprise the diocese belong to the people. It is the parishioners who pay the bill, so therefore, the parishioners must be heard from and listened to both by the priests and the bishop.

Bishop John Steinbock was the only bishop, out of four in this diocese, that truly shepherded his people and priests with kindness, thoughtfulness and with total honesty. Let us help the new bishop to function as a bishop should, by being ready to make known the needs of the parishes, not only the financial, but more importantly, the spiritual needs of the people of God. Let us not be afraid to come forward, if we find either of the above needs are not properly and justly being attended to. Bishops, no more than priests, are not mind-readers, so be honest and say it as it is.

Father Philip J. Ryan
St. Elizabeth's Church, Guerneville

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