Thursday, May 13, 2010

Pray for Fr. Rafferty and His Staff at St. Paul's Church

On this holy day, would you kindly lift up Fr. Rafferty and his staff in prayer?

A Roman Catholic school in Massachusetts has withdrawn its acceptance of an 8-year-old boy with lesbian parents, saying their relationship was "in discord" with church teachings, according to one of the boys' mothers.

As a lesbian couple with children, when it comes time to send your children to school, wouldn't the first thing you want to do is send them where they'll tell your two Mommies are out of favor with God?    This would be madness.



You'd want all the kiddies in your class, who are unable to process how to respond as a five year old, how to respond to your child, to run from your child like he has leprosy?

These are your aspirations.

Give me a break.
 

And, of course, there is pandemonium at the Archdiocese trying to figure out the teachings of the Church and how to distribute them and live them out.  They're pouring over the catechism and frantically dialing Catholic ethicist because they don't have one in-house who can solve a puzzle between right and wrong.

Prayers.

***UPDATE:


Earlier today Cardinal O'Malley had his staff circulate  a threat to cut off funding to Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese:

----- Forwarded Message -----
Subject: From the Catholic School Foundation



Dear School Administrators:
You may be aware from recent publicity about an exclusionary admissions practice at St. Paul School in Hingham, which does not receive support from the Catholic Schools Foundation.  In light of those media reports, we thought it important to clarify the position of the Catholic Schools Foundation - - namely, that no school that promotes an exclusionary admissions policy or practice will be considered for support.
We believe a policy or practice that denies admission to students in such a manner as occurred at St. Paul’s is at odds with our values as a Foundation, the intentions of our donors, and ultimately with Gospel teaching.  Our concern is the education of young people.  We will not fund any school that treats students and families in such a manner.  This policy has been unchanged since our founding in 1983.
We are proud that Catholic schools are known for being welcoming communities for all students. So although this incident is disturbing, we know that it is isolated, not a policy of the Archdiocese, or indicative generally of the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese.  Know that we appreciate all you do to make your schools places where all feel welcome.
Please contact me at 617-778-5981 if you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance to you.
With hope for the students we serve and the future of Catholic education, I am
Sincerely yours,
Michael B, Reardon 

Executive Director





The Cardinal threatened to cut off funding to schools that refuse to subject children of gays and lesbians to religious education that will psychologically damage and confuse them and cause chaos within their family.


I never really encountered a group of people who were so completely soulless.

It's really kinda creepy. And, having worked in politics for 10 years, that's a whopper of a statement.

What blows your socks off is how, like any successful con artist, they do it under the veil of being virtuous:

In a statement issued this afternoon, Mary Grassa O'Neill, secretary for education and superintendent of Catholic schools, said that the archdiocese does not prohibit children of same-sex parents from attending Catholic schools, and that the archdiocese will "work in the coming weeks to develop a policy to eliminate any misunderstandings in the future."

Catholic schools "welcome children based on their parent's understanding that the teachings of the Church are an important component of the curriculum and are part of the students' educational experience," said Grassa O'Neill, who is the superintendent of schools for the archdiocese.

They're going to sit the class of kindergartners down and explain to them that God does not approve of how the two mothers are living out their lives?

Do they think this young child has the capacity to process this?

Do they think the other children in class will be able to process it?

Why don't they just put up pictures of the two mothers and pin horns and a tail on them, circulate it in class and be done with it?

How do they think that plays out inside of the family who rejects the teachings of the Church or in the community?

They are a sick bunch who will do anything for a couple of thousand dollars.

Mary Grass O'Neil is trying to give the appearance that the parents were open for their child to be indoctrinated into the teachings of the Church on human sexuality but that is not an accurate representation.

The Boston archdiocese said it learned of St. Paul's decision late Tuesday. In her statement, O'Neill said the archdiocese doesn't bar children of same-sex parents from attending Catholic schools, and that it will develop a policy in the coming weeks to make that clear.
She said the schools expect parents to understand "that the teachings of the Church are an important component of the curriculum and are part of the students' educational experience."
 But this is not what the situation is at all.  The woman is on the record saying she will ask questions about whether or not the school will be teaching human sexuality in the educational programs and if so, this would be problematic for her:

But the woman said she was uncertain she would enroll her son in another Catholic school because she needed to learn more about their educational programs.
She added: "I will be a little bit more guarded in my questioning so I'll be able to have a real clear picture where they stand."


Mary Grassa O'Neil is not being honest about the situation. Cardinal O'Malley and his staff are using deception to throw Fr. Rafferty under the bus and hoodwink the parents of the child.

Fr. Rafferty was doing the pastoral thing for this family and everyone concerned.

God help him under this regime. A trip to "Fr. Groeschel's" may be in the works.


We all know where this is going. It's right there in black and white from Michael B. Reardon.

Bryan Hehir and Cardinal O'Malley have lined up National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management and this mafia is throwing their money around and taking control of what is being taught inside of the Roman Catholic Church to the next generation.   The money is controlling the donors and the teachings of the Church on human sexuality will go into the same bucket of trash they've thrown Humanae Vitae, the Canons and the Catechism into.


These have been the plans of the National Leadership Roundtable on Church management for the last ten years.

It is playing out.

I can just hear the Nuncio now when he reads the latest from the Archdiocese of Boston:

Strumentallizzato. Idiota pagato.  Imbecille. Cretino.  Perfetto Deficiente. Pazzo. Pazzo. Deficiente.  Ecco Idiota, un idiota pagato.


You can't make this stuff up.

**UPDATE 2

Here's today's story in the Globe.

Let me cut to the chase: Taking the money from these parents while promising to indoctrinate them into the knowledge that their parents are on their to Gehanna is an "admirable compromise".   "Sensitive"

Refusing to exploit the family for cash is "rash and hard-hearted"


How sad and inane.

And, as we all know, the Globe story confirms that Mary Grassa O'Neil and the cash cows have complete control "to overrule" the pastor.    This is amazing since this totally flies in the face of Canon law.  


But O’Neill, rather than seek to overrule local officials, called one of the boy’s parents and offered to help enroll the child in another Catholic school.
Laws mean nothing to these people.



Even by those standards, the action by St. Paul Elementary School was disturbing, for it targets a child simply because of who his parents are. Responsible educators shouldn’t engage in such behavior. And O’Neill made it clear that she does not. “Academic rigor, faith formation, Gospel values, strong character development, respect, and support are hallmarks of our schools,’’ she declared in her statement.

She and O’Malley deserve credit for emphasizing respect over fear.
Despicable.

I can't believe Scot Landry is going to be in charge of communications for these people.

Whore yourself for this?

Why not just throw a millstone around your neck and throw yourself into the river.











10 comments:

Anonymous said...

If Cardinal O'Malley does not out and out back up this pastor to the hilt, it will be beyond craven cowardice. Why is there even a delay? He needs to immediately state that the pastor and principal did the right thing. God help what's left of Catholic education if he doesn't.

Anonymous said...

The cardinal has left the pastor out to dry and failed to back him. What a terrible, terrible shame. I'm sick.

Anonymous said...

There is a statement now on the archdiocese's website. How horrible they've done this just as the Holy Father at Fatima (!) has told the truth about marriage and family life.



m

TheLastCatholicinBoston said...

This is awesome!
Fr. Rafferty is truly an unlikely candidate for this - And he gets confirmation from the Pope in Fatima the same week!

I was never a big fan of his, but I feel like carrying him around on my shoulder right about now.

There has been some joyful workings behind the scene on this and I trust the good Lord will guide us.

Thanks for this blog.

TTC said...

LCIB,

You want to know the kicker?

About ten years ago, I had several conversations with Fr. Rafferty about letting
"Voice of the Faithful" guide the discernment of his parishioners instead of "Voice of the Catechism". He was a gentle, kindly, pastoral man (and here comes the but)that couldn't see how he was handing over his flock to be spiritually misled.

The man obviously wants to teach the authentic teachings of the Church to the children - to pass on the faith they have every right to inherit. (The kicker is, this right is constitutionally protected.) This pastor knows deep in his heart that this child and this family will be torn apart when those teachings are presented. Possibly permanently damaging the kids psyche and family relations for the rest of his life.

This is something the rest of us have learned the buffoons operating the Archdiocese couldn't give a rat's patoot about.

Give them your cash they will rape your children's minds, they will send them in a taxi cab to be killed, they will leave you and your children spiritually destroyed in the process.

As Michael B. Reardon has demonstrated, it is about the money. The Cardinal will use threats and intimidation, he will malign and slander, he will use the Vatican and the Nuncio to protect corrupt priests.

And, there is no process in place to to stop them.

They are a spiritually sick and dangerous group of individuals.

This woman is NUTS to turn her children over to them.

TTC said...

We are in this to protect our children's right to learn their religion.

The Archdiocese is creating a policy to shut catechesis down in Catholic schools.

And, I hate to bring more bad news, but last I knew Mary Grassa O'Neil and Michael B. Reardon were about to take Scot Landry's place in the formation of the faith and "fundraising".


Let me say this another way: The Cardinal is shuffling Scot Landry out of his position to put these folks in.

To keep their donors happy, these folks sent out threatening letters that imply we are to do violence to gay and lesbian families or shut down the faith to keep their donors "happy".

You can kiss getting your children and grandchildren catechized "goodbye".

Anonymous said...

"This woman is NUTS to turn her children over to them."

-- actually, I wonder whether there is method to their madness. Indeed, it's a selfish and a cruel method that may be a by-product of a life lived in denial of the truth of marriage and the Church, but a method that whose goal is to participate in the decimation of Catholic education and Catholic institutions from within, at the mere cost of their own child's moral and spiritual development. That the Archdiocese does not recognize this is tragic.

I spent five years at St. Paul's School, and I thank God for the courageous staff and principal of those years (the late 70s, early 80s). Carol you have accurately described the pastoral dilemma faced by St. Paul's and rightly ask for prayers offered for Fr. Rafferty because that's what he'll need, when his bishop fails him in this way.

The O'Neill statement on the Archdiocesan website says:

"...the teachings of the Church are an important component of the curriculum and are part of the students’ educational experience."

"component"? "part of"? God help us when Catholic teaching is not the foundation of Catholic education.

Tom

TheLastCatholicinBoston said...

Grassa - Oniel makes $350,000/ per year from the diocese. I really don't need to know anything else about her.
Reardon is caught in the good-guy conundrum. Where the catholic identity has a little to do with virtue and nothing to do with eternal salvation.

I wonder if this thing at St.Paul's is the battle for orthodoxy many of us have been hungry for.

Fr. Rafferty is no Fr. Delorenzo. I'm thinking this is a career making or breaking move, one he was not looking for. I think he likely came to the decision on it very prudently with an eye on Papal teaching. I think he will quickly learn who his friends are, his true role as a Priest and probably a bit about the way of the Cross...I hope he shares this as never before.

St. Paul's parishioner said...

Father Rafferty is a good and holy priest who's always tried to be a peacemaker. It's so ironic that the open schism by archdiocesan leaders should become apparent here. In looking at it through spiritual eyes, however, it appears Father's been given a grace to share in the suffering that Pope Benedict's been undergoing, and countless others before them, all the way back to Our Lord on the cross.

TheLastCatholicinBoston said...

Rather than suffering I think Fr. Rafferty should enjoy the victory of the cross. He is clearly on the side of Rome in this matter. I don't think it would be a vice for him to enjoy the scampering feet of the phonies. Well Done Father, an inspiration to all, in the spirit of David and Goliath - nice shot, right in the eye!