When the Enemy of Our Enemy is Not Our Friend

For the past few days a controversy has erupted over whether Boston Chancellor Jim McDonough told squatters illegally holed up in our shuttered parishes (purportedly costing Boston Catholics Ten Million Dollars) that the archdiocese plans to slash 140 parishes.

McDonough said Thursday that he visited members of an occupied church in East Boston, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, to ask them to end their vigil "for the good of the entire archdiocese."

Steven Ashcraft, a member of the Council of Parishes, which opposes the church closings, was in attendance and told The Associated Press that McDonough discussed the church’s financial difficulties and made the remarks about parish reductions.

Ashcraft said he asked if more churches would close, and McDonough responded that the archdiocese would like to get down to about 150 parishes. Ashcraft said he was surprised at the low number.

"I mean, I can understand it. I can understand it, if there’s no money," Ashcraft said. "Everybody’s just fed up with them."

Ashcraft’s version of the conversation was corroborated by vigil member Lorenzo Grasso, who was at the meeting.

"There was nothing to misunderstand about," Grasso said.

I have a few things to say about what Lorenzo Grasso is doing there in a Massachusetts minute.

In terms of having 'nothing to understand' about what McDonough was saying, I'm afraid that is simply not the case.

We are used to the word 'parishes' to mean a locus with one Church in it.  But parishes can actually mean a reconfiguration of the word parish to mean a larger locus of Churches with one pastor at the head.


Ms. Lorenzo has been leading illicit and invalid services in Our Lady of Mount Carmel for six years:

Lorenzo Grasso, 58, of Revere, a Eucharistic minister who has served Holy Communion at Our Lady of Mount Carmel since 2004 without sanction from the archdiocese, also said that McDonough essentially said at the meeting that churches would close. “Churches, parishes, it’s the same thing, basically,’’ Grasso said. “I mean, what else would he be talking about, the birds and the bees?’’ 

I have been telling national leaders for years that the situation in Boston is ground zero for the forces of Catholics who are trying to restructure the governance and structure of the Roman Catholic Church.    This internal schism has been cooking for 40 years.

Cardinal O'Malley has appointed and given these forces the freedom to do what needs to be done to make these changes.  These individuals are now have complete control over fundraising, hiring employees and Catholic education.   The structure here in Boston is no longer headed by a Cardinal.   He is out of the picture.  Completely.   This has been already achieved and there is chaos.


The reason why we are at the fork in the road as to "who" is going to be the "underground" Church.    Here is one woman who is setting up a dossier to be used in this struggle.  Read the last paragraph for details.  Here is a op-ed on her work.  The thesis is very forthright in explaining how they are using 'insider priests' in Boston to carry out these "reforms".

I am conflicted about the fix for having 150 priests for 300 Churches.  Women simulating the Sacraments are poised to take over in the Reconfiguration and do what they are already doing, undisciplined, in our parishes have been shuttered and in some parishes with the absolution of renegade priests inside of operating parishes.

Catholic militants have their work cut out ahead of them and this is another process that is on our radar.

In terms of our buildings that have been hijacked, I am of the firm belief that the archdiocese should use the courts and the police to evict squatters inside of these closed Churches and padlock the doors.  Ten million dollars in five years is money we are not using to evangelize and these hundred or so people are doing much damage to themselves, to others following their schism and to every Catholic who wants to minimize the effects of the misfeasance of the wizards in the Boston Chancery.

The time has come.