Addressing the weaknesses and strength of the Catholic Church
Published on February 6th, 2002
STONEHAM, MA - With the recent news about priests violating the trust of their parishioners, including incidents in the history of the St. Patrick Parish, The Independent wants everyone to listen to the words of today’s St. Patrick Pastor, Fr. William Schmidt. His words lend perspective, and maybe for some, faith to the discussion.
The following is reprinted from the St. Patrick Church bulletin with permission of the Church:
Monday of this past week brought a letter from a parishioner who was sorely distressed by the failure of the priests of Saint Patrick Parish to address during their Sunday Homilies the issue of the pedophilia charges against John Geoghan, and the way that these charges have been handled by the Archdiocese of Boston.
Our decision not to focus on the charges against John Geoghan, and the subsequent charges against Cardinal Law, followed upon a full discussion among the three priests that centered on the fact that there wasn't anything new that any one of us could say that had not been said already by the Cardinal. We really don't know anything more about the situation beyond what we've read in the newspapers. We also considered the fact that parents with young children probably wouldn't want this topic discussed from the pulpit unless there was a serious reason to do so.
The unfolding facts of the Geoghan case have been a source of real heartache for the priests of the parish over these past months. Certainly, we share the shock and anger of all priests as it becomes ever more clear how a sacred trust was tragically betrayed in a pattern of sexual abuse of children that took place over the span of 30 years. After working closely with Cardinal Law for seven years, I would have to concur that he would never knowingly assign a priest to a parish assignment that would place young people at risk. Cardinal Law has admitted that he made “tragic errors” in continuing to assign John Geoghan to parish ministry once a pattern of pedophilia was recognized and has assured us that this mistake will not happen again.
There is no priest who is not touched by the ripple effects of this horrific situation. Many of us now think twice before heading into a public setting wearing a Roman collar because we are left wondering what people are thinking when they see the collar and avert their gaze. As priests who fully appreciate the privilege of sharing Christ's sacred priesthood, this is a time of numbing sadness.
You might recall that when I spoke at the Mass of Thanksgiving for my 25th Anniversary as a priest last May, I reflected that:
“As we celebrate the gift of priesthood today, we can’t ignore the pain and sadness of recent years with the shocking recognition of a small number of priests who have tarnished the image of priesthood through their abuse of authority and trust. This scandal represents an agonizing tragedy for the Church of this day, but the isolated actions of a few shouldn’t blind us to the good that has been accomplished by the vastly greater number of faithful, generous priests who have blessed our lives. Certainly every priest is tainted by the scandalous actions of the few, but at the same time every priest is also the recipient of all the good will engendered by all the priests who faithfully extend the compassion and pastoral care of Christ, the Good Shepherd.”
Yesterday, I received this note in the mail:
“To the Priests who serve at Saint Patrick Church,
In the light of the current suffering of the Archdiocese of Boston, I just want to say God bless you and thank you for the gift you give to me in your faithful priesthood. Although not a member of your parish, I am often the recipient of your ministerial service, and, at each Mass that you celebrate, I pray for you individually. May God continue to bless you with holiness, faithfulness, and joy in His service.”
I would ask that all of you might also pray for your priests during these days. Your prayerful support is needed now more than ever.
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