Wednesday, March 30, 2005

The sisters being removed from campus ministry are being discussed at Open Book. Years ago, even before reverting, I would read books on the Church and learn about scandalous things. I used to read about crazy stuff going on and thought things were a little better here in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Then the Suffolk County grand jury report came out and I read the whole thing and realized things here were pretty bad. McGann is dead and can't answer (to us) for what he did and didn't do here. His would-be successor Bishop Wcela wrote an article in America or Commonweal entitled "What Did I Miss?". I think his reflection was not entirely sincere though since "conservatives" had been telling him for years what was going on and he ignored them. Dr. Drolesky points out just some of the silly stuff that went on during Bishop McGann's time. My point is, things here were pretty bad and Bishop Murphy is trying to clean up McGann's Mess. The introduction of the New Evangelization to campus ministry is just a part of this. The Bishop living on the grounds of the Cathedral instead of a $950,000 house a couple of miles away from it is part of this too. Perhaps the Bishop's residence on the top floor of a parish building could have been made a little simpler, but criticism of this residence is over the top. The introduction of a weekly traditional latin Mass is also part of the cleanup, as is inviting Fr. Benedict Groeschel to speak to the priests of the Diocese. (McGann had invited Fr. Richard McBrien) Changes made at the seminary over the past few years also have helped, the number of seminarians here has doubled in the past two years. The nuns whose contracts were not renewed, the Voice of the Faithful, and many commentators of St. Blog's need to understand just how much of a mess there is to clean up. This Diocese needs evangelization and real Catholic teachings, in campus ministry, the seminary, and the parishes.

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