BishopAccountability.org
	How About a Little Sympathy? By Eugene Michael Rochester Catholic July 24, 2009 http://rochestercatholic.com/2009/07/24/how-about-a-little-sympathy/ The following is excerpted from Father Tanck’s letter in the Irondequoit cluster’s bulletin for this weekend: I know that there are a lot of conversations going on, that groups are meeting and letters have been written. As you can see from our collection report this week, some are protesting by withholding their usual donations. Much of the reaction and conversation assumes that changes will be happening soon. Let me clarify that what was presented was a proposed plan and it was presented only to our communities, not to the Bishop. That may not happen until the fall or the end of the year. There may be no notable differences in our parishes until July 2010 or later. Rather than being signs of hope some of these reactions are self-destructive and may become self-fulfilling prophecies of further decline and death than helpful ways forward. Jesus told his disciples, “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mark 8:36). To withdraw or withhold one’s presence, involvement or donations will only break down and divide our communities leaving bitterness and anger that will take generations to heal. In the meantime we should continue to pray and worship, minister and serve as best we can. How unfortunate that the blame for this ongoing fiasco is now being shifted to concerned parishioners rather than the Irondequoit Pastoral Planning Group (IPPG). Characterizing grieving parishioners as “self-destructive” is simply beyond the pale. The only destroying going on around here is coming from the IPPG. The cluster was their idea. They refused to heed the warnings that were being given, and their defective clustering plan completely fell apart less than two years after its inception. And just what has the IPPG done that could be characterized as a “sign of hope”? And, how hopeful are people supposed to be when a death warrant has just been issued for their parish? Instead of leveling attacks against grieving parishioners, perhaps it would be better if Father Tanck wrote a letter stating how bad he felt about the closing of two of his parishes. And while he’s at it, perhaps he could apologize for the IPPG’s clustering plan that produced a 38% drop in Mass attendance at St. Thomas in only two short years.
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