Local Catholics frustrated by bishop’s inflexibility

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Gallup Independent
May 29, 2015

gallupindependent.com

Local Catholics from Gallup’s St. John Vianney’s Parish are frustrated that their own bishop will not talk with them.

They had hoped Bishop James S. Wall or the Rev. Kevin Finnegan, the current diocesan chancellor and vicar general, would meet with them Wednesday evening to discuss the bishop’s recent controversial decisions regarding their parish and the reasoning behind those decisions.

However, according to Bryan Wall, a parishioner and a former Gallup city councilor, the bishop and Finnegan ignored the meeting request, so the media was invited instead. Bryan Wall, who is not related to the bishop, has been serving as the chairman of an informal group of concerned parishioners. He said he tried to contact Bishop Wall through a personal visit to the Gallup chancery, two phone calls and two letters.

Because the group did not have permission to use the parish hall, about two dozen church members gathered at a local restaurant for a 90 minute meeting that opened and closed with prayer.

“I’m very disappointed with the bishop on this,” parishioner Gene Pacheco said during Wednesday’s meeting. Pacheco, a longtime Gallup businessman and Gallup’s Senior of the Year, has served as a vice chairman of the parishioners’ group.

“Just meet with us, we’re people ... ,” parishioner Kathy Schmitt agreed. “You know, Jesus was accessible.”

“It is, from my perspective, it is wrong for the bishop not to speak,” parishioner Emilio Barriga told the group. As Bishop Wall is the spiritual shepherd of the Gallup Diocese, Barriga added, his refusal to speak with his sheep, his own Catholic people, causes dissention in the Church.

Public Outcry

The parish controversy erupted on Mother’s Day weekend when it was announced that Bishop Wall was immediately transferring the church’s popular pastor, the Rev. James E. Walker, to Bloomfield to replace the Rev. Bob Mathieu, who had resigned from ministry because of inappropriate use of social media. It was also announced that the church would be reduced to just a chapel, with only two weekly Masses, no religious education program, no resident priest, and the loss of some sacraments like baptism and marriage.

A public outcry, including the formation of the parishioners’ group, resulted in Bishop Wall reversing some of those decisions. Walker was still transferred, much to the dismay of his congregation, but it was announced the parish would not be reduced to a chapel, and most of the weekly Masses and religious education programs for children would continue. The fate of sacraments offered in the church has not been decided.

Finnegan has now been appointed pastor of St. John Vianney. His announced decision to replace youth altar servers with adult volunteers continues to be controversial.

Chancery’s Response

Suzanne Hammons, the diocesan media coordinator, was asked Thursday why Bishop Wall or Finnegan did not agree to meet with parishioners. She was also asked why Bishop Wall does not respond to emails, letters, phone calls and requests for meetings from Catholics in the Gallup Diocese.

Hammons, who said she sympathized with the parishioners because she also attends St. John Vianney, did not answer either question. Instead, she said Finnegan “has spoken directly to several parishioners” about their concerns.

“Once again, we welcome anyone to come to us directly – we do wish to address their concerns, but cannot productively do so through a newspaper article,” she added.

Closure Fears

Eddie Ward, another vice chairman of the parishioners’ group, said church members are relieved the parish will continue as an active church. However, he admitted many parishioners are concerned that chancery officials may still close St. John Vianney in the future.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re doing it gradually,” said parishioner Norma Jean Jones, who questioned the purpose of the meeting since Bishop Wall wasn’t there to answer questions.

If the bishop had agreed to meet with church members, parishioner Richard Schmitt said, he would have asked the bishop what more can they do to keep the parish going.

“But he won’t talk to us,” Schmitt said. “I wish they’d just give us a reason for these decisions.”

Ward’s wife, Anna, who described herself as “a Catholic for 80 years,” said she felt somewhat assured after Finnegan celebrated his first Mass but is still concerned about a possible closure.

“We don’t want a chapel,” she said. “We want our little church.”

Since the initial announcement, a number of local Catholics have expressed the fear that St. John Vianney will be closed eventually as a tactic to force parishioners into attending the bishop’s more conservative Cathedral.

Devastated Reaction

When asked about Finnegan’s decision to eliminate youth altar servers, Ward said he wanted to know from Finnegan if the decision was related to Finnegan’s physical disabilities or was rooted in other reasons.

Two fathers from the parish, however, shared how the decision has impacted their families.

Barriga, who said he had been an altar boy as a youth, said his own son was personally hurt by the announcement. According to Barriga, his son has been volunteering as an altar server and interpreted the announcement as meaning he was no longer wanted at the parish. Barriga said he is willing to be an adult altar server for Finnegan, but with his son at his side.

“If you don’t want my son up there, then I’m not going to be up there,” Barriga said.

Duane Casias said he and his wife have encouraged their 17year-old to serve as a reader at the parish and have encouraged their younger son to consider being an altar server.

“We were so devastated,” Casias said of his family’s reaction to the Mother’s Day announcement. A week later, he said, they experienced another blow when they heard Finnegan wanted to eliminate youth servers.

“What is this saying to our children?” an emotional Casias said. “You’re not needed.”

Barriga, who referred to his military background, said he understood the importance of following a chain of command. However, he compared the sometimes authoritarian actions of Catholic bishops to military generals who expect blind obedience.

“They failed us,” Barriga said of Gallup’s chancery officials. “Not because of what they did, but because of what they didn’t do.”

Barriga encouraged others in the group to be articulate and intelligent as they continue to try to communicate their concerns to chancery officials.

“The most important thing people need to do is keep praying,” Barriga said, adding parishioners should follow Jesus’ example of showing love and kindness to those who treat them unfairly.

“We would if we could see them,” Kathy Schmitt replied.