MINNESOTA
KSTP
Archbishop Nienstedt responded to an open letter written to him by University St. Thomas Professors.
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The letter:
The following tenured members of the Theology Department of the University of St. Thomas:
Dr. Cara Anthony
Dr. Bernard Brady
Dr. Massimo Faggioli
Dr. Paul Gavrilyuk
Dr. Michael Hollerich
Dr. John Martens
Dr. Stephen McMichael
Dr. Paul Niskanen
Dr. David Penchansky
Dr. Gerald Schlabach
Dr. Ted Ulrich
Dr. Paul Wojda
c/o Dr. Paul J. Wojda, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Moral Theology
Chair, Faculty Affairs Committee (2014-15)
University of St.Tomas
PJWOJDA@stthomas.edu
September 15, 2014
Dear Dr. Anthony, Dr. Brady, Dr. Faggioli, Dr. Gavrilyuk, Dr. Hollerich, Dr. Martens, Dr. McMichael, Dr. Niskanen, Dr. Penchansky, Dr. Schlabach, Dr. Ulrich, and Dr. Wojda,
Thank you for your recent letter with your proposals and suggestions. I appreciate your interest in helping people draw closer to Jesus Christ and I am grateful for your service to the students of the University of St. Thomas. I know that many have recently had difficult conversations with friends and family about why they still continue to profess their faith. I am very sorry for anything I or my predecessors have done to cause Catholics to doubt their faith or the sacred trust that is placed in Church leadership.
I am grateful, too, for your thoughtful advice and your willingness to share it. Please allow me to address the suggestions you listed:
• Leave the legal talk to the lawyers; bring pastoral talk to the people.
Many Catholics have shared with me the same pain you are describing, and I have taken the initiative to move in the direction you are suggesting. In last week’s issue of The Catholic Spirit is an article on the first of a series of healing Masses designed for allthose who feel they have been hurt by the Church. We are working with local pastors tocommunicate the information about these Masses to the faithful. Here’s a link: http://thecatholicspirit.com/news/local-news/masses-healing-reconciliation-hope-offered-archdiocese.
The theme of healing and reconciliation is at the heart of these liturgies, which can provide powerful prayer experiences for those who have been wounded or those who know others who are suffering.
• Re-introduce yourself to the people and parishes that are our Archdiocese.
The reason I became a priest was to become involved in the lives of people, and I appreciate every opportunity I have to do so. I have met and continue to meet with victims and survivors of clergy sexual abuse, their families and their friends. I am also reaching out to community leaders, ecumenical leaders and parish leaders to talk and learn about how we can be a part of the healing process. I often spend my weekends celebrating Mass at local parishes or going to community events. I have not publicized these events, but they are happening on a regular basis.
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