ILLINOIS
Effingham Daily News
People have repeatedly asked me where I come up with the ideas for my column. I reply that I have no shortage of topics, thoughts, things to write about; that’s how my mind is wired. The problem is focusing on one particular thing; one specific topic.
I also have no shortage of suggestions for what I should write about. In the past year, numerous people have called me and stopped me to suggest a topic for a future column. “Hey,” they say, “why don’t you write about (fill in the blank)?”
Over the past year, and especially in the past few days, people have suggested I write about the events centering on the Catholic parishes in Sigel, Neoga, Green Creek and Lillyville. They want me to weigh in on the situation involving the Rev. Robert “Bud” DeGrand.
On Saturday, Father Bud was permanently removed from his pastoral duties at those four parishes. The announcement was made by Bishop Thomas John Paprocki. I won’t go into all the details of why, and what brought it about; that has been well documented already. (See “Bishop permanently removes area priest as pastor,” EDN, May 4.)
It really is not my place to comment on the situation. I am not a parishioner at any one of those churches. I don’t attend any Catholic church. And, though I was baptized Catholic, I am not a practicing Catholic. I have my reasons.
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