In his Bishop's Corner of this past week, he complained about the number of people who came to services on Ash Wednesday.
"While the penitent rejoices, the pastor in me is always disappointed on Ash Wednesday. True, there was a modest group for most services, but not so many as for a holy day..."
Well, there is a SIMPLE REASON: it is NOT a holy day!
"...I always think, 'What Catholic would not want his ashes each Lent?' Must everything be done under drear obligation? Where is there room for sweet sacrifice, and Catholic loyalty for a sacramental fraught with graces? The Novus Ordo people who show up for the ashes...should put some of our Sunday Catholics to shame..."
This is textbook guilt-trip Catholicism; exactly the thing that makes the Faith so unattractive. He questions his flock's loyalty, and says they should be ashamed.
Fact: MANY of his people drive an hour or more just to come to Mass on Sunday. If he thinks they should do so on a day that is NOT obligatory, just to receive a sacramental, when they also have to WORK, he is mental. Cincinnati is a big town, and the VAST majority of people come to SGG from a very good distance. His "shepherd's heart" should be grateful there are ANY sheep left to castigate, especially when he upbraids them for such utter nonsense!
He, like many clerics in these days, is completely OUT OF TOUCH with what it is to be a working man in these times, much less a Catholic working man who has to juggle many things, and travel quite a distance to do anything at church. The church has been reduced to 'domestic proportions': DEAL WITH IT, people! Stop being so damn wasteful with the peoples' hard-earned money, while you are at it.
Knowing many of the people there, I can safely say they would ALL get their ashes if they were in an actual parish, and lived a normal distance. GET REAL, Bp. Dolan! Stop taking swipes at those who enable you to live like a bloomin' king!