CathInfo.com

From the bulletin of St Gertrude the Great:

The sorrow of the death of Fr. Collins, a true priest and former confrere, one of “the nine,” was compounded with confusion and scandal when the lay executor cancelled the agreed upon funeral plans at the last minute. Tickets had been purchased, mourners had begun their travel. Fr. Collins had agreed to the original arrangements, and left money for all the funeral expenses. Now Catholics are being asked to donate for this cause under false pretenses. All very unfortunate. Sometimes funerals bring out the worst in people. We hope to have a Solemn Mass for the repose of Father’s soul at a later date.

https://www.cathinfo.com/the-sacred-catholic-liturgy-chant-prayers/prayers-for-father-joseph-collins/msg652436/#msg652436

Dear Fr. Cekada: This is CDR John Sharpe, USN, the Executor of Fr. Collins's Estate - as you correctly note. (I write from my wife's account with her permission.) Despite my personal distaste for social media, I feel obliged to point out that your post is factually inaccurate and defamatory, as the text of Fr. Collins's Last Will and Testament will confirm. I respectfully request and demand that you remove it from public view and/or circulation immediately. (I also note for your benefit that it is likely actionable in my home state of Maryland under the latter's long-arm jurisdiction statute.) Those of your followers or readers (or whatever they are called) who are interested in the facts may contact me directly via cell phone at 757 332 2074 or email at john.sharpe@charter.net. Additionally, anyone interested in simply attending Fr. Collins's funeral to pray for the repose of his soul and celebrate his tremendous, one-of-a-kind legacy, are encouraged and absolutely welcome to do so (on the evening of May 7 and the morning of May 8 in Glenmont, NY), putting aside the questions of who officiates at the ceremonies and the date they are conducted. (Incidentally, and finally, you may be interested to know that email transcripts and records of text messages, telephone calls, and voicemails will confirm my attempts on this past Saturday (less than 6 hours after Fr.'s entrance into immortality), Sunday, and Monday to contact Bishop Dolan directly - who personally provided me with his direct email address for that purpose - in order to coordinate and collaborate with him - rather than exclude him, his enterprise, or you - with regard to details of the funeral rites. Your defamatory social media post was, as it happens, the only reply I received in response to my otherwise unsuccessful communications attempts.) Yours most sincerely in Our Lord and His Holy Mother. --Feast of St. Catherine of Siena.

http://isoc.ws/donate/
 STATEMENT OF THE ESTATE OF FR. JOSEPH F. COLLINS: “Based in part on consultation with intimate friends and family of Fr. Collins, his Estate has authorized the establishment of a means to accept donations to assist the Estate with expenses for his funeral and remaining medical bills. Solely as a matter of convenience and given the pressure of time, the donations will be accepted by a small Catholic organization (see http://isoc.ws) that Fr. Collins supported as chaplain and advisor over the last years of his earthly life. (In consequence, and quite obviously, the donations are for Fr.’s Estate expenses and not for the organization. [Take note of tax consequences accordingly.] An accounting of income and expenses will be made at the appropriate time after receipts and Estate debts are tallied.) While contributions will be gratefully received, the Estate does not in any way wish to impede contributions that may be made to priests and religious organizations around the world for Masses to be said for the repose of Fr. Collins’s soul. We also acknowledge the regrettable circulation (apparently by individuals close to Fr. and unconcerned with his privacy or of the legal implications of circulating inaccurate and potentially defamatory information) of rumors to the effect that the Estate came into possession of a very large sum of money upon Fr.’s departure from this life. Without conceding any limitations upon the legal authority vested by common and positive law in Fr.’s Estate, we finally note, for the sake of transparency and the assurance of potential contributors and other interested parties, that 1) the Estate does not control the account holding the aforementioned sum (the exact value of which is presently unknown), which is both legally and practically inaccessible to the Estate; 2) the Estate is willing to receive contributions merely to offset (and reimburse in a timely way) funeral costs and other Estate debts that include, most importantly, the travel expenses (and stipends, as applicable) of clergy, singers, and impoverished laity who wish to attend the services but who would otherwise be impeded financially from doing so; 3) the key surviving family members expressly endorsed this course of action for the opportunity it would provide for individuals who knew and loved Fr. to show their appreciation of his life by the tangible means of financial participation in his obsequies; and 4) this course of action is consistent with Fr.’s final wishes, expressed numerous times and in various ways – a fact as to which at least one person is prepared, if necessary, to offer eye-witness testimony under oath, and which is also confirmed by readily available extrinsic evidence.”