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I have been told second-hand that the Society vigorously discourages home schooling but I have no first-hand knowledge of that.

It's not hard to imagine that when living near a Trad school, there is going to be pressure to enroll your children. Schools can offer more -- better teachers, more classes and activities, etc -- the more students they have. All of the families, teachers, and administration of the school see those who won't enroll their children as obstacles to their own success. It would be difficult for me to imagine it otherwise.

However, there are many SSPX locations without a school and I really doubt that homeschooling is discouraged in those locations. I've never seen it here.

Here in Phoenix there doesn't seem to be any push to increase enrollment in the academy.

I just want to make it painfully clear to everyone on CathInfo that the priests are not suspected or accused of anything, except bad judgement, deception, covering up the situation, and turning a blind eye.

What should be discussed (has it even been here?) is how we think the situation could've been handled better. What should've been done instead of what was done? There's some talk here about mistrust in the U.S. justice system, so why would not immediately contacting the police be imprudent, negligent, or covering-up? Yes, withholding information could be a sin (e.g., negligence), but it's not lying; it could also be prudent.

Also, didn't the SSPX handle the Fr. Urrotigoity scandal to the best of its ability and knowledge? If not, how should've that one been handled?

From the mailbag:

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I read [CathInfo], and thought I would update you on the post falls affair.  Most everything written so far is fairly correct.  I say fairly because many go off course with their bickering and jumping to conclusions.

Correspondence has been received by us parishioners from Fr Wegner informing us of Fr Vassals resignation, with a letter also from Fr Vassal himself confirming that he is leaving, effective today.  We will be getting a new pastor, which is good!  But I want to say that the school is in no way fixed.  I only hope the parents can see that!  It is depressing for those of us being honest about the situation, to see what is happening and what is not.  

I appreciate very much your helping to spread our terrible news, as it needed to get out to inform people.  There will always be people who won't believe it, and I am sorry for them.  It is a terrible thing when abuse touches your family, and I hope they never need to experience that.

Please continue to pray for the people of post falls, and especially for our children.

My sympathy for the new pastor.

Imagine being assigned to a parish where a scandal like this is raging like a plague.

We ought to pray for him to St. Damien of Moloka'i.  He knew what it's like to work as a priest in a leper colony.

Quote from: Geremia

Here in Phoenix there doesn't seem to be any push to increase enrollment in the academy.

Did you miss Mass last Sunday??

Fr. Crane basically gave a thinly-veiled threat to those who do not have their kids in the school by reminding them that Canon Law says Catholic children are NOT to be enrolled in mixed-faith or secualr schools. He even went one step further and reminded everyone that priests used to withhold the Sacraments from parents who did not enroll their kids in the school.

I have a friend in the parish whose kids are not in the school and she described it as being perceived (by her) as a threat.

Fr. Crane has reason to anticipate a financially crippling exodus from the school, his continued presence as Sloniker's "alleged" enabler. He needs to go where there are NO children... period.

from mailbag:

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Correspondence has been received by us parishioners from Fr Wegner informing us of Fr Vassals resignation, with a letter also from Fr Vassal himself confirming that he is leaving, effective today.  We will be getting a new pastor, which is good!  

How was that correspondence received? Was a letter from Wegner reprinted in last Sunday's bulletin?  Or, were only certain parishioners informed?

Has Fr. Vassal's letter of resignation been shown to the entire congregation?  Did he actually "resign" of his own volition, or was he yanked by Menzingen for re-assignment elsewhere?

Why is getting a new pastor so good?  He may be another disappointment.  Hopefully, he doesn't have to learn English on the fly.

When we came to ICC in 2005, Fr. Emily was on his way out.  He had been driven out, we understood then, by prominent lay members in the chapel,who thought him  to be too morally rigid and unbending.  Is that really true or not?  We don't know to this day.

Emily was replaced by Swiss priest, Fr. Christian Grange, a hail fellow well met.  But was he really good for the situation?  Was he an effective "pastor?"  Well, I guess the jury is still out on that one, at least in our minds.

Of one thing we can be pretty certain. If +Fellay picked the new ICC pastor,  count on him being more of a loyal  servant (lackey?) to Menzingen, than a shepherd to the people.

I was there, and I loved Fr. Emily, and it is true that he was driven out.   It was a long time ago, and I do not remember any longer the exact details.   At the time, it was more of the same ICC brood of vipers shenanigans.  

Fr. Emily was driven out.

Fr. Leo Boyle was driven out.

Fr. Doran was driven out.

Right before I read your post, I seemed to remember it had something to do with the Dominicans.  Quite a demanding group of women.

There are  at least three letters, I understand, which were disseminated locally at ICC, and available to all the faithful there.  But thus far they have not been gotten online.  We have a friend in the area who promises to forward some,or all of them today  Let's see if this friend makes good on his promise.

One of these is a letter of resignation from Fr. Paul Vassal.  I am persuaded that it should be available online, although he and his superiors might disagree.

Another letter, or docuмent, speaking to the sordid issue, was published by the ICC Heart of Mary Guild.  Again, the Guild might object to its being disseminated for all to read.  Nevertheless, I hope that either our friend or someone else will agree to make it public online.

A third letter, (and there may be more), has been published, also for local parish consumption.  Its authors are members of the mens' Holy Name Society.  This letter, we understand, comes to the Society's defense, and, reportedly, would brand people like myself as "hatemongers."  That's a letter I would really like to see get online.

Again, let us hope that my friend comes through, or that one of you, with similar access to these docuмents, will agree to publish them for the entire cyber world to read.

Dear Alexandria,

I think that the mistake that people are making is this

They didn't bargain on finding lax morals in their fellow parishioners and an unsafe moral atmosphere in the schools.

Why would these chapels have parishioners that are any different than the Catholic parishes that existed pre-Vatican 2? Has human nature changed? I think to expect  a parish chapel to be filled with saints is probably foolish. I wish a Catholic chapel/ parish existed with Catholics that are like those that lived in the 1st century, but to expect that in the sewer of the modern world is problematic. I guess the question would be is having regular access to the sacraments without anything else worth moving a family across the country without financial prospects? As a single person, I wish I had the courage to move to a place like Mount St. Mary's, but I would have no family in the area, an established position, or financial help should I get into difficulty. Does God desire that from me?