According to recent conversations with Blessed Sacrament and St. Boniface parishioners, Fr. Robert Kennedy has been named the new leader of the St. Mary/St. Boniface/Blessed Sacrament cluster. Fr. Kennedy seems like a logical choice for the position, seeing as how Fr. Brickler, long-time pastor of St. Boniface, is due to retire, and Anne-Marie Brogan is notorious for flirting with, nay, warmly embracing dissident teachings regarding Church doctrine and theology. Fr. Kennedy is one of the Rochester priests who put his name on this document, which states the Church should “recognize the blessings of countless homosexuals in a variety of relationships.”
Update (Dr. K): A reader has commented that Fr. Horan will be taking over at Holy Trinity, Webster.
Tags: DoR If I Only Had a Hart, Homosexuality, News and Media, St. Mary's Downtown
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Actually, this is probably the best-case scenario for this cluster. I’m almost surprised it wasn’t given to AMB
I wonder if Anne-Marie Brogan will still “administer” St. Mary while Fr. Kennedy and a TBA priest perform sacramental duties there in addition to Bl.S./St. B.
It is not a surprise that Fr. Horan would move on from Irondequoit. Initially, he didn’t think the IPPG plan for Irondequoit was in the best interest of the faithful but in the end he didn’t have the fortitude of his convictions to do the right thing and he capitulated to Buffalo Rd.
When he arrived in 2001 at St. Margaret Mary parish, it was a large stable parish. During his tenure, the parish numbers declined almost in half and in the end he handed his parish and pastorship over to Fr. Tanck without a fight. How sad. With this new assignment, the bishop is giving him his silver coins and Irondequoit Catholics are left holding the bag. Holy Trinity beware!
Correct. The average attendance at St. Margaret Mary in 2001 was 1,326. Last year the church was averaging between 500-700 each week.
One can only pray that we get one of these.
If you look around the country, very few dioceses have lay pastoral administrators in the quantity that the DoR has them. Even fewer (if any) have pastoral administrators with the full administrative power and liturgical presence that is common here. The dioceses which have these lay administrators often call them something like “parish life coordinators.” There may be no more than five or so in a diocese and they often help with administrative duties at far off, small rural parishes. They certainly do not process in with the priest and give the homily.
Fr. Horan’s own words…..the following is an excerpt from the infamous IPPG meeting minutes, May 20, 2009.:
“Father Tim addressed the IPPG committee with remarks leading to an IPPG consensus that the five Irondequoit parishes move away from clustering and exist as one parish…..it is likely that three sites will be needed. Father Tim’s words expressed as such: “I continue to believe that the model of independent parishes working toward intensive collaboration would best serve the people of Irondequoit. However, the emotional fallout that would arise with some parishes clustering or closing and some remaining as is, would in the end, only foster resentment and further divide an already divided community. I do not want to subject St. Margaret Mary and the clustered parishes to the trauma that my minority opinion would cause. I withdraw the proposal for parishes remaining independent.”
So the parish pastor priest lets himself become a “minority opinion!” Once the pastor folded, Deb Housel could move forward with THE PLAN. Welcome to the lay run church of the DoR! In fact Fr Tim’s worst nightmare came true, the result in Irondequoit was closed parishes, resentment, and a divided and financially crippled community. Sure he now wants to head to west Webster! The IPPG mantra was “individually we die, to experience union in rebirth, as one.” What a bunch of hog wash! Ask the parishioners at STA and SS if they have been reborn yet! In Father Tim’s defense…..It is tough to be a martyr, many do not have the courage to stand against the forces that wish to destroy the Church.
Fr. Horan may prove to be an upgrade over Fr. Michatek. At least you’ll have far fewer Communion Services during the week.
From what I have observed, Fr. Horan is a man of God, a sincere follower of Christ, one of the most reverent, respectful men I have ever seen conduct the liturgy of the Eucharist, and a thoughtful confessor. I have never heard him “phone in” a homily; to the contrary, his homilies are always thought-provoking and speak directly to the parishioner.
He also saw my family through an incredibly painful time with absolute grace. The love and peace of God poured through this man in a way I just can’t describe.
We will miss him terribly.
Complete lack of reverence in the St Margaret Mary service. It was pathetic. Never to return.
I don’t know Fr. Horan personally, nor am I able to comment on his ability as an administrator. What I can tell you is that his ars celebrandi is reverent and composed, and as pastor at St. Margaret Mary he permitted Fr. John Rossi, his weekend celebrant for a number of years, to deliver one of the most stirring, passionate defenses of the unborn I have ever heard from the lectern. Writing about it now five years later still makes me shiver.
Chasm – from whom, and when?
Fr. Ring to St Louis, according to a friend.