S
SDA2RC
Guest
I would like some advice on what to do regarding a meeting my wife and I had with our parish priest on Saturday. Let me set the stage…
Our previous priest (who “retired” around thanksgiving) last year had recommended Seton Home Study to us because of our inability due to location and money to send our son to a Catholic School, as well as our concern for the poor academics and a lot of what he was bringing home from his public school.
At the beginning of CCD this year, we were trying to insure that our son was there each week, my wife had just had a baby, and began returning to work a couple nights a week, and we work opposite schedules so we do not have to do a lot of child care. Anyway, to make a long story short, with sleeping schedules, no help from family (who are not RC and strongly opposed to it), the hour round trip to the church etc…etc… the priest told us not to worry about coming to CCD since he is getting a Catholic Education through Seton, and interacting with the other kids through the Catholic Homeschool group that met in our parish twice a month for Mass, confession, activities and field trips. He said it it was treated just as if he was attending school at a Catholic School.
Anyway, new priest, after my wife began having medical problems in December and surgery, we have not been able to get our son back to CCD, so scheduled a meeting with the new priest to discuss his sacraments. Our new priest claimed he had never heard “in all my 45 years as a priest” of home study in the Catholic Church. Furthermore, he said that Seton must be part of some offshoot group. When we presented him with his religion materials, he said since the book did not have the Imprimatur, it was useless. Finally, he began “examining” our son, ie. tell what the 4th commandment is, what are all teh commandments in order, the difference between a venial and mortal sin, what three conditions need to exist for a mortal sin… etc…etc… My son was actually able to answer everything… and even the priest said he was impressed at his knowledge of the basics of the faith. He said he would give him the sacraments.
He then began YELLING at us about being so “arrogant” as to take up his time to “examine” our son. He is not able to spend 15 minutes with each of the other children in CCD, therefore it was unfair for us to expect just because we do not attend CCD that he give us that time. He then began telling us that the whole “damn” thing was ridiculous, and that the the home school system was total “BS” (only he did not abbreviate, at which time we asked our son to leave for a little bit).
I asked how it would have been treated if he were going to a Catholic School and and he said that, “those people are a bunch of elitists too”! He then went on to say that Homestudy was anti-catholic etc…etc… I explained that there was actually several people in our parish (incluiding the lady who cleans his apartment) and other local parishes that homeschool and that we even have a Catholic homeschool group wich used to meet in our parish. He reiterated that it was just a bunch of “elitist BS”.
He then told us that we do not want to be Catholic. When I asked him why he would say this, he explained that it was because we wanted to be elitist!! I said so if we homestudy we are elitist’s and if our child attends a Catholic school we are also elitists according to you correct? He said “yes”. My wife then asked him point blank if he thought that our son should be attending public school, to which he replied, that would be fine, “because then you would have to attend CCD and not take up my time for this BS”.
Anyway, after his screaming and going on for some time, my wife was crying he would not calm down so we finally left, on the way to the car, our son asked us why the new priest was swearing at us…
So my question is not so much with his position, everyone has a right to their opinion, but to his behavior. My best friend, who is a priest in another area of the diocese, suggested we just ignore it. Another close Catholic friend feels we should write to the bishop, because according to her, this is not the first time he has let loose on people for no apparent reason. (but that is hearsay)
My inclination is somewhere in the middle, i.e. to write him a letter and copy the bishop on it? His behavior was so irrational and violent (not physically) that I seriously would have throught he may be on drugs were it someone else.
Suggestions?
Our previous priest (who “retired” around thanksgiving) last year had recommended Seton Home Study to us because of our inability due to location and money to send our son to a Catholic School, as well as our concern for the poor academics and a lot of what he was bringing home from his public school.
At the beginning of CCD this year, we were trying to insure that our son was there each week, my wife had just had a baby, and began returning to work a couple nights a week, and we work opposite schedules so we do not have to do a lot of child care. Anyway, to make a long story short, with sleeping schedules, no help from family (who are not RC and strongly opposed to it), the hour round trip to the church etc…etc… the priest told us not to worry about coming to CCD since he is getting a Catholic Education through Seton, and interacting with the other kids through the Catholic Homeschool group that met in our parish twice a month for Mass, confession, activities and field trips. He said it it was treated just as if he was attending school at a Catholic School.
Anyway, new priest, after my wife began having medical problems in December and surgery, we have not been able to get our son back to CCD, so scheduled a meeting with the new priest to discuss his sacraments. Our new priest claimed he had never heard “in all my 45 years as a priest” of home study in the Catholic Church. Furthermore, he said that Seton must be part of some offshoot group. When we presented him with his religion materials, he said since the book did not have the Imprimatur, it was useless. Finally, he began “examining” our son, ie. tell what the 4th commandment is, what are all teh commandments in order, the difference between a venial and mortal sin, what three conditions need to exist for a mortal sin… etc…etc… My son was actually able to answer everything… and even the priest said he was impressed at his knowledge of the basics of the faith. He said he would give him the sacraments.
He then began YELLING at us about being so “arrogant” as to take up his time to “examine” our son. He is not able to spend 15 minutes with each of the other children in CCD, therefore it was unfair for us to expect just because we do not attend CCD that he give us that time. He then began telling us that the whole “damn” thing was ridiculous, and that the the home school system was total “BS” (only he did not abbreviate, at which time we asked our son to leave for a little bit).
I asked how it would have been treated if he were going to a Catholic School and and he said that, “those people are a bunch of elitists too”! He then went on to say that Homestudy was anti-catholic etc…etc… I explained that there was actually several people in our parish (incluiding the lady who cleans his apartment) and other local parishes that homeschool and that we even have a Catholic homeschool group wich used to meet in our parish. He reiterated that it was just a bunch of “elitist BS”.
He then told us that we do not want to be Catholic. When I asked him why he would say this, he explained that it was because we wanted to be elitist!! I said so if we homestudy we are elitist’s and if our child attends a Catholic school we are also elitists according to you correct? He said “yes”. My wife then asked him point blank if he thought that our son should be attending public school, to which he replied, that would be fine, “because then you would have to attend CCD and not take up my time for this BS”.
Anyway, after his screaming and going on for some time, my wife was crying he would not calm down so we finally left, on the way to the car, our son asked us why the new priest was swearing at us…
So my question is not so much with his position, everyone has a right to their opinion, but to his behavior. My best friend, who is a priest in another area of the diocese, suggested we just ignore it. Another close Catholic friend feels we should write to the bishop, because according to her, this is not the first time he has let loose on people for no apparent reason. (but that is hearsay)
My inclination is somewhere in the middle, i.e. to write him a letter and copy the bishop on it? His behavior was so irrational and violent (not physically) that I seriously would have throught he may be on drugs were it someone else.
Suggestions?
