Bishop Robert Carlson - Sioux Falls

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someone said:
“sometimes I can’t stand going to my home parish (Caro, Mi.)…”
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and someone else said:
“He’ll probably be percieved initially as too far right by many in that diocese. But I don’t think that he will necessarily act too quickly and unilaterily such that he will only polarize and be uneffecive. Rather, I suppose that he will teach and reach out to people pastorally, while making determined efforts at building up and instructing the good faith and inculcating an understanding of those principles which underlie proper practice such that things can eventually come around.”
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I say - as a new member here - Let the changes come! Come on change! Please, POLARIZE AWAY!!! :clapping: We travel 35 minutes to get to a decent mass, rather than two blocks up the street in our very small town. It’s an absolute injustice to all of us who should be able to particpate in the mass, with all the proper prayers, a homily by the priest, a crucifix on the wall - decent catechism for all of us, especially our kids. :mad: We left our home parish just over 5 years ago, traveled to the Gaylord diocese to a better parish - kneelers, prayers all there, but have just begun attending another small parish also 35 miles, but IN the Saginaw diocese (I think it has been operating under the Untener radar):cool: We’d still rather come back to our home parish, with our friends, & neighbors, those who are left! But I had to leave when they stopped the Creed, etc, I could go on & on but you all already know all of the abuses and they are ALL happening here in Harrison.:banghead: Since then a nun (?) is “pastor” and they have a priest (retired) who is the “sacramental minister”. I’d like to know if the priesthood is supposed to be a vocation like marriage, why they think they can retire??? When I’m 65 or 70, should I retire and just show up to my husband’s home to be a sacramental minister??? something to think about???:ehh: thanks for listening to this vent - there’s lots more, but I’ll spare you all. I need to go pray my roasry for some charity and to pray for our new bishop!
 
I am also in the Saginaw Diocese. I concur with the need for dramatic changes and a return to orthodoxy from the heterodoxy we have been living under.

I would like to encourage all to write our new Bishop explaining the abuses, the hurt, and our hope for his strong leadership.

What would such a letter contain?

For example:
  1. Lay ministers giving homilies
  2. The lack of vocations (Priest, Deacons, Nuns)
  3. The lack of a crucifix in parishes
  4. The formulation of the bread for communion
  5. The use of glass to hold the precious blood
  6. Not kneeling at the consecration
  7. No kneelers
  8. Eucharistic prayers and form of Mass
  9. Location of the tabernacle
  10. Saginaw prayer (she God)
  11. Inappropriate use of general absolution
  12. Form of sacraments (e.g., no pennance)
These are major issues for me. I personally do not know which of them is most important. I suppose that illicit Masses need to be fixed first (i.e., formuation of the host).

Have I left anything out? How would you rank order the problems you see?

Your help is appreciated as I will use these topics to inform the Bishop of the problems that he can easily correct.

Many thanks,
 
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Scapular:
I am also in the Saginaw Diocese. I concur with the need for dramatic changes and a return to orthodoxy from the heterodoxy we have been living under.

I would like to encourage all to write our new Bishop explaining the abuses, the hurt, and our hope for his strong leadership.

What would such a letter contain?

For example:
  1. Lay ministers giving homilies
  2. The lack of vocations (Priest, Deacons, Nuns)
  3. The lack of a crucifix in parishes
  4. The formulation of the bread for communion
  5. The use of glass to hold the precious blood
  6. Not kneeling at the consecration
  7. No kneelers
  8. Eucharistic prayers and form of Mass
  9. Location of the tabernacle
  10. Saginaw prayer (she God)
  11. Inappropriate use of general absolution
  12. Form of sacraments (e.g., no pennance)
These are major issues for me. I personally do not know which of them is most important. I suppose that illicit Masses need to be fixed first (i.e., formuation of the host).

Have I left anything out? How would you rank order the problems you see?

Your help is appreciated as I will use these topics to inform the Bishop of the problems that he can easily correct.

Many thanks,
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I am a member of an adjoining parish between Saginaw and Ann Arbor… and your diocese is and has been prayed for now for some time. Your late bishop was, I think, also an “excuse” to us to accept some of the stuff coming out of Lansing. Now, I pray we may be placed in a position to “compete” with your new Bishop… I hope!
 
I would like to encourage all to write our new Bishop explaining the abuses, the hurt, and our hope for his strong leadership.

What would such a letter contain?

For example:
  1. Lay ministers giving homilies
  2. The lack of vocations (Priest, Deacons, Nuns)
  3. The lack of a crucifix in parishes
  4. The formulation of the bread for communion
  5. The use of glass to hold the precious blood
  6. Not kneeling at the consecration
  7. No kneelers
  8. Eucharistic prayers and form of Mass
  9. Location of the tabernacle
  10. Saginaw prayer (she God)
  11. Inappropriate use of general absolution
  12. Form of sacraments (e.g., no pennance)
These are major issues for me. I personally do not know which of them is most important. I suppose that illicit Masses need to be fixed first (i.e., formuation of the host).

Have I left anything out? How would you rank order the problems you see?

Hi Scapular,
You took the idea right out of my mouth. When my parents called me Thursday morning to tell me the news of the new appt. I said I wanted to write to him and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. When we left our home parish, I wrote an 11 page paper with all accopmanying documentation, to our then priest and cc it for Bishop Untener. Fat lot of good it did me. I never heard from the bishop and our priest at the time had a heated two hour phone conversation that went nowhere. But there is always hope and I really want to return with my children to St. Athanasius, located conveniently up the street! I want to know that if I take my homeschoolers there we can make a visit and KNOW that Jesus IS TRULY present in the tabernacle - because it got so bad with the recipe thing that I began to doubt so we would not go even for visits. If He has been there, He has been very lonely. There is no adoration there whatsoever. Sad, sad, sad.
The problem list - as I see it - could be divided up into categories -(I guess I’m an “organizer”). Some are in the “very easy to fix” group (ie crucifixes back up, stations of the cross back up, statues, candles) - in other words “environmental asthetics” or whatever they call it. Then we have the personnel issues - our nun pastor, priests who think they should be called “sacramental ministers”, DREs and others who are running things when the priest should be calling the shots, homilies being given by lay people, misuse of Extrordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, which leads to the category of irreverance towards the Blessed Sacrament - both in & out of liturgy, lack of kneeling, genuflecting, recipies, tabernacle placement, and then the other categories of liturgical abuse & sacramental abuse (communal confession & NO CONFESSION UNTIL TWO YEARS (4th Grade) AFTER 1ST EUCHARIST!!!) OK, I’ll breathe now, meanwhile this letter, LETTERS, must be written and very quickly. Prayerfully & quickly. Poor man is gonna need a lot of prayer. Thanks for replying and reading all of this. Lets get those letters done this weekend. Where do you think we should send them?
:blessyou: Beth
 
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ekindermann:
someone said: and someone else said: I say - as a new member here - Let the changes come! Come on change! Please, POLARIZE AWAY!!! :clapping: We travel 35 minutes to get to a decent mass, rather than two blocks up the street in our very small town. It’s an absolute injustice to all of us who should be able to particpate in the mass, with all the proper prayers, a homily by the priest, a crucifix on the wall - decent catechism for all of us, especially our kids. :mad: We left our home parish just over 5 years ago, traveled to the Gaylord diocese to a better parish - kneelers, prayers all there, but have just begun attending another small parish also 35 miles, but IN the Saginaw diocese (I think it has been operating under the Untener radar):cool: We’d still rather come back to our home parish, with our friends, & neighbors, those who are left! But I had to leave when they stopped the Creed, etc, I could go on & on but you all already know all of the abuses and they are ALL happening here in Harrison.:banghead: Since then a nun (?) is “pastor” and they have a priest (retired) who is the “sacramental minister”. I’d like to know if the priesthood is supposed to be a vocation like marriage, why they think they can retire??? When I’m 65 or 70, should I retire and just show up to my husband’s home to be a sacramental minister??? something to think about???:ehh: thanks for listening to this vent - there’s lots more, but I’ll spare you all. I need to go pray my roasry for some charity and to pray for our new bishop!
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I’d doubt that laundry lists for the new bishop are going to do much. Or demands that he fix everything quickly.

Certainly, he knows all too well of the problems in Saginaw (who doesn’t?) And surely he wants to see things move in a better direction. However, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Management is the art of dealing with people. And it is likely that he will have to deal with some very stubborn types who lead parishes and diocesan bureaucracy. That won’t be easy and won’t allow him to just sway his sword. Rather, it will more likely be a long, arduous, and dedicated effort at rebuilding in reality. So rather that sending him a “to do” list of things that you want fixed, why not simply send him a short, kind message of support. You can express and acknowledge that there are certainly many difficult concerns which he will face as part of that and offer your own dedication to help him see through any efforts at strengthening the Church without merely whining about everything that’s wrong. Such a letter would probably go a lot farther in the long run.
 
I also believe Bishop Carlson should be inundated with letters from orthodox members of his new diocese, if for no other reason than to let him know there are orthodox members in his new diocese! We know from the “Catholic Weekly” that a group of diocesan leaders has been working together with Bishop Gumbleton to put together a list of what this diocese feels are non-negotiables, including lay preachers. Some friends and I have been working on a letter to the new bishop (whoever he would be) for the past month, and it’s high time we got it out. It’s a cinch that the Untener-ites will get Carlson’s ear first, but we need to speak out for the Truth. Here’s the address from the Sioux Falls diocese web site.

Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls - 523 N. Duluth Ave Sioux Falls, SD 57104
 
Gosh, I thought I was the only one who talked about the “mess” that Untener left behind.

My letter to the new bishop was drafted five months ago, at least. I don’t think I have to change a word based on the comments in this thread.

did y’all read in the Catholic Weekly a few weeks ago about that group of lay ministers, nuns, and priests who met in May? They came up with a list of things that “they are not willing to let go.” I got a copy of it, and based on that, I’d say the bishop is going to be drinking a lot of coffee and talking to a lot of people in his new house.

also, see next post…
 
Bishop Carlson, the politician

Shouldn’t be too quick to any conclusions, but BC seems to be quite the polician. The feature stories about him in the Saginaw News and Bay City Times naturally were very similar.

Curiously, to dodge a pointed question, BC said that his predecessor (not mentioning him by name ! ) “was neither liberal nor conservative.” See? I had made private predictions that the next bishop would be a politician. And, in typical politician fashion, he tells a lie to dodge all the controversy surrounding BU. He will deal with the issues after he takes office in February.

But, of course, YEAAA !, he’s going to be installed in the Cathedral, not in a sports arena. My guess is that will be broadcast on TV, like BU’s funeral was, or so I hope.

BOO, that he already has indicated an intent to establish a residence in Saginaw Township…why not back in Saginaw, especially near the Cathedral?

The subtitle of the article in the paper about BC was “give him a chance” – perhaps we should all do that, but THANK GOD FOR A BISHOP ESPOUSING ORTHODOXY AND COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY FATHER !!
 
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BayCityRickL:
Gosh, I thought I was the only one who talked about the “mess” that Untener left behind.

My letter to the new bishop was drafted five months ago, at least. I don’t think I have to change a word based on the comments in this thread.

did y’all read in the Catholic Weekly a few weeks ago about that group of lay ministers, nuns, and priests who met in May? They came up with a list of things that “they are not willing to let go.” I got a copy of it, and based on that, I’d say the bishop is going to be drinking a lot of coffee and talking to a lot of people in his new house.
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See…that’s why I think the letters are important! Good for you for having it ready already. A friend on another list said that she was counseled by Frs. Hardon and Fiores to keep letters 1 - 2 pages max. She said, "so a formal and respectful, prudent, brief, and “non-whiney” letter would be a good start in establishing contact with your new bishop. If there is a matter that will not
allow for any waiting time, I still recommend the same approach - but with a careful note of urgency. Letters of greater length might be written after “first contact.”
I’d be honored to have coffee with him! I just want him to know we’re not all pleased with the way things have been and that we’ve been unjustly displaced form our home parishes. We need help!! We are raising four children ages 6 - 19, and it is difficult enough without the lack of help from my parish and diocese. We went out of diocese for the sacraments of Confession, Confirmation and First Eucharist for our girls and I’d like things to be “fixed” so we may return to OUR parish for our son’s reception of the sacraments.

I am also trying to decide how soon we should just return to our home parish - with the nun pastor, and othe "qualified lay persons :nope: giving the homilies - shudder - :crying: - and just start trying to be a change agent (for lack of a better phrase) in a kind, loving quiet way of course. Kneel while others stand, genuflect before we recieve Jesus, stop into the chapel where the tabernacle has been hidden to see Jesus before Mass, etc. Maybe even get involved in rel. ed. etc??? Just basically, get back in, make nice with the nun, and sacramental minister priest, and await the changes??? Any free advice??? I just hope it won’t take too long, I don’t know how long I could take it. Anyone else in similar circumstances out there?
 
Excellent advice from all!

The recommendation is that we write short 1-2 page letters to our new Bishop Carlson.

The purpose of the letters is to “make contact” and let him know that there are many who love the Chrurch and seek a restoration toward some basics that were lost to liberal progressivism.

The letter should not be “whining” but rather supportive and offering to help him. I sense in reading the writings of this Bishop that he respects those who teach from the firm foundation of Scripture and Magisterium. Therefore, your letter may have more impact if you remind the Bishop of the Scripture or Church teaching that supports the issue.

I certainly do not expect immediate changes in the Saginaw Diocese, but, by prioritizing issues such as the formulation of the Sacred Host, we are more likely to see results.

Faithfully yours,

Scapular
 
New poster here…

Seems like people are assuming an awful lot about this new bishop.

First of all, there are very few true abuses going on in Saginaw (all things considered)…and quite frankly, whether people like the changes Ken Untener made or not, they are not the kinds of things that will just suddenly be “undone”. This is not a diocese of “father knows best” kind of people.

Frankly, I’ve never understood what all the hullabaloo was about. I attended mass in Midland on Christmas Eve at St. Brigid’s and found it to be very prayerful from beginning to end…nothing outside of the rubrics from what I observed.
 
The abuses you have outlined have left me gobsmacked :eek: Thank God in Melbourne we have Archbishop Hart and although things are not good I don’t think that anything like you have outlined is happening here. The biggest worry in my parish is the priest, at weekday Mass, leaving the Sanctuary at the sign of peace! Re the lack of a crucifix. There must be a crucifix present on or near the altar during Mass. This is a GIRM instruction and must be complied with. Dissenters can get around it by bringing in a processional crucifix before Mass and taking it out after Mass.

The document Redemptionis Sacramentum - On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist - covers most of the abuses mentioned. For example Chapter III - the Proper Celebration of Mass. 1. The Matter of the Most Holy Eucharist. [48] The bread used in the celebration fo the Most Holy Eucharistic Sacrifice must be unleavened, purely of wheat…It follows therefore that bread made from another substance …does not constitute valid matter for confecting the Sacrifice and the Eucharistic Sacrament. It is a grave abuse (my emphasis) to introduce other substances, sucvh as fruit or sugar or honey into the bread for confecting the Eucharist…

Chapter 8 # 6. Complaints Regarding Abuses in Liturgical Matters
[183] In an altogether particular manner, let everyone do all that is in their power to ensure that the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist will be protected from any and every irreverence or distortion and that all abuses be thoroughly corrected. this is a most serious duty incumbent upon each and every one…(emphasis mine)

[184] Any Catholic…or lay member of Christ’s faithful, has the right to lodge a complaint regarding a liturgical abuse to the diocesan Bishop…or to the Apostolic See on account of the primacy of the Roman Pontiff…the report or complaint be submitted first to the diocesan Bishop. this is naturally to be done in truth and charity.

[186] …Let each one of the sacred ministers ask himself, even with severity, whether he has respected the rights of the lay members of Christ’s faithful, who confidently entrust themselves and their children to him, relying on him to fulfill for the faithful those sacred functions that the Church intends to carry
out in celebrating the sacred Liturgy at Christ’s command. For each one should always remember that he is a servant of the Sacred Liturgy. (emphasis mine)
 
Posted this in another thread:
Carlson is well-known as passionately orthodox - he was specially selected to clean up the (very) problematic Saginaw diocese. He’s a very good man and a wonderful bishop - the Sioux Falls diocese over the past few years would be a dream come true for most of the people here, with holy priests, a 0% sex abuse rate, high vocations, and genuine faithfulness to Rome. I was very fortunate to have converted in his cathedral and was confirmed by him. I have close friends who work for the bishop (one of whom will be departing with him for Saginaw), so I’m honestly not sure how much of what I know about the situation is public - however, the circumstances surrounding his acceptance of the position are admirable and speak well of him as a man of integrity. If I were a faithful Catholic in Saginaw, I’d be doing handsprings.
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To GULaw:

Boing, boing, boing! We are very excited here and thank you for the great (name removed by moderator)ut and news.

To Frommi:
St. Brigid is also known to have the local nun do the homily. I’m not sure what their communion bread if made of, but that is a big issue around here. I think you have to actually be in this diocese on a weekly basis to appreciate what goes on here. Would it not bother you to be uncertain whether you are actually getting the body of Christ, because of the bread having so many ingredients in it?

God Bless,
MBS1
 
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MBS1:
To GULaw:

To Frommi:
St. Brigid is also known to have the local nun do the homily. I’m not sure what their communion bread if made of, but that is a big issue around here. I think you have to actually be in this diocese on a weekly basis to appreciate what goes on here. Would it not bother you to be uncertain whether you are actually getting the body of Christ, because of the bread having so many ingredients in it?

God Bless,
MBS1
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Interesting…I went to mass there and received a host at every mass I went to. Are you sure were talking about the same parish? I’ve never seen a nun give a homily there, and I tend to visit there everytime I’m in Michigan, which is where I’m from (understanding the screen handle now FROMmi?)
 
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frommi:
New poster here…

Seems like people are assuming an awful lot about this new bishop.

First of all, there are very few true abuses going on in Saginaw (all things considered)…and quite frankly, whether people like the changes Ken Untener made or not, they are not the kinds of things that will just suddenly be “undone”. This is not a diocese of “father knows best” kind of people.

Frankly, I’ve never understood what all the hullabaloo was about. I attended mass in Midland on Christmas Eve at St. Brigid’s and found it to be very prayerful from beginning to end…nothing outside of the rubrics from what I observed.
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Wow! No offense friend, but, you haven’t been to the parishes I’ve been to. To save myself time I will cut & past a list from another writer. This list includes abuses as well as other problems which I have been subjected to and which have caused us (my family) to become “Roamin’ Catholics”, as the saying goes. Here’s another writer’s list. Following is a quote from one of my earlier replies re: abuses at liturgy. PLease read them and then tell me that we don’t have a problem in the Saginaw Diocese!
For example:
  1. Lay ministers giving homilies
  2. The lack of vocations (Priest, Deacons, Nuns)
  3. The lack of a crucifix in parishes
  4. The formulation of the bread for communion
  5. The use of glass to hold the precious blood
  6. Not kneeling at the consecration
  7. No kneelers
  8. Eucharistic prayers and form of Mass
  9. Location of the tabernacle
  10. Saginaw prayer (she God)
  11. Inappropriate use of general absolution
  12. Form of sacraments (e.g., no pennance)
my quote:
**The problem list - as I see it - could be divided up into categories -(I guess I’m an “organizer”). Some are in the “very easy to fix” group (ie crucifixes back up, stations of the cross back up, statues, candles) - in other words “environmental asthetics” or whatever they call it. Then we have the personnel issues - our nun pastor, priests who think they should be called “sacramental ministers”, DREs and others who are running things when the priest should be calling the shots, homilies being given by lay people, misuse of Extrordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, which leads to the category of irreverance towards the Blessed Sacrament - both in & out of liturgy, lack of kneeling, genuflecting, recipies, tabernacle placement, and then the other categories of liturgical abuse & sacramental abuse (communal confession & NO CONFESSION UNTIL TWO YEARS (4th Grade) AFTER 1ST EUCHARIST!!!) **
Finally, Frommi, I must take issue with a couple of your comments: First: Did anyone insinuate this is a “Father Knows Best” (as you put it) type of diocese??? Or do you mean “Holy Father” as in this diocese isn’t obedient to him??? or to the Church??? If that is what you meant, you are right. This hasn’t been a “Father knows best” diocese for a very long time and IMHO some overdue obedienmce is in high order! Second: What do you mean by, “there are very few true abuses going on in Saginaw (all things considered)…” What things should “be considered”??? What makes abuse (of any kind or amount) permissable?? Thirdly: To label these concerns, which were quite detailed and heartfelt as “hullabaloo”, tells me that you didn’t bother to read all the posts explaining the points of view of folks OR as another poster asked, "Would it not bother you to be uncertain whether you are actually getting the body of Christ, because of the bread having so many ingredients in it?" Your reply of:
*“Interesting…I went to mass there and received a host at every mass I went to. Are you sure were talking about the same parish? I’ve never seen a nun give a homily there, and I tend to visit there everytime I’m in Michigan, which is where I’m from (understanding the screen handle now FROMmi?)” *starts out simple and innocent enough (questioning whether the same parish is in question), but slides into quite the sarcastic, smug answer, stating that YOU’VE never seen a nun give the homily there (so what then it doesn’t happen???because you’ve never seen it??? Just when you happen to VISIT??? You’re screen name perhaps should then be - “FROMmi, but visits occasionally so I know what happens all the time everywhere in the Saginaw Diocese”.

Sorry to be so harsh, but gee whiz, man! Consider some of these facts before you are so dismissive of others concerns!!
😦 FROM the Saginaw Diocese and many parishes in it-because she’s had to drag her family to many parishes to find a decent liturgy!!!
 
I will be brief in my reply. I am a priest from the Diocese of Sioux Falls. I was truly saddened by the news of the loss of our Bishop. Yet, in talking with my sister she reminded me that there may have been many people in Saginaw praying for a man like him. Give him time, but more importantly give him prayer. As he has told the priests numerous times, You must be men of prayer. And he practices what he preaches. He will find a home and he will invite many people into his home. If you could see the new chapel at our Cathedral you would know that he desires things like marble, Icons, Crucifixes, and other Sacred images. He said in no uncertain terms that the glass had to go. And from what I can tell, it went.
He might seem political at times, but he also understands that you have to work with people at times. Yet, you will find that he speaks his mind.
You will find that vocations will flourish because he is a man you can follow. He brought in the Carmelites and an order from Mexico, to build up the prayer dimension in our diocese.
If you find he is not orthodox enough for you, no problem…I will take him back in a heartbeat.
 
I was ordained by Bishop Carlson and he is my Bishop for at least a few more weeks. I can tell you we are devastated about the announcement of his transfer. First of all because we are losing him. He is a father and friend to many of us. Second that we can’t even be happy for him because his new assignment is so bad.

That being said we rejoice for the orthodox catholics of the Diocese of Saginaw because the Lord heard the cry of the poor. Bishop Carlson is orthodox. There is no question of that. I left my home diocese so I could study under him. But more than that he is what a Bishop should be. Even more important is he is a true man of prayer who loves Jesus Christ. He is a true believer and I love him dearly for that and thank God for that in my life.

That being said and after having read some of the people from Saginaw’s posts I would like to offer you some suggestions. As a priest I am a spiritual father to you in the ontological realm even though I might not have met you directly. Also given my love for Bishop and my knowledge of him I think that what I would like to suggest would allow you to help him to help you.

You don’t need to write a letter to tell him of the abuses. Everyone knows the abuses. That is what has sickened most of us about the appointment. Our Bishop is going to Calvary. But as a priest that is where he is supposed to go.

You can write him letters of support and encouragement. Leave the abuses out. Everyone knows about them. Tell him you love him. Tell him He is an answer to a prayer. Ask him to call upon you if he needs anything. Don’t offer suggestions. He prays a holy hour everyday and will take his direction from the Lord. Be loving Children because God has provided you with a wonderful Father. God has fulfilled his promise Pastores Dabo Vobis. He gave you a shepherd after his own heart.

But more importantly you need to storm the gates of heaven with prayer for my Bishop and your soon to be Bishop. Prayer and Fasting. Especially the rosary and holy hours. This is not a battle against flesh and blood. It truly is spiritual warefare. Read Eph 6:10-20 everyday. Pray it and live it. Pray the St. Michael prayer every day. This is how you help him. This is what he needs to provide you with what you need and so desperately desire.

Pray.

When he does come and he starts projects you need to get behind him with your time, talent and treasure in a very sacrificial way. Lots of sacrifices are being made to bring him to you. Now you need to go to the cross with him.

That is the best advice I can give you. It is the advice of a priest who dearly loves his Bishop and wants to see him get waht he needs. I will do my part. I hope you do yours.

I will be at the installation and maybe will be able to meet some of you there. Please say hello. I’m the big guy with the Marine haircut.

Seeing your hopeful responses has offered me hope. I am glad there will be people there to love and appreciate him. Trust me you will.

If you would like to ask more questions please feel free to contact me through my blog in the comments box.
fathertodd.com/blog/

I will be praying for you and for Bishop Carlson. Truly the Lord has blessed you.
 
Dear FatherTodd,

Thanks for your nice note. Please understand that we who write letters to our new Bishop are responding by the very mechanism that the magisterium has set out for us.

We believe that there is no way the Bishop can visit each parish, even in a year. We also have the problem that each parish seems to be choosing a different set of liturgical abuses. Frankly, we don’t have the perspective on the entire dioceses as we too have not been to all the parishes. The letter that we will send will serve to introduce ourselves, inform the Bishop of what we suffer from the most, and offer our personal assistance and efforts toward his goals, whatever they may be.

Your comments on the need for prayer are well received and I will obey you in this regard – but there is no way I’m not sending this Bishop a letter informing him of the abuses, because, he does not know them all and will soon be surrounded by the perpetrators of these very abuses - goodly people who are eager to justify their heterodoxy and will work very hard to win over the good Bishop. Therefore, he needs to know that there are others supporting orthodoxy over heterodoxy and that we are many and that we are suffering greviously the antics of the liturgical twiddlers.

Indeed this is a spiritual battle and we have won round-one, we have been blessed with Bishop Carlson; and there were a whole-lot of prayers behind this victory. But, there is simply no way we are going to sit back and play nice to the Untener-ites while Bishop Carlson takes the brunt of their abuse.

Instead, we will do everything in our power do defend the Church, the Holy See, and our wonderful new Bishop – and this means communicating with him often.

Respectfully,

Scapular
 
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