'Cross to Bare' (In depth article about Fr Dale Fushek, Lifeteen founder)

[spiritblows]

This article is extremely in depth and very sad to read. I thought the LifeTeen program had some positive points to it, but now it appears it’s founder had other motives. I’m so disappointed in reading this article put out by a Phoenix online news source, Phoenix New Times. The article seems well researched. The accounts in the article are very incriminating if they are true.

Cross to Bare

I just don’t understand this. It’s totally disheartening.

 

[GloriaPatri4]

Somehow this doesn’t surprise me. A couple of years ago when I was looking into the Lifeteen program for my teenager. I went onto the Lifeteen website and I was surprised to see so many catagories about sex. I remember reading a few sexualy explicit emails from boys talking about their sexual sins. The Lifeteen website once referred to Pope John Paul II as “The King of Sex”.

---

**A few of the things which made me stay away from the Lifeteen Mass and the program at our parish for my teenager was the teens gathering around the altar and the provative way many of the teens were dressed. The Lifeteen masses that I’ve been to just seem to be such a party atmosphere. The teens seemed to be so focused on themselves. I think Mass should be for the whole family not just teens. **

 

[oat_soda]

a good example of why you don’t mix the profane with the sacred. if you treat the mass this way, you’ll treat people the same way- lex credendi, lex orandi, lex vivendi.

i hope they cancel this demonic program from all parishes considering its founder was a homosexual predator.

 

[lel]

spiritblows:

This article is extremely in depth and very sad to read. I thought the LifeTeen program had some positive points to it, but now it appears it’s founder had other motives. I’m so disappointed in reading this article put out by a Phoenix online news source, Phoenix New Times. The article seems well researched. The accounts in the article are very incriminating if they are true.

Cross to Bare

I just don’t understand this. It’s totally disheartening.

First of all, the New Times is a roadside liberal paper, but they do research things quite well. I find it thorough but biased.

Msgr. Fushek was recently arrested on ten counts of indecent exposure, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and assault. azcentral.com/news/articles/1122fushek22.html

 

[spiritblows]

Yes, I realize this article was from a non-Catholic source, probably liberal, but it appears to be well-researched. I’m afraid the LifeTeen movement was born in terrible sin. I used to think it was positive, but I’m afraid I’ve totally lost confidence in it.

I’m glad the Church is going to start rooting out the gay subculture that appears to be part of the priesthood in N America. We cannot have priests that use the priesthood as an escape from their own disordered tendencies. Fr Fushek appears to fall into this catagory. It sounds as if his struggle with these tendencies was lifelong.

 

[catsrus]

I see the Hand of God in all this. He seems to be flushing out a particular element in the Phoenix Diocese which I was a part of (the Diocese - NOT the element!) while living there.
I thanked God for sending us Bishop Thomas Olmstead when He did and it would appear that He made a good choice. Bishop Olmstead came in like a breath of fresh air after the O’Brian mess and is working at making this Diocese one to be proud of now.
Prayers of thanks go up for Bishop Olmstead.

 

[UKcatholicGuy]

I’ve never cared for the LifeTeen organization. I find it a profane and watered-down version of Catholicism. I’ll go one step further and say I hope and pray the organization is abolished and never allowed in Catholic parishes again.

BUT, I don’t think it’s right to almost rejoice over this horrible news, which is what some people seem to be doing. This is extremely sad. It shows what evil has invaded Our Holy Church in the past few decades (no, not because of the Council, but because of our sinful culture that started to really show its face around the 60s). Whether you like(d) the LifeTeen program or not, we should all be praying for everyone involved. Our Church is in a world of hurt right now. I hate opening the paper and finding some new allegation of sexual abuse against a priest. It’s so depressing.

The Holy Father should issue immediately issue an obligatory period (I’d say a year or more) of penance and fasting to beg God to bring Our Holy Church back to purity. What a sad time we live in!

Holy Mary, Mater Ecclesia, pray for us!

PS: I find the tone and title of the article indredibly distasteful and almost hateful. Funny, Liberals love homosexuality until it’s discovered in the Church; then they blast it and point out how sinful the Church is. Villains!

 

[spiritblows]

Dear UK guy,
I agree with you, the article is biased, but it does appear they did their homework. You are right about irony of liberals who suddenly critisise homosexuality in the Church. But, the hypocritical exploitation of young people that’s described in the article would be aborrent to many people who think consensual homosexual acts are okay. There is something particularily offensive about a Catholic priest who is supposed to represent a strict sexual moral code, who then commits lewd acts on minors.

I also agree with you that this is no time to rejoice. I personally thought Lifeteen was positive because it seemed like a strong youthgroup program that competed with our Evangelical brethren, who seem to be so well organised in their outreaches. I also liked upbeat Masses as an occasional change of pace. The only thing I really disliked was the teens at the altar bit, which I found cheesy.

Anyways, I thought this article was definately worth reading. We can’t really complain about secular critisism in the face of such blatent deviation from all the high ideals our Church is supposed to represent.

 

[GloriaPatri4]

The many years that Fr. Fushek disobeyed the GIRM by having and advocating teenagers standing around altars all over this country opened up other liturgical abuses at these Masses. It wasn’t until Bishop Olmstead met with Cardinal Arinze did these abuses stop. I once called the Lifeteen headquarters (about 2 years ago) and inquired about the teens standing around the altar. The Lifeteen people told me that they had a special dispensation from Rome allowing them to do this however when I asked them if they could provide documentation of this fact they could not track it down. It wasn’t until Bishop Olmstead went to Rome and met with Cardinal Arinze (please see article below) that the standing around the altar business came to a halt. Unfortunately some parishes continue to let the teens stand around the altar.

From Lifeteen letter
July, 2004

On June 4, 2004, the Bishop of Phoenix, Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, met in Rome with Francis Cardinal Arinze regarding LIFE TEEN. His Eminence Cardinal Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation of Divine Worship, stated his support for LIFE TEEN and said he was “heartened to see that dedicated persons have taken initiative to promote the liturgy especially since, in various parts of the world, a disaffection for the Mass is found among young people”. The Cardinal was very supportive of LIFE TEEN and encouraged our mission to continue. However, he also believed that LIFE TEEN needs to fully implement the new General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM).

In addition to his meeting with Cardinal Arinze, Bishop Olmsted met with Monsignor James Moroney, executive director of the United States Bishop’s Committee on the Liturgy (BCL) regarding LIFE TEEN. Msgr. Moroney has been in dialogue with LIFE TEEN regarding implementation of the new GIRM.

As the founder of this youth movement, I am writing to confirm our adherence to the new GIRM, and as always, our obedience to our own local Bishops. In this spirit of obedience, we are asking all parishes using the LIFE TEEN model to make the following changes:

In accordance with the new GIRM, teens are no longer to enter the sanctuary for the Eucharistic prayer. Being in the sanctuary is reserved for the priest celebrant, concelebrants, and those performing a specific ministry.
The GIRM very specifically offers three options for the end of the Mass. We are to cease using the phrase “The Mass Never Ends, It Must Be Lived” and begin using one of the three prescribed endings found in the Missal.
After music practice or welcoming, please make sure there is a period of silence to begin the liturgical celebration.
As we have always taught, please make sure the music does not in any way detract from the action at the altar, ambo, or chair.
Please make sure that full implementation of the GIRM is done in accordance with your Diocese and accomplished with a spirit of joy.
Although these changes may be difficult for some parishes and teens to accept, let me assure you that our cooperation with Rome and the BCL will only enhance our liturgical celebrations and our mission in the Church. It will be essential that we catechize our teens and their families on what we are doing, and why we are doing it.

continued

 

[GloriaPatri4]

continued from last post

from Lifeteen letter]

All parishes involved with LIFE TEEN will receive a short video by the beginning of August to be used to introduce these changes. We will assist you in any way possible to make a smooth and grace-filled transition. We are asking for catechesis and full implementation of these changes by October 1, 2004. As you know, October has been chosen by the Holy Father to begin the year of the Eucharist. This is an exciting time for us to focus on the real presence and to call our teens to a deeper faith in the Church and in the sacraments.

The heart of LIFE TEEN is the Eucharist. Full, conscious, and active participation of our youth remains to be our goal. Dynamic preaching, spirit filled music, and the conversion of young people remain our hallmark. The commitment of LIFE TEEN to evangelize our youth and to call them to Christ is stronger than ever. We will work for vocations. Our Holy Father John Paul II remains our role model. Our Blessed Mother remains our patron.

Thank you for the love you have for our youth and LIFE TEEN. We are growing and this can be seen in our new national headquarters, in our camps in Atlanta and Arizona, as well as in our local parish programs. We are also working hard on the official status of LIFE TEEN as a private association of the Christian Faithful, in favor with the Apostolic See of the Catholic Church; bright days are ahead for us all.

We thank Cardinal Arinze, Bishop Olmsted, and Msgr. Moroney. They have clearly laid out a path for us, and we will follow it with enthusiasm and faith.

In Christ,

Msgr. Dale J. Fushek and the staff of LIFE TEEN

christianguitar.org/forums/showthread.php?t=82918

 

[Catherine_S]

I see the Hand of God in all this. He seems to be flushing out a particular element in the Phoenix Diocese which I was a part of (the Diocese - NOT the element!) while living there.
I thanked God for sending us Bishop Thomas Olmstead when He did and it would appear that He made a good choice. Bishop Olmstead came in like a breath of fresh air after the O’Brian mess and is working at making this Diocese one to be proud of now.
Prayers of thanks go up for Bishop Olmstead.

There appears to be just too much smoke in this situation for there to be no fire!!

I agree with you…when the Light draws near than we can see just how bad things are and how much needs to be fixed within our beautiful Church. It is also my belief that Christ is puriflying His Church and will continue to do so until she is a little closer to spotless. It is extremely upsetting in the short term but very good and a blessing from God in the end. We can never fix what we can not see.

I feel deeply concerned for the majority of our priests who are good and loving men who give so much of themselves to the care of others as they must continue to live in the shadow of this deep darkness. God will give them courage to continue, He will richly bless them and we must remember them in our prayers** every** day.

You are correct…it is a blessing to see men like Bishop Thomas Olmstead moving in to take the place of these dark and manipulative men. Men who know from within their own hearts that they have very serious problems but do not accept responsibility for their evil but rather hide within the Church and continue in their dark ways. For this they will be accountable to God. They are men not fit to be spiritual leaders of Christ’s flock. Their behavior is compulsive and they can never be trusted. They need to be cast out of the Church.
We are all sinners and in need of God’s forgiveness **but we must never mock (by our continuous actions ) God’s mercy. **Only the Truth will set us all free.

Christ said that the " gates of hell could not prevail against His Church" so even as these scandals come up again and again and **are **a little taste of hell…His promise He will always keep. We can hold this in our hearts and trust in Him always. He will never leave us orphaned…never. Prayer…Prayer…Prayer.
God Bless You,
Shalom,
Catherine
.

 

[HagiaSophia]

]
They need to be cast out of the Church.]

Gentle correction – they need to be converted.

 

[Ana]

I found this article a little more explicit than necessary, but extremely disturbingI think it is pure evil to use God as a seduction technique. “God wants you to be comfortable being naked etc…”:crying:

Also, the one guys defense saying the accuser was “delusional”, seems almost an admission of guilt.

 

[Adonis33]

I couldn’t finish the article. It was revolting, and a little too graphic.

I went to a LifeTeen mass last Sunday evening, having missed mass in the morning. It was horrible. The sermon was trivial, and the atmosphere was more like a teen party than mass.

 

[Catherine_S]

HagiaSophia:

Gentle correction – they need to be converted.

They know the way!! The Holy Spirit never say’s " No" !!! Something else is going on and this is what we do not want to look at !!
Shalom,
Catherine

 

[lel]

Adonis33:

I couldn’t finish the article. It was revolting, and a little too graphic.

I went to a LifeTeen mass last Sunday evening, having missed mass in the morning. It was horrible. The sermon was trivial, and the atmosphere was more like a teen party than mass.

I did the same thing. I found it okay once I quit thinking that they would eventually have some sort of liturgy and just realized that there wasn’t going to be any pretense at proper liturgy. To top it off, a Catholic parish without kneelers? Huh?

Now, I have seen Masses where they fit a rock band in with the liturgy and do it well, which I think is a great idea for those who prefer that music.

 

[Catherine_S]

Ana:

I found this article a little more explicit than necessary, but extremely disturbing** I think it is pure evil to use God as a seduction technique.** “God wants you to be comfortable being naked etc…”:crying:

Also, the one guys defense saying the accuser was “delusional”, seems almost an admission of guilt.

I agree with you Ana.
Christ warned us all about causing scandal.
Luke 12: 47 speaks to us of the outcome for knowing the way but **persistantly going another way!! **
Shalom,
Catherine

 

[4HisGlory]

It is painful to see this happen to Life Teen and painful for me to see this about Fr. Dale. Life Teen brought me back into active participation in the Church after straying a little in college. I never “left” the Church, but I was not at Mass most Sundays. My wife kids that I was a C, E, and BBE Catholic (Christmas, Easter, and Before Big Exams… I needed some major prayer to get through some of those exams ).

I was drawn back to the Church for many reasons, but a major one was the Life Teen Mass. I loved the music and the energy of the congregation was great. Before long I was playing in the Life Teen band and now I haven’t missed a Sunday Mass in nearly 11 years.

I have been to LT masses at many different Churches. When our family travels we often look up LT parishes and go to their LT Mass. I have seen very good ones, and very bad ones. Most are just as orthodox as any Mass you could attend. Others, take liberties with the litergy, and I find that very disturbing. A proper LT Mass, like any Mass, should always follow the GIRM. At my parish the main difference is the music, which is more of a rock band style, and sometimes a slightly different Homily. However, on occasion I’ve been to multiple Masses, one being the LT Mass, and have heard the same homily at both.

Life Teen introduced me to the teachings of the Church in a way that I did not experience in my CCD (Sunday School) classes growing up. Through LT I read the Cathechism, studied the Bible, did Eucharistic Adoration, and really embraced my faith for the first time. I was also introduced to Scott Hahn, Patrick Madrid, and EWTN through LT and that lead me to read many many great Catholic authors.

Others in this thread have mentioned that sex is discussed a lot on the Life Teen web site. I haven’t varified that, but sex is an issued that can not be ignored with the teens. It is all around them. I would hope that it isn’t discussed graphically, but the truth about sex and marriage is an important topic for teens to understand. Many of them will not get much further education on the Church’s teachings after high school and we all know that our nation’s colleges have major problems with sex. Through Life Teen I learned about NFP, and I can tell you that the people I know from LT fully embrace the Church’s teachings on this and every other issue I can think of.

Now, for Fr. Dale. This issue REALLY saddens me. I know Fr. Dale, not well, but I have spoken to him on several occasions and heard him talk to LT groups many times. I was shocked when I heard the alegations and prayed that it was not true. I can’t bear the thought that he abused any of the teens. Now that it appears likely that it happened, I pray that he gets help and that the teens affected get help.

Also, I pray that LT makes it through this. I hoe that the misdeeds of the founder does not cloud the good ministry of the program.

 

[whitewater0628]

It is very sad to read! My only wish is that people would recall the kind Fr. who offerred them absolution in the face of these horrid accusations. The same Fr. who has talked a man out of committing suicide in the church parking lot, and who offerred me absolution and gave me a new place to start my life over. I learned a great deal from Fr. Dale. I would also remind that even our own Jesus spent the last hours of his life as an inmate, reviled and denied by the people who had been his closest friends. I learned, while working as a prison nurse, that even inmates (who were actually convicted of heinous crimes, which Fr. Dale has not) are capable of decency and honor. As human beings and part of the body of Christ, they still deserve respect, just as our Lord did. The New Times is essentially sensational journalism at its worst. They take a story, decide the most provocative way to present it and seldom, if ever, offer equal time to opposing view points. Unfortunately, persons not familiar with the low calibre of their reporting are likely to take what they read as fact. I hope and pray for objectivity, honesty and peace for all involved in this sad situation.

spiritblows:

This article is extremely in depth and very sad to read. I thought the LifeTeen program had some positive points to it, but now it appears it’s founder had other motives. I’m so disappointed in reading this article put out by a Phoenix online news source, Phoenix New Times. The article seems well researched. The accounts in the article are very incriminating if they are true.

Cross to Bare

I just don’t understand this. It’s totally disheartening.