Fr. Francis Mary Stone takes leave of absence to discern vocation

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That’s a shocker. I watch the Mass from the EWTN chapel almost daily.
 
Just another 2 cents: I am 40 years old and almost cried myself. I watch Mass every morning, as well as LOTR on Thursdays (bit out of their target audience, I know!). I take a lot of comfort in the EWTN priests and their wonderful homilies. I hope Father finds his way…he has been a blessing to many of us.

It was a little odd the way he was removed from the LOTR intro and the broadcast of Mass. That was one heck of a jump shot he made in the LOTR into! :o
 
This has the appearance of a mid-life crisis, IMO. He’s in in his 40s, and ex-jock (self-proclaimed) who emphasizes this over and over on the show, and was a very successful businessman prior to becoming a Priest. Maybe I am reading his actions and words recently wrong, but that’s what this some off as.

Either way, it is sad and a letdown.
 
jpsheehn said:
I myself have to admire the honesty and courage of Fr .Francis and all the Brothers to admit things! To have hidden it would have made the entire thing so much worse. I can see the media circus that would have followed if all this was found out later on by a few reporters. They would have had a field day with it. Its better to admit it now and be out in the open about it all.
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Yes, sad, sad, sad, all the way around, but I do admire the honesty and openness, the lack of which caused many of the recent problems.

The priesthood is a hard life, and we all need to pray continually for our priests.
 
I’m adding my prayers to all of yours, especially to Jesus, Mary & St. Michael. God allowed this situation & I hope He will turn it around for the youth, Fr. Francis, & this young family.

I can’t help think how clever satan is. Fr. Francis is such a good man, & would probably never be influenced by an actress or a beautiful married woman. But after helping a vulnerable woman & her children? He probably initially got to know them out of the goodness of his heart. I’m not saying this isn’t serious, I just think satan attacks our priests mercilessly & knows how to go after each one.

Prayers for them all, & for us to reflect Jesus’ mercy.
 
Wow! I did not know this. I didn’t watch LOTR too often, but I did recently purchase DVD of Father’s interview with Philip Rivers. To be honest I didn’t like looking at him, he seemed wound up and even like he was trying a litte too hard - agreeing and going along with so much of what Philip Rivers said. I just chalked it up to him being a little star struck because Rivers is such a big NFL star - I know I would have been star struck. (By the way isn’t Philp Rivers just the BEST! I bought that for my football freak son to watch and hear this big football star talk about confession and the Fs of life Faith Family and Football.👍 )

Anyway it does seem odd that Father would want to leave to be with a widow and her children. He could held her very much and stay a priest…He may soon find out that when you are married with children its not easy either!!

Terri
 
It is an awsome thing for a man to become a priest. Father Francis has given good example to many many young people and older people too. It was inevitable the Devil would strike at him.
Always the Devil knows where to tempt and try us. I ask all to pray for this priest and to pray for the Church. No matter what spin is put on this event, it will cause some scandal and worry others of weak faith. May Father Francis find solace in the loving arms of his Savior and continue in his vocation. Perhaps his order should look at its rule and way of life as the question does arise as to how does a ‘religious’ priest belonging to a group have so much freedom with a person of opposite sex. Again lets pray for Father Francis. Kyrie Eleison!
 
Many of us have probabaly heard of the miraculous rose garden in Assisi …and the bushes with no thorns … how , if they are transplanted , they would develop thones…

And of the circumstances - how St. Francis of Assisi , at a time of devil instigated temptation , rolled on the bushes …and it is still there standing as God’s small, subtle , yet powerful sign …

like the statue of the saint that always holds the dove …

Many - esp. the youngsters, who watch the Life on The rock program realted to Fr. Francis , as a Father …and it has to be so …and there in possibly come lot of the pain and fear …esp. considering all the broken families , where men , fathers , have walked out …having been seduced …

Well, we are told in the Word - 'all things work well for those who love God and are called according to His will ’ …

May be …may be …such a trial has been allowed, so that His Will, will be done even more perfectly …

Such as even bringing more glory to The Father …by relating to our Lord too , in a Fatherly relationship …after all , He does call the Apostles ’ children’ - at The Last Supper …

and thus to become ’ beloved ’ - like St.John , who as the youngest, related so to our Lord…

And priests , being Persona Christ , to echo , in their relationships - ’ if you have seen Me, you have seen The Father ’

Yes, priests are ’ married ’ to The Church, in the sense of being faithful to Her role …

Beyond that, in these days of gender confusion , would it not be best to identify and reinforce their role as The Father…that help to bring spiritual life to the children of The Father…in The Church…

Even the nuns , also seen in the same role …as
‘children’ in relation to our Lord …as well as priests… and Church moving on beyond the bridal concept for persons - which was possibly needed in the whole transformaton and building up of dignity for women , after the fall …now it is Fatherhood that need more support …

Through out O.T , Israel is always addressed as The Bride …but not any person per se …after all , other than the oedipal phase of little girls, how can any one person be so great as that …in relation to our Lord …

Would the warning bells not go early too , if the identity lines are kept pretty clear …Father- child …

Many of us probabaly have come across a little bookelt - ’ The Father speaks to His children ’ in which The Church is asked to have a special Feast Day in honor of The Father …so far , there is none …

May be …may be …this whole event would get more attention to this request…

And , God willing , Rev. Fr. Francis Mary could turn back…and strengthen his brethren …and be the special person for such a mission …

May the prayers and blessings of all and those who have gone ahead of us bring comfort and hope …

May the prayers of our Bl. Mother, queen of the Clergy , help them , in their supernatural role and mission of Fatherhood …
 
This is very sad. 😦

I hope he doesn’t leave the priesthood. He has, obviously, been a role model for all the young people watching EWTN. I hope this doesn’t cause a loss in faith among our youth.

Strangely this doesn’t ‘discourage’ me, though it saddens me.

Just like the scandel in the priesthood didn’t discourage me, but it gave me a strengthened resolve.

I’ll pray for Father Francis.

Aufer a nobis, quaesumus, Domine, iniquitates nostras: ut ad Sancta sanctorum puris mereamur mentibus introire. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
 
He_Man said:
This has the appearance of a mid-life crisis, IMO. He’s in in his 40s, and ex-jock (self-proclaimed) who emphasizes this over and over on the show, and was a very successful businessman prior to becoming a Priest. Maybe I am reading his actions and words recently wrong, but that’s what this some off as.

Either way, it is sad and a letdown.
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This was just what I was thinking. The priestly version of a midlife crisis. But in this case even sadder than most because of the wider scandal it will likely cause. I find myself rocked a bit, and I am certainly no longer anywhere near youth.
 
This is what we know: He took a vow of celibacy, and is now a Priest. It is certainly not God’s will for him to break his vow and leave the Preisthood.

Priest are tempted much more than you or I. I believe it was St. Aalphonsus Ligouri who said Priest are tempted 100 times as much as lay people.

It is very clear that Fr. Francis is being tempted to do what God does not want him to do, and if gives into this will probably go to hell (breaking his vow, leaving the priesthood, and causing great scandal). We should pray for him, just as we would want him to do for us if we were in his situation.

No need to gossip about it, or pass subjective judgment. Why don’t we all make the intention that Fr. Francis will be included in all of our Rosary’s from this day forward.
 
Whether or not he leaves the Order for marriage or stays in the order and forgoes marriage I believe Father Francis will serve the Lord in whatever he endeavors.
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Our prayer should be that the Holy Spirit would make clear to him what path he should take, and that he be protected from any attacks of the enemy.
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he has been attacked and is letting it happen!! there is no way when discerning God’s will that you should choose evil. God only wills good for us. the vocation to the priesthood is forever. it’s not like fr. francis was ordained this year, he’s been in religious life for over 17 years.

he will not be allowed to marry in the church. he’s been a priest for way too long. no good can come from this relationship. if they get married it will be outside the church and he will be barred from the sacraments not to mention the scandal he’s causing to the faithful.
 
Yeah, I see no good end here. Even if he comes to his sense and abandons this folly (and I pray he does), I doubt you’ll ever see him on EWTN again. It would be a sour taste and hurt for many viewers (I say this only anecdotally from those I have personally spoken to).
 
AlegreFe said:
I read only some of the rest of your post and I don’t want to waste my time on commenting on a BAD POST. Please don’t say anything else about priests having to be married. NOT being married has nothing to do with priests molesting others. Please zip it if you don’t know what you are saying.
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Having read all of the posts before this one, how on earth did this relate to what he said? He said nothing about this in his posts.
 
This makes more sense, when I tuned in last night it was after the start & there was an awkwardness to the show. Now I realize it was really a sadness.😦

Prayers being offered for Fr. Francis
:gopray2:
 
Though some of you may have different views of the apparitions
of the Blessed Mother in Medjugory (sp?), one of the things I
remember is her telling us to pray for our priests. (It was before
the scandal)
I am very sad about the situation, but I will continue to pray for
our priests, and now especially for Fr. Francis Mary. He was
reaching our children, maybe that is why Satan has attached
him but the Lord will triumph.
 
He_Man said:
Terrible. According to EWTN and Life on the Rock tonight, Fr. Francis Mary has taken a leave of absence to discern his Priestly vocation, after becoming “involved” with a widow and her family.

Please pray for our Priests 😦
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Oh you’re kidding??? I soooo like him:( …I would imagine it would be hard, from a human point of view, to remain unwed forever. Can someone define ‘involved?’ Also…if he does leave the priesthood, what is the stance on men marrying? Isn’t being a priest (married to The Church) the same as a person being married to another person, from the standpoint of remarrying? Would it be seen as he would be remarrying…not marrying for the first time? I’m sorry, I did not scroll through the thread, but if someone could bring my up to speed…God bless you.
 
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