Renegade Priest Leads a Split St. Louis Parish

[Dale_M]

Just when it looked as if this tragic saga was coming to an end, it suddenly takes an errant turn.

As many may know, St. Stanislaus Kostka is a Catholic church in St. Louis. In 2003, the parishioners had a very public break with Archbishop Burke, who they feared wanted to close the parish. Because the church had an unusual incorporation, it was legally and financially independent of the archdiocese. Archbishop Burke wanted to change that, the parishioners refused.

Burke pulled the diocesan priests from the parish, and forbid any to say mass there. A few priests, secretly and episodically, did so anyways. Finally, a diocesan priest from the other side of the state abandoned his parish without approval of his bishop, and set up residence at St. Stanislaus, in defiance of Archbishop Burke.

Burke declared the parish and the priest to be in schism, and thus excommunicated. The Vatican eventually upheld the declaration of excommunication, and last year Pope Benedict formally laicized the priest.

But that hasn’t stopped him or his supporters.

But one thing is clear: Last Sunday, parishioners rejected a proposed settlement that would have ended a lawsuit brought by the archdiocese and returned them to the archbishop’s good graces. Instead, they opted to yoke their church’s fate to the portly priest with thinning hair and a fashionable patch of whiskers just beneath his lower lip.

The vote nearly brought some parishioners to blows. Nevertheless, it is but the latest chapter in the extraordinary history of St. Stanislaus, a cause célèbre for those with progressive leanings in this deeply Catholic city by the river, and a source of scandal for traditionalists.

In the subsequent years, Mr. Bozek has become an increasingly vocal advocate for a more progressive Catholic church. In 2008 he presented parishioners with what he called his “vision,” which included the right of priests to marry, and that of women and homosexuals to become priests.

“He has opened our eyes,” said Melissa Kirkiewicz, 35. “His vision is what we perceive as the future of the church. He’s going in the direction I want to go as a Catholic.”

nytimes.com/2010/08/14/us/14church.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general

Many of the original parishioners felt betrayed as the priest became increasingly heterodox. The church board had to be dissolved to prevent their opposition. Some parishioners began to leave, but those departures were replaced by other persons eager to embrace a Catholic church with non-orthodox views.

Its been a mess.

 

[Scoobyshme]

The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said that the attack (meaning, from Satan) must always begin from within the sanctuary. Satan is a master strategist in this war for souls. He knows that if you can strike the shepherd, you can scatter the sheep!

And those who follow this schism, I can guarantee you, never really knew their Catholic faith. The priest who is doing this has fallen into pride, like Lucifer and the rebel angels who followed him. May God have mercy on his soul. From whom much is given, much will be required.

 

[the_phoenix]

Praying that everyone involved will follow the Pope
rather than the renegade priest.

 

[wisdomseeker]

The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said that the attack (meaning, from Satan) must always begin from within the sanctuary. Satan is a master strategist in this war for souls. He knows that if you can strike the shepherd, you can scatter the sheep!

And those who follow this schism, I can guarantee you, never really knew their Catholic faith. The priest who is doing this has fallen into pride, like Lucifer and the rebel angels who followed him. May God have mercy on his soul. From whom much is given, much will be required.

well, you have read what that one parishoner said: that she was in the church that was going in the way she wanted it to go. so this says at all. they want a church that obeys them.

 

[Scoobyshme]

well, you have read what that one parishoner said: that she was in the church that was going in the way she wanted it to go. so this says at all. they want a church that obeys them.

I think you’re exactly right. I also think that’s an American phenomenon, where we want to be self-determinate and decide “for ourselves” how we’re “governed.” That’s not what Jesus set up, though. He set up a theocracy. It’s so very hard for we Americans, in general, to be good, humble, obedient Catholics. We’re too independent.

 

[wisdomseeker]

I think you’re exactly right. I also think that’s an American phenomenon, where we want to be self-determinate and decide “for ourselves” how we’re “governed.” That’s not what Jesus set up, though. He set up a theocracy. It’s so very hard for we Americans, in general, to be good, humble, obedient Catholics. We’re too independent.

exactly.

 

[AdvanceAlways]

I think you’re exactly right. I also think that’s an American phenomenon, where we want to be self-determinate and decide “for ourselves” how we’re “governed.” That’s not what Jesus set up, though. He set up a theocracy. It’s so very hard for we Americans, in general, to be good, humble, obedient Catholics. We’re too independent.

I see where you’re coming from but the majority of American Catholics seem to get that we value our independence in our government but obey the theocratic structure of our church.

 

[georgewithfaith]

Pope Leo XIII had a startling vision that Satan told Jesus he could bring down the Church. Jesus gave him a 100 years to try. The good Pope Leo wrote the Prayer to St. Michael the Arcangel after every Mass. Interestingly we stopped this prayer when the Paul VI instituted his Novus Ordo Mass. Research this it is important to understand what is happening with this renegade priest.

We must pray for the souls of this priest and his followers. Satan is certainly leading them astray.

 

[Bob_Aliano]

I think you’re exactly right. I also think that’s an American phenomenon, where we want to be self-determinate and decide “for ourselves” how we’re “governed.” That’s not what Jesus set up, though. He set up a theocracy. It’s so very hard for we Americans, in general, to be good, humble, obedient Catholics. We’re too independent.

I’m not so sure about that. There has been a trend of Catholics returning/turning to the TLM, a tendency toward more discipline not less. Perhaps making that choice means self-determination but not in the sense I think you are portraying it.

 

[The_Old_Medic]

This “priest” is leading people to put their souls in jeopardy. I would wonder why he is doing that. The devil works hard to keep things like this going.

There is absolutely nothing “Catholic” about this situation. It is one man,. leading a group of heretics.