Who has written their bishop to complain

[Lormar]

Haven’t had to to date.

It bothers me that (especially here in the ever-litigious US of A) so many folk’s initial thought on something that they don’t like about their parish is to write the Bishop. We had a great priest at our parish who was actually driven out by a flood of letters from some really bitter folks over things that he had changed (no liturgical violations or anything) from the previous administrator. A lot of their complaints were unfounded and some were even complete fabrications, but the Bishop eventually decided that it would be best for him to return to his order (he was a missionary priest).

Since then, we’ve had a new pastor installed…but a lot of folks don’t like him because he’s more conservative and has a big Marian devotion (moved the Sanctuary behind the altar, hung the red candle, says the “Hail Mary” and the “Memorare” at the end of each Mass, et c.) and is occasionally hard to understand because of his accent (he’s from India). So people wrote the Bishop and complained. Doesn’t anyone talk to their pastor anymore? I often wonder why it’s so hard to try to settle complaints with the person at whom they’re directed first.

The exact same thing happened in my parish with a priest that sounds exactly like the one you have described. The only difference is that I do not belong to your diocese.

Sad, isn’t it? Not that I don’t belong to your diocese , but that these types of things happen because of the complaints of a few.

 

[Laetus]

I did once. In a short, humble, vetted by four other people, just-the-facts-sir letter with an absence of personal commentary. “His” response (It was written by someone else) was horrible. It was truly insulting. I avoided that man until he retired. Never again will I waste paper, printer ink, postage or my time writing my bishop.

It did put an end to one abuse at my parish at the time. Mixing “extra” (because there were “too many”) consecrated hosts from the tabernacle with fresh hosts right out of the package for use as the gifts at Masses.

 

[YoungTradCath]

I wrote a letter to my bishop once, actually a positive letter. It was to thank him for placing orthodox priests in my parish.

 

[gh4]

Just kind of for the record, before I wrote my Bishop, I had talked to my priest. I was amazed at how arrogant and uncaring he was, by the time we were done I was crying. This was about things like trying to make the kids dance up at the altar, adding things to the liturgy that weren’t in the GIRM and many more issues. Like I said, this is the first time in my life that a Priest has made me cry because he’s so hateful of women and felt so superior to them. It was horrid.

NO priest is perfect, and I don’t expect them to be. I don’t always agree with the one that is at the church now, but I would never write the Bishop complaining about him, he’s a very holy and humble man. He’s approachable and is more than willing to explain the things he does that are unfamiliar to us etc. and he’s never made me cry!

 

[melissa_b]

Doesn’t anyone talk to their pastor anymore? I often wonder why it’s so hard to try to settle complaints with the person at whom they’re directed first.

In our situation, the bishop had specifically asked us to start attending this parish (our local) promising that changes would be happening as he was also assigning a new pastor there. After 7 months, very few changes had been made and we were concerned. Since the topic had originated with the bishop, we contacted him.

 

[cjmclark]

Just kind of for the record, before I wrote my Bishop, I had talked to my priest. I was amazed at how arrogant and uncaring he was, by the time we were done I was crying. This was about things like trying to make the kids dance up at the altar, adding things to the liturgy that weren’t in the GIRM and many more issues. Like I said, this is the first time in my life that a Priest has made me cry because he’s so hateful of women and felt so superior to them. It was horrid.

NO priest is perfect, and I don’t expect them to be. I don’t always agree with the one that is at the church now, but I would never write the Bishop complaining about him, he’s a very holy and humble man. He’s approachable and is more than willing to explain the things he does that are unfamiliar to us etc. and he’s never made me cry!

In our situation, the bishop had specifically asked us to start attending this parish (our local) promising that changes would be happening as he was also assigning a new pastor there. After 7 months, very few changes had been made and we were concerned. Since the topic had originated with the bishop, we contacted him.

I’m certainly not trying to bash anyone who contacts their Bishop for valid reasons. My only concern is with people for whom that’s their first and only course of action for anything that goes wrong. To me that’s kind of like having an issue with a co-worker, and instead of trying to work it out with them you just go right to your boss. Give them a chance, at least. If they’re unresponsive or just plain nasty, as in gh4’s case, then sure, it’s appropriate. If he’s making some major liturgical blunders, bring it up. If he blows you off, then call the Bishop. But the folks who initiate letter-writing campaigns without trying to settle things with the pastor first because they don’t like where the Sanctuary was moved, or they don’t like that he used a certain prayer, or they don’t like the music selection, et c., et c. ad nauseam? That just seems petty to me.

The priest should always be approached first. If he responds in an inappropriate manner, then you can feel secure in going to the Bishop knowing that you aren’t wasting his time because you didn’t try to resolve it with the priest first.

 

[Rebelecka]

I have written one letter to our Archbishop to applaud our priest’s courage in speaking out from the pulpit against the evils in our society. I got no reply from the Archbishop (I didn’t expect one) but I did get a big thank you from our priest!