News from the west.
Sources at the parish tell me that Fr. Paul Hartmann has been appointed "administrator" of St. John Vianney Parish in Brookfield. The pastor, Fr. Leonard Van Vlaenderen, (yes, Archbishop Weakland's right hand man) is said to be taking a leave for "health" reasons.
Fr. Hartmann is said to be originally from St. John's parish. He seems to be the got-to troubleshooter for Archbishop Dolan.
Time will tell how this develops regarding both Fr. Van Vlaenderen and Fr. Hartmann.
Fr. Hartmann is said to be originally from St. John's parish. He seems to be the got-to troubleshooter for Archbishop Dolan.
Time will tell how this develops regarding both Fr. Van Vlaenderen and Fr. Hartmann.
posted by Mike, the Faithful Catholic | 4:56 PM
40 Comments:
In early 2004 there were reports Fr. Van Vlaenderen found some of his parishioners sickening.
But he could actually be ill now. You "seem" to be saying otherwise.
Fr. H. is a steady hand, by-the-book kinda guy.
His temporary administration of St Anthony's/Milwaukee was basically un-eventful.
"Fr. H. is a steady hand, by-the-book kinda guy."
HaHaHa........
OK, drive-by sniping may be fun, but what does anonymous mean by "HaHaHa"?
Is he not a steady hand, or not by the book?
JT
P. Hartmann is a butt kissing-climber and will do whatever Dolan tells him. This is a continuation of ridding the Archdiocese of any elements of Weakland. One can only hope that Chanceloress Cusak will find herself teaching law in some lowly women's college after the travesty of justice she has perpetrated against the priests of Milwaukee.
Fr. V. is indeed sick. He has been suffering with major depression for some time. This is a fact that he has shared with his parishioners.
I doubt that there is any kind of plot here. I thank God he is going to get the help he needs and deserves.
What travesty of justice? Please tell!
There is some confusing anger above.
Do you want Dolan to rid "the Archdiocese of any elements of Weakland" or not?
It seems you have no love for either Fr. Hartman or "Chanceloress Cusak". That seems to want it both ways. Do you want Dolanistas and their vision of Church, or do you want the Weaklandistas to remain with their warmed over theo-politics of the 70's?
So, be more specific about both and your reasons for such bitterness in all directions.
Mike
And the other guy was a butt-kissing climber who would do anything for Weakland. Given the choice, who would you want as a pastor.
"This is a continuation of ridding the Archdiocese of any elements of Weakland."
Let me check. Nope, still there.
Anonymous (the angry one above),
"travesty of justice she has perpetrated against priests"
I agree with the views that you are probably bitter and confused.
I wonder if "justice" has hit a little too close to home for you. Hmmm...whose butt have you tried to kiss?
Peter
Mike--it isn't the '70's which Abp Weakland brought us.
It was the '60's.
Seems like nobody cares about the truth surrounding Fr. Len. I pray for his recovery and his return to aactive minstry.
I would agree. It is 'snipping' like this that tears down the Church and good pastoral ministers. Whether 'Weaklanista' or 'Dolanista' they do their job for the love of Christ. To bad that most of these blogs are helping to destroy the Church's ministers. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is alive, if only we would avail ourselves of it. But, alas, I'm sure the owner of this blog thinks he is blameless.
Fortunately, I know some parishes that still offer convenient and consistent confession times. Not that it is anyone's business, but I do avail myself of the graces of confession and absolution regularly. Sadly, I am often the only one that the priest gets that day. I guess I am lucky that there are never too many (or any) of the holier-than-thou, better warm-fuzzies Catholics there to slow the line down.
"The Sacrament of Reconciliation is alive, if only we would avail ourselves of it."
That assumes that the ideas of sin and repentence are alive in our priests' homilies, which is not the case.
One could also go back a few months to read the op-ed and letters in the Catholic Herald advocating general absolution. One claimed no one goes to confession because if everyone did, it would be too crowded.
It is 'snipping' like this that tears down the Church and good pastoral ministers.
Well, maybe. On the other hand, it is "snipping" (sniping, maybe?) like this that "good pastoral ministers" have undergone since...oh...the Garden of Olives. Roughly then.
It is sniveling like yours, Anony, that keeps the snipers happy.
Have some cheese.
Now Larry (aka Dad29)
Since you were an organist at St. Dominic many years ago, I would think you would a little bit of compassion for other lay ministers. What could it be that makes you auch a bitter man?
You, Ms. ex-St Dom "minister-ette", assume that I'm bitter.
Wrong. But you have plenty of ignorance to spread around...
And this thread has nothing to do with "Lay" ministers, except in your all-too-fevered mind.
Frankly, I have prayed for Fr. VV. His condition is serious and we need all the priests we can get.
Where is Jesus in all this uncharitable bantering?
WOW, as I read this, that is the first words that come to mind.
I am not of the Catholic religion but I am a fellow Christian and If I were to be seeking out what Catholic's think and blog about (which I was and how I happened on this blog page)then I sure get an unfavorable view of Catholic's.
This sure is eye opening. I have been questioning and searching for a religion to join to continue growing in my "new" faith. (I grew up in an unreligious home and have just recently come to know about God, Jesus and a life of faith)
As I read this, you have left a very unfavorable and unchristian light on the Catholic religion for me.
Mike you say that you are "Mike the faithful Catholic" and I read that you frequent reconciliation often - which I looked up and found out a little about - But it seems to me your title and the words, topic and underlying tone of your messages is not in line with who you say you are. The person who helped introduce me to God wears that title well, "Faithful Catholic" and I am thankful I have meet them before finding this site to see who and what Catholics are and how they live their faith everyday.
I believe in Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk of who and what we say we are and belong to. I am coming to believe that Compassion is a HUGE part of what Jesus is talking about and modeled for us and asks us to model.
What I read here contradicts much of what I believe Catholics are to be about and model for others.
For those that have showed compassion I will join with you in praying for your Fr. V - I am not the best prayer but I am growing in it.
and I believe I will continue on my search of a religion to live my faith out in and not ever visit this site again - for to me it is a posion.
Yes where is Jesus in all of this and where is the lived out faith?
IIRC, Christ called vipers by their name--vipers.
He also called whited sepulchres exactly that.
He also mentioned perma-fire for those who gave scandal to children.
He also beat the crap out of the money-lusters in the Temple.
Don't for one second think that JC was a pussycat, or that he had any use for the un-repentant.
He didn't.
I am humbled by the observations of the seeker.
I am astonished at the words of Dad29. Does his lack of remorse mean that Jesus will have no time for him?
For the sake of his soul, I hope that Dad29 is wrong about the unrepentent.
Umnnhhh...your theo 101 is from the wrong school.
The precise text is "Repent and be saved."
The word "repent" is there for a reason. It is not there to provide rhythm to the text.
Guys,
I am not much of a blogger. So if my note here is not really appropriate, just disregard it.
I was raised Fundamental Baptist and after a multi year quiet conversion process came into the church last Easter.
I saw the somewhat lengthy response by anonymous and it really made some astute observations. I was wondering... Mike as you blog and speak to what you see as significant issues in the life of a faithful Catholic in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, what is your goal? When you sit down and write as a "faithful Catholic" does that mean to you.
You seem to have a real enthusiasm to see renewal and change in the archdiocese, You also are a strong communicator and have alot to say I am interested to know more about where you are coming from in this attempt to spur the faithful on to live the life of faith rigorously and with "orthodoxy".
Wow, this is all getting pretty ridiculous. What happened to comments about the original post. I, for one would like to wish Fr.Len the best. I liked him when he was the weekend assoc @ St. Al's ...much better homily then Fr. Hartmann. But then there were things about Fr. Hartmann I liked more then Fr.Len..sooooo hey...that's just my opinion..Best to all!!!
KK
Fr. V a better homilist than Fr. H? You have got to be kidding!
V makes mushiness seem virtuous, while H make virtue seem like a challenge we can all meet.
JM
"This sure is eye opening."
Is that bad? They told me that people often left our parish as result of their experience serving on Parish Council. Of course, they only told this right after I joined the Parish Council.
I have been noting something interesting about this blog recently. Haven’t you sensed it? It is now being read and commented on by parish staffers. They have found a forum out there that gives wings to what is on people minds. Isn’t the way they handle feedback interesting?
They sit in parish offices trying to figure out visions and missions and generally have no idea what Catholics in general or parishioners really think. When they find out their reaction is one of disbelief. Thoughts are not compassionate or un-Christian. Those who disagree are somehow out of touch. They aren’t educated in the ways of the church (small c) world like they have been in local institutions.
Or parish has been mentioned frequently recently. As a parishioner of St. Dominics, I got an endless survey that I was supposed to fill out about everything under the sun. We are working on “visioning.” I don’t know what the overall response was (survey responders are never mainstream), but I know the in-person visioning sessions were poorly attended.
Parish staffers, there is a message in this. The Catholic Church already has a mission and a vision. It has had it since long before we were all born.
The mission and vision should be simple. I wonder if Roman Catholic will appear in the final document. Doubt it…….
Come to think of it. Why should each of the member churches of the Quad Parishes have their own vision. Are we that far apart regionally that we are that different?
Anony, "parish staffers" have to justify their incomes.
"Go, teach and baptize all nations" is simply insufficient as a "vision" if one's objectives are merely to maintain an income.
Something decidedly less grand is easier to monetize.
BTW, my sitemeter tells me that both Get Up/Moving AND Dad29 were visited by someone using an ISP based in Central-Western Italy.
Like, near Rome, like.
Wow.
Hey all,
Few things:
I know Fr. VV personally, and very well, and I am also an extremely orthodox Catholic. Ultimately, he is a good man, and this time to recover is greatly needed and a blessing for him. Please keep this in mind as we brood over our vanities in this conversation.
Be Catholic, and pray about it. I, having inside knowledge, would not dare be so cruel. He is a priest and he is a son of God. I, as I hope to be more faithful to the Church and to Christ, hope to be more generous and gracious.
Are we not called to holiness? Then perhaps we might all attend to that goal.
Second, please, all of us, pay attention to the person who called us on our viciousness. I admit, I read this blog because it fills a curious interest, and I admit, it gives me a bit of gossip. Should that be what it is known for? Is there a way to give information, offer personal opinion, while being gracious Christians. Gracious and faithful Catholics?
Third, for parish staffs, there are great tensions and terrible battles over theology within each parish staff. Be aware of this, be prudent. But also, be as St. Ignatius said: "I go in their door to bring them out His." It is easy to sling mud because Jes-s was so good at it, but are we sure we're right to do so?
Perhaps we should be looking to JPII and his ability to be prophetic while being a humble, generous servant.
Just food for thought.
"Is there a way to give information, offer personal opinion, while being gracious Christians."
Take the controversy at Fr. VV's parish over confirmation by Archbishop Weakland and use Fr. VV's handling and the Catholic Herald's reporting as examples of how not to do it.
"... there are great tensions and terrible battles over theology within each parish staff."
That's like the characters in 'Dilbert' battling over management theory.
Or lawyers arguing over ethics and morals
"Or lawyers arguing over ethics and morals"
e.g.
Or CPA's arguing over 'taxable income...'
"... there are great tensions and terrible battles over theology within each parish staff."
If this is during work hours, it ought to be disclosed that it's part of what the parishioners are being asked to pay for. Put it on the weekly envelope in bold print. Add a line item for an adjustment: "For the time spent in theological argument by the parish staff: $___/($___)"
does anybody know Mikes e-mail address I have a question....
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