The Petition I referenced in my October 25th post is progressing quite well – roughly 20% of St. Peter’s parishioners have already signed.

Despite the great progress, collecting signatures is not an easy task, “…there are two principal difficulties with collecting signatures, on site, so far.  First, many folks hoof it out to their cars immediately at the conclusion of Mass and race out of the parking lot.  Second, everyone I’ve approached wants to talk about this issue at length – WHICH IS GREAT! – but it does impede collecting more signatures.”

You Can Help: Considering the above, “…we need supplemental actions in order to contact each and every parishioner and make the case that they sign the Petition.” One way each of you reading this post can help in the effort is to download a copy of the petition, talk to fellow parishioners who haven’t already signed, and have them register their affirming view by signing the form. You can then scan the PETITION-Form and send the file to francis01ds@gmail.com. I will forward the file to those involved in this effort. Alternatively, make a comment in the comment section and I will provide you contact information so that you may speak to petition organizers directly.

Personal Note: I am on vacation with family this week and will return to writing posts on what my wife and I have observed at St. Peter’s next week.

“We, the undersigned Parishioners of St. Peter, Washington Virginia, respectfully request Fr. Horace Grinnell, Pastor of St. Peter, reinstate one Sunday Mass as previously celebrated.”

Hidden beneath these few simple words is a deep anguish felt by many Parishioners of St. Peter’s Catholic Church concerning the replacement of a longstanding, rich Novus Ordo liturgical expression with something less, something wanting. Instead of a liturgy that reflects the “Holy, holy, holy …” that takes place in Heaven, we are confronted with the imposition of a self-styled, minimalistic celebration of the Holy Mass. What we see now is “correct” and it is “valid.” Yet, we are left with a sense of incompleteness as we leave Mass each Sunday – a sense of near impoverishment.

Meriam-Webster says: change verb \’chanj\
: to become different
: to make (someone or something) different
: to become something else

So, the “Tidal Wave of Change” is changing our liturgy. Over time it will tend to make our Parish into something different. Already, some have fled to St. John the Evangelist in Warrenton or to St. John the Baptist in Front Royal. Those who are leaving are not “traditionalists” or any other type of “-ists”. They are people like my wife, a convert who embraced the Catholic Church years after Vatican II.

My wife studied for her entry into the Catholic Church as an adult and she continues to study her Faith and learn of its teaching and its traditions. She tries to attend Mass daily, and she has attended Mass in the Novus Ordo in several different countries, using multiple languages, not to mention attending in scores of parishes in the United States. She knows that the Mass is a central part of our Faith, and it does not take second place to “social justice” or other such notions that tend to put the mere human social order above the divine.

For her, a Mass must be more than “correct.” Mass must be an event to which she can take a prospective convert to share the awe inspiring reenactment of the Last Supper and Calvary, and also share the treasure of the “real presence.” And Mass must be an event where the celebration is a striving for the “maximum” rather than languishing in the “minimum.” It must be the “maximum” and the greatest event so that she can share it with her grandchildren and her beloved guardian angel.

My wife has seen “authentic” and “distorted” liturgies. She knows where the wrong type of change will lead. If change is not calculated to increase the true richness in our liturgy, soon there will be signs of disunity in the Parish. Bickering will begin and the words “traditionalist” and “liberal” will emerge as labels – divisions and factions will arise. Parish Pastoral Council meetings will become fraught with friction. For some, faith will be shaken and some will leave.

There must be a reason for change. Every change should be preceded by the question, “Why?”

Why must we at St. Peter’s become different; be made to be something different; be forced to become something different?

“Assent to counter dissent” – These are the words I have chosen to remind myself to avoid harsh criticism and accusation when speaking of our new Pastor. As I have said, “He is a fine man.” I know well that he is very conscious of the injustice in our society and he has worked hard to bring justice to those in need. As Jacqueline L. Salmon highlighted his vision in the Washington Post  on October 4, 2008″:

“‘As long as we’re isolated — congregation or church or faith community — we face our own issues without realizing that they’re much more universal,” said the Rev. Horace ‘Tuck’ Grinnell, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Falls Church and one of the founding clergy members [of Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE)].”

My difficulty, however, is reconciling the purpose of the good works with the means and associations that were employed to bring about those good works. As the Washington Post reported noted in the very next paragraph:

“VOICE received advice and initial funding from the Industrial Areas Foundation [IAF], a Chicago organization that builds activist coalitions from voluntary organizations such as religious congregations, labor unions and immigrant groups. IAF helped found the Washington Interfaith Network and Action in Montgomery.”

In my last post, I noted that it is worthwhile to understand the relationship of VOICE to the IAF. A Website dedicated to community organizing and community building activities, The Citizen’s Handbook, has an interesting document that provides a clear and concise summary of the IAF. Of special note is a section that speaks of the organization’s technique of tapping Christian churches “particularly the Catholic church” to support IAF goals and even to contribute money to IAF coffers:

“The IAF organizes through church networks. Much of IAF organizing occurs through Christian churches particularly the Catholic church. Because of this, it is often called faith-based organizing. The IAF taps existing parish networks to find the people it needs to achieve its goals. (This approach resembles the way successful social movements co-opt existing communications networks; see Social Movements: A Summary of What Works.) In Texas, the IAF obtained the support of the bishop, who then encouraged parishes to join the IAF. The congregations of these parishes contribute dues to the IAF and volunteer for IAF campaigns.”

The IAF is not Catholic. VOICE is not Catholic. The causes, no matter how noble, promoted by IAF and VOICE are not Catholic or at least not directly so. None of them seek to save souls.

Prior to coming here, our new Pastor has traveled a decidedly different path than many of the Sheep of Kephas at St. Peter’s. Whether he is here voluntarily or not, he now has the opportunity to move away from his former exaggerated emphasis on social justice and his expenditure of time on that which is not Catholic. He can now move his efforts towards emphasis on spiritual justice. He can seek out the lost sheep here in Rappahannock County, he can preach the Gospel to those who have lost there way and the unchurched. In short, he can feed the sheep as St. Peter was asked to do.

Rather than being a voice in dissent against a dissenter, I would rather be speaking in assent about a shepherd who has returned to what Pope Francis would call his “first duty” that is “to nourish the flock.”

In a story entitled Pope beatifies Paul VI, ‘great helmsman’ of Vatican II on October 19, EWTN News reported the beatification of Pope Paul VI by Pope Francis. “In this humility,” Pope Francis noted, “the grandeur of Blessed Paul VI shines forth: before the advent of a secularized and hostile society, he could hold fast, with farsightedness and wisdom – and at times alone – to the helm of the barque of Peter, while never losing his joy and his trust in the Lord.”

So, now, along with Pope Francis, we may call him Blessed Paul VI. We can now turn to his courageous teachings such as the encyclical Humanae Vitae with ever greater appreciation for his ability to view into the future. Blessed Paul VI authored other important encyclicals as well. For example here is an excerpt from Ecclesiam Suam:

“The Church itself is being engulfed and shaken by this tidal wave of change, for however much men may be committed to the Church, they are deeply affected by the climate of the world. They run the risk of becoming confused, bewildered and alarmed, and this is a state of affairs which strikes at the very roots of the Church. It drives many people to adopt the most outlandish views. They imagine that the Church should abdicate its proper role, and adopt an entirely new and unprecedented mode of existence. Modernism might be cited as an example. This is an error which is still making its appearance under various new guises, wholly inconsistent with any genuine religious expression. It is surely an attempt on the part of secular philosophies and secular trends to vitiate the true teaching and discipline of the Church of Christ.” ECCLESIAM SUAM, ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI ON THE CHURCH, AUGUST 6, 1964

Blessed Paul VI possessed “farsightedness and wisdom” and could see that the Church (all of the Church even to individual parishes) is encountering a “tidal wave of change.” Is this not what we are experiencing at St. Peter’s. (Please refer to my October 6 post What Can Happen to a Parish in Four Months?) Are we not “becoming confused, bewildered and alarmed”?

Our new Pastor comes to us with a history and many charges have been made about him. Many of those are unfounded and poorly documented and they are not worthy to repeat. If, however, you research the matter, remaining entirely objective, you will find that Fr. Grinnell had a longstanding relationship with Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) http://www.voice-iaf.org/.

The three letters “IAF” in that URL stand for the Industrial Areas Foundation founded by Saul Alinsky. (There are links to both VOICE and the IAF on the right side of this page.) Please view the VOICE sight and research the role Fr. Grinnell has had with that organization. Consider what you find there and see if you find Catholic doctrine there or merely “secular philosophies.” Next, refer to the IAF sight and read about its background and its founder Saul Alinsky. Consider again if you are reading about Catholic doctrine or “secular philosophies.”

Once you have ascertained the character of IAF, VOICE, and Saul Alinsky then go to the link provided to the right for Rules for Radical Pastors. Consider that the article is listed under training material at the VOICE sight and consider Fr. Grinnell’s association with VOICE. When you have done all of that, consider the “tidal wave of change” that has come to St. Peter’s. Then ask yourself how much more change is to come and what form it will take.

Keep in mind the words of Blessed Paul VI, “It is surely an attempt on the part of secular philosophies and secular trends to vitiate the true teaching and discipline of the Church of Christ.”

Blessed Paul VI, pray for us.

Support to the Parish: In my posting “It has begun” on September 27 I briefly discussed why my wife and I have withdrawn financial support from St. Peter’s Catholic Church. It was quite simple: “…I cannot place money in the general Sunday collection until it is 100% certain that my money will not be going to a non-Catholic cause.” Fr. Grinnell could not provide a simple response assuring me that would be the case. This post, and others in the future will discuss the reason for my concern.

1. The Past: According to the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church Website, as of June 23, 2014:

“The parishioners of St. Charles Borromeo parish are actively engaged in the Catholic social mission. Our ministries include those in the areas of Advocacy, Community Involvement, Direct Service, Education, Health & Wellness, and International Solidarity. We also have a tithing program to reach out in our community and beyond.”

On another page at the same site there was a “Tithe Application Form” that outlined a tithing program that is best described as a mini-Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). (If you are not familiar with both the positive and negative sides of the CCHD, please refer to the US Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and American Life League (ALL) Web sites.)

“Guidelines: The tithing funds from St. Charles will be used to support organizations involved in charity (direct service), education, advocacy, community organizing or evangelization and can include programs that address local and global needs. Due to increased deamnd [sic] for funding, and limitations in meeting all requests through weekly tithing, St. Charles has implemented this application process for considering requests. Organizations that have some connection or tie to St. Charles will be given priority consideration.”

Interestingly, on the date that these Web pages were accessed, there was a rather curios parenthetical note appended to the first quote above:

“(The tithing program is currently suspended until further notice due to parish finances.)”

Of course, one would wonder what parish finance problem precipitated the suspension of parish tithing at St. Charles Borromeo. The answer can be found on Facebook. In a letter from Fr. Grinnell we learn:

“The Parish is running out of money. We are cash poor! This has caused us to do something I hoped never would happen. We have tithed 10% of our Sunday collections for over 30 years to organizations that do good work on behalf of the poor and the least of our brothers and sisters. We have now temporarily suspended our weekly tithe collection to conserve cash.”

According to Fr. Grinnell, the parish tithing program was suspended because of unanticipated subsidies to the parish school and needed repairs to the church building. Keep in mind that 10% of parish funds had gone to the causes outlined above, many of which were both non-Catholic and non-spiritual and some of which were politically/spiritually questionable, for “over 30 years” Meanwhile, the parish school had to close its doors and a voice for Catholic religious instruction was silenced.

2. The Present: I would suspect that my wife and I are not alone in finding the above information to be troubling. What we see above is the open record and not the actual record of finances. Thus, there is much that we may be missing or do not understand. Nevertheless, when I spoke to Fr. Grinnell on July 25th, he was not able to tell me firmly and directly that funds from the general Sunday collection would not go to the same type of questionable “social justice” causes noted at St. Charles Borromeo.

So, that brings us to some obvious questions:

– What is happening within and to the St. Peter’s Finance Council?

– Does the Council’s composition (size and representation) remain as it did under previous pastors?

– Have new members been appointed with/without consultation with other members?

– Has the leadership within the Council been advised of Fr. Grinnell’s intentions regarding his vision of the financial
future of the Parish?

– Will St. Peter’s become a tithing parish?

– Will “social justice” and non-Catholic causes come to take prominence over “spiritual justice” in the way St. Peter’s allocates the funds contributed by its parishioners? By the way, whatever happened to the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy?

– Will any of these questions be answered in the St. Peter’s bulletin for from the pulpit?

If they are not answered, then perhaps the issue should be pressed. Full transparency, publication of all Finance Council meeting agenda and minutes should be requested and, if necessary, demanded.

3. The Future: Lately, those who want to see the Roman Catholic Church depart from its teachings on the family and marriage have been quick to talk about the “Spirit of Pope Francis.” I am not opposed to studying closely the teaching of the Holy Father. So, let’s consider what Pope Francis had to say just this past weekend:

“We will speak a little bit about the Pope, now, in relation to the Bishops [laughing]. So, the duty of the Pope is that of guaranteeing the unity of the Church; it is that of reminding the faithful of their duty to faithfully follow the Gospel of Christ; it is that of reminding the pastors that their first duty is to nourish the flock – to nourish the flock – that the Lord has entrusted to them, and to seek to welcome – with fatherly care and mercy, and without false fears – the lost sheep. I made a mistake here. I said welcome: [rather] to go out and find them.” (Vatican News)

“Social justice” does not save souls in the way that “spiritual justice” does. The flock must be nourished – not fleeced.

In his letter to the parishioners of St. Charles Borromeo on June 8, Fr. Grinnell stated: “Keep me in prayer as I go on to my next assignment. I will certainly remember all of you. The parish that I’m going to should allow me ample time to pray, so I can assure you that I will pray for you! I will not be too far, and you are all welcome any time.”

My wife and I were certainly more than willing to allow Fr. Grinnell “ample time to pray.” That is the beauty of Rappahannock County and St. Peter’s Catholic Church. Unlike the fast pace of life inside the Beltway, we have grown spiritually because we have a beautiful gift here at St. Peter’s – the time to reflect and pray. Although we have only been here since December, the peace and calm we found at St. Peter’s and the release from the spiritual tension that we experienced in the Diocese of Boise reinvigorated us in our Faith.

Of course, we hoped that Fr. Grinnell would find the same opportunity to renew himself and perhaps to find a meaning for why God, through the Bishop, had him moved here. Yet, if we just look at the number of changes he has instituted and the pace at which he is moving to remake the Parish, we have come to think that Fr. Grinnell has brought the Beltway mentality with him. In so doing, he necessarily has endeavored to impose that mode upon St. Peter’s Catholic Church and the “sheep of Kephas – the sheep of Peter.”

Without adding analysis or commentary of my own (that will come later), here are a few excerpts from recent Parish bulletins. There are many other new activities Fr. Grinnell has proposed off-line to the Knights of Columbus and to other groups, but here, in Fr. Grinnell’s words is what can happen to a parish in four months.

2014-06-29 Pastor’s Piece: I would like to make one change in the mass schedule on Thursday. I would like to move the 8:30am mass to 7pm just before the 7:30 Holy Hour.

2014-07-13 – Pastor’s Piece:

RINGING BELLS – I prefer to have the servers ring the bells one time at the Epiclesis which is when the priest calls down the Holy Spirit on the gifts. I prefer to have some moments of silence after the words of institution (“this is my body” -“this is my blood”). Ringing the bells seven times (once for the epiclesis and 6 times for the Body and the Blood) does not give us enough quiet time in which to say a quick prayer. My mother always said to herself in that quiet time-“my Lord and my God”–the words of St. Thomas to the resurrected Jesus.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYERS – Someone told me that Fr. Murphy preferred to use Eucharistic Prayer 1 (the “Roman Canon”) for mass. I prefer to save the Roman Canon for special feasts. More often I use one of the other 9 Eucharistic prayers. I often use Eucharistic prayers 2, 3, and 4 for masses. In Lent or when the theme of the readings is reconciliation, I will often use Reconciliation Eucharistic Prayers 1 and 2. In addition there are 4 Eucharistic prayers for various needs: #1: The Church on the Path of Unity, #2; God Guides His church along the Way of Salvation; #3: Jesus, the Way to the Father; #4: Jesus, Who Went About Doing Good. I try to match the prayer to the theme of the readings or the homily.

HOMILY OR SERMON – One person asked the difference between a homily and a sermon. A homily is preaching on the readings of the mass. This is my preference and what the Church recommends. A Sermon might be on a specific topic and not necessarily be closely related to the readings. A topic for a sermon might be a talk on “avarice” or “envy” or “just war” or “fidelity”. Sometimes we are asked to preach a sermon, for example the sermon each year on the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal.

OUR WEBSITE – I have a friend, Fred Pugarelli, who has offered to update our website and make our website more interactive. I know that in other churches that I have been assigned to, the website is crucial for informing and attracting people. In a county as settled as Rappahannock, a website might not be as important, but I still think it would be useful to be out there in the internet. One thing that I would like to put on is a link to the weekly homily. I would also like to have pictures of parish events and interviews with parishioners (an oral history). I know that the gen Xers and the Millennial generation seem to be more oriented to the internet and it would be good to try to attract them.

2014-08-03 Pastor’s Piece:

YOU ARE INVITED TO MAKE A CURSILLO – One of the turning points in my spiritual life was in March of 1974 when, as a Deacon, I attended a Cursillo weekend. I loved the weekend but, even more, I loved the time since the weekend (what is called the Fourth Day-the rest of your life). I have been active in the fourth day regularly the last 40 years.

I would like to invite any woman interested to make a Cursillo the weekend of September 25-28 and I would like to invite any man who is interested in Cursillo the weekend of October 23-26. The Weekend goes 3 days-Thursday night to Sunday evening. The Cursillos are held at the Diocesan Retreat House at White Post (a little north of Front Royal). The team that presents a weekend is made up of 12 people-two spiritual directors and 10 men or women team members. Each person on the team gives a talk and there is a table discussion after each talk. There is Mass every day and time for Confession. The meals are wonderful– cooked by a team of Cursllistas (people who have already made a Cursillo).

I will put applications for the Cursillo in the vestibule of the Church. Fill it out and give it to me and I will sponsor anyone who wants to make the Cursillo. If money is a problem, tell me and I will solve the problem-no sweat.

If you know of anyone who does not get the bulletin but you think would be interested-pass this bulletin to them or tell them about it. You will not regret attending a Cursillo and it might even change your life like it did for me.

ANOTHER INVITATION ABOUT CURSILLO – I want to invite you to an ULTREYA here at St. Peter’s on Saturday night August 30 at 6pm. We will start with a pot luck dinner (bring a dish to share) and then introduce ourselves, sing a song of two, break into group reunions (small groups of 4) to share, have a witness talk by Jim Bayne. There will be many people from the area coming-Catholic and non-Catholic. We are inviting anyone who has made a Cursillo or is interested in Cursillo to come and have a wonderful evening of sharing with your neighbors.

2014-09-21 Pastor’s Piece

LOOKING FOR PASTORAL COUNCIL MEMBERS – I would like to start a parish Pastoral Council to help and advise me on pastoral directions for our parish. I would project that the council would meet 4 times a year and would have 5 members. One member would come from the Knights of Columbus and one member would come from the cemetery committee and three members would come from each of the weekend masses. I would like people to volunteer. The only prerequisite would be that the volunteers be willing and able to attend the 4 yearly meetings of the council and be knowledgeable about and supportive of our parish. The commitment for serving on the council would only be for a year at a time but could be renewable year by year if the person so chose. I see the pastoral council meetings starting with a dinner meeting about 6 pm and lasting until 8 pm.

If you would be willing to serve please email me at:grinnelihorace@gmail.com.As I said above, I am looking for one person from the Knights of Columbus and one person from the cemetery committee and one person from each of the masses (5 pm Saturday and 8:30 am and 10:45 am on Sunday). This service to the parish will not be a burden and will help me as I am new to the parish and need to know what the best pastoral initiatives will be for our Parish. Please volunteer!

LOOKING FOR EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS – I am also looking for Parishioners who would be willing to be trained and serve as extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist. These people would assist me in distributing communion at the weekend masses. Some would minister the Body of Christ with me and others would minister the Blood of Christ (the Chalice) for Communion under Both species. I would like to have volunteers to be trained from each weekend mass so that there would be enough Eucharistic ministers to serve at the masses that they normally go to. To be qualified for this ministry one should be an adult practicing Catholic in good standing who is willing to serve. Please email me (grinnellhorace@gmail.com) to volunteer and tell me which weekend mass that you would serve at. I need your help so please volunteer!

In my last post, I made a reference to Idaho and problems my wife and I encountered during our five and a half years living in the Diocese of Boise. I don’t like to use adjectives and adverbs; they can be misunderstood, but the Diocese of Boise cannot be described without using them. I also don’t want make false accusations.

Let’s be clear. My wife are not traditionalists, we have often found great peace in the Novus Ordo when done properly and reverently. We also find great beauty and awe in the Mass in the Extraordinary Form. We are Roman Catholics who love the richness of our various liturgies. In the Diocese of Boise, however, that peace was seldom found. Instead, we often found abuse and irreverence. And access to the Extraordinary Form was severely limited by the now retired Bishop. So the wonderful high desert and mountains of east Idaho, which were so inspiring physically, had become a place of spiritual aridity. Being a faithful Roman Catholic family in the Diocese of Boise was a trying experience. We continually pray for our friends in Idaho that they might be blessed with a new Bishop who will lead them out of the spiritual desert that Modernism has created there.

There are hopeful signs that our prayers are being answered and that a return to full orthodoxy in Idaho is already underway. Just this week the bulletin from our former Parish contained a lengthy letter from the Pastor. Here is the opening paragraph:

“In keeping with my responsibilities as pastor, I have over the years, in the context of the New Evangelization, worked to increase our sense of the solemnity and dignity of the Mass and other liturgical rites. This effort included actions like raising the level of the altar at Christ the King, improving the quality of the altar cloths at Holy Rosary and Christ the King, and requiring the use of sacred vessels made only from precious metals for the Eucharistic Celebration. At this time and in the same spirit, I believe it is important to establish a parish standard for sacred music, especially the music at Mass.”

Please note the portion of the statement I underlined. Consider the use of the pewter bread plate we now see at all the Masses at St. Peter’s. Technically, it can slip through the guidelines in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM). Yes, it just gets by. Then, I look at the words of my former Pastor: “… to increase our sense of the solemnity and dignity of the Mass and other liturgical rites.”

I can’t say I always agreed with my former Pastor, but I can say he apparently realizes that an increase in “the solemnity and dignity of the Mass” is precisely what is needed in his Parish and throughout the Church in America. And now the same can be said about what is needed in our Parish here in Rappahannock County.