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Father, should we ban “assaut” weapons? – More to the Story
More to the Story
We may have differing positions on certain issues. Gun control is one of those issues. The fact that there was “Poster Making Party” at St. Peter’s that was focused on gun control is not the problem. The problem is that there are several indications that the “Party” was sponsored by a specific political party, i.e. Democratic Party, thereby making the event that took place in St. Albert Hall a partisan event.
The “Poster Making Party” apparently was authorized prior to March 14. Following are excerpts from an email announcing the event:
“Hello everybody
Only one week before the March.
Poster Making Party Wednesday March 21st 5:00 to 7:30PM. Make Signs for March for Our Lives St. Peter’s Church Community Room, Little Washington, VA, Poster materials will be provided, but bring your own materials and slogans too.
Attached are a couple of designs (thank you [name redacted]!) and a few ideas for those who cannot attend
1- Ban military style weapons.
2- Ban all semi-automatic weapons
3- Universal background check for gun owner
4 – LaPierre, you have no conscience
5- Lawmakers, act and stop children massacre
6 – Prayers are not enough, action is needed
Ok I am not creative, I am sure people will come up with great signs.”
Whatever your position is on gun control, St. Peter Catholic Church is not the place to have a partisan (Democratic or Republican) “Poster Making Party”.
We Need More Information
A reader of this blog asks the following pertinent questions”
Did anyone in the parish attend this?
Was this ever advertised to any parishioners? If not, why not?
We are hoping that other readers and interested parties will come forward with information to answer those questions and a host of other questions concerning the “Poster Making Party”.
We Will Get This Right
Thus far, we have posted two items relating information about the “Poster Making Party” held last week in St. Albert Hall at St. Peter Catholic Church. The first item was Father, should we ban “assaut” weapons? that provided information from two independent sources. It is difficult to verify and corroborate all information that is passed to us. That is why we are doing our best to “get this right” and why we posted Father, should we ban “assaut” weapons? – Correction when a third source came forward: .
As we said in our last post, “We are praying that we get this right.” Thankfully, one reader of this blog provided us an item “For full correctness:” that helps to clarify a partial misstatement in questions we posed under Observation 4 in Father, should we ban “assaut” weapons?. The phrase that needs clarification is “This year, last year, and every year since you have been at St. Peter’s, …”
In January 2015, our Pastor did join with parishioners on the March for Life and the parish did arrange for a bus. (See Bulletin 2015-01-18.) Reportedly, Father observed “that we ‘did not fill the bus’. That may partially explain why he decided not to have the parish order a bus for January 2016 (the year of the blizzard). (See Bulletin 2016-01-17 where our Pastor tells us to use buses provided by St. John the Evangelist or Precious Blood parishes.) In 2017 and 2018, the Knights of Columbus provided the buses. Interestingly, both of those years the bus was full, but our Pastor was away on vacation.
We continue to pray that we get this right.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!
Father, should we ban “assaut” weapons? – Correction
Immediately, after posting Father, should we ban “assaut” weapons?, another source came forward and clarified a point that had puzzled us. We were concerned about the event occurring on a Thursday evening. The new information reveals that a: “Poster Making Party” was scheduled for “Wednesday March 21st 5:00 to 7:30PM”.
There is more information available, but we are waiting for clearance to post that to our general audience.
We are praying that we get this right.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!
Father, should we ban “assaut” weapons?
Bottom Line Up Front: I have two reliable sources who reported the following:
On March 22nd, St. Peter Catholic Church hosted a group of people making posters for the anti-gun rights “March for Our Lives” scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 24th in the District of Columbia.
The following picture is of a poster made during that session. Apparently, it was rejected and cast aside due to the misspelling of the word “assault”. The picture also shows two of the many containers of markers used during the event.
Reportedly, the poster making session occurred last night. There is Mass and Holy Hour at St. Peter’s on Thursday evenings. So, the event either occurred during Mass and Holy Hour or sometime after 8:30pm. There was no mention of the event on the parish website or in Bulletin_2018-03-18.
Also, there is information that the group of attendees either was primarily composed of or at least included members of the Rappahannock County Democrats.
Speculative Commentary
Observation 1: Please read the letter in Thursday’s Rappahannock News entitled Their voices are loud and clear by Marian M. Bragg. Ms. Bragg’s letter makes it clear that she, “along with a busload of like-minded residents” will be participating in the “March for Our Lives” on Saturday. The website of the Rappahannock County Democratic Committee clearly shows that Ms. Bragg is a member of that committee.
Questions: When Ms. Bragg gets on the bus tomorrow bound for the march will she have a poster to display? If so, was that sign made at St. Peter’s?
Observation 2: As far as we know, no one in the parish could authorize the type of sign making session that occurred on March 22 – no one except our Pastor.
Questions: Did Father authorize the event? Did Father participate in the event. Did Father make any signs of his own? Will Father be on the bus with Ms. Bragg tomorrow morning?
Observation 3: We know that our Pastor is a proponent for “Gun Control”. See For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2017-12-10. We also know that our Pastor appears to be closely aligned with the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests (AUSCP) and their stance against gun violence. (See “GUN CONTROL” at St. Peter’s – More to the Story.)
Question: To what extent has our Pastor used his position and authority to promote the AUSCP agenda and the Democratic Party agenda pertaining to gun control?
Observation 4: Whether directly or indirectly, through authorization to use parish property, our Pastor appears to have provided support to “a busload of like-minded residents”. His support will be visible in Washington, D.C. tomorrow, whether he rides on that bus with the “like-minded residents” or not. His support will be on every one of the posters on that bus that will be paraded in front of national and international news cameras.
Questions: Father we pose this to you directly. This year, last year, and every year since you have been at St. Peter’s, you never supported your sheep, your lambs who made the sacrifice to go the “March for Life”, why is it that you could desert us yet give your support to those going on the bus to the “March for Our Lives” tomorrow? Where was your support for our bus? Where was your support for all the babies killed in the womb?
Almost the Final Question: Father, should we ban “assaut” weapons?
Final Question: As we move into the holiest week of the year, will our Pastor’s apparent support for the AUSCP and Democratic Party agenda bring the salvation of even a single soul?
For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2018-03-18
Here is Bulletin_2018-03-18
Dear readers, allow me to share a beautiful poem by a world famous author. It comes from a collection of poetry that has been with me for decades. It suits this season and this day so well.
Ode to the Plum Blossom
Wind and rain escorted Spring’s departure,
Flying snow welcomes Spring’s return.
On the ice-clad rock rising high and sheer
A flower blooms sweet and fair.
Sweet and fair, she craves not Spring for herself alone,
To be the harbinger of Spring she is content.
When the mountain flowers are in full bloom
She will smile mingling in their midst.
Are you, perhaps, asking who might have written such a tender and thoughtful reflection on the change of seasons? Well, you might know this author better by another collection of his reflections on the struggles of life. That collection was published under the title of Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, aka The Little Red Book.
Last week, I was under the weather and did not read Bulletin_2018-03-11 closely. My beautiful and most wonderful spouse advised me to check a reference, but, shame on me, I didn’t follow her advice. This week I noticed what she had already seen. Here’s the way it appears in the bulletin this week:
Join the Book Club! Mondays: 9:15–10:15a.m.
BARKING TO THE CHOIR! By Gregory Boyle
All are invited to join our Monday morning book club, starting at 9:15 a.m. til 10:15 a.m. The next meeting will be on Monday, March 20. I promise you will be so glad you joined! **ALL ARE WELCOME**
Unlike the Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung and the Poems of Mao Tse-Tung, I have not read Barking to the Choir. I don’t ever intend to read it. Why? For the same reason I no longer read poems by Chairman Mao. Although many worthwhile things can come from an author’s pen, that very same pen can be the means by which that author can spread evil, corrupt thoughts.
Who is Gregory Boyle? His publisher Simon & Schuster says this about him:
Gregory Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, CA. Now in its 30th year, Homeboy traces its roots to when Boyle, a Jesuit priest with advanced degrees in English and theology, served as pastor of Dolores Mission Church, then the poorest Catholic parish in Los Angeles, which also had the highest concentration of gang activity in the city. Homeboy has become the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and reentry program in the world, and employs and trains gang members and felons in a range of social enterprises, as well as provides critical services to thousands of men and women each year who walk through its doors seeking a better life.
So, what’s the problem? Turns out there is more than one problem:
Problem 1: Fr. Boyle is a close associate and friend of the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests (AUSCP). For example, he was a keynote speaker at the 2015 AUSCP Assembly. (See: Founder of Homeboy Industries addresses AUSCP and guests at 2015 Assembly.)
Problem 2: Fr. Boyle has ridiculed the Catholic Church’s refusal to ordain women to the priesthood. “You know the Vatican just said that the ordination of women is a grave sin,” he said. “Have you ever met anybody who would agree with that, I mean my 85-year-old mother doesn’t…” (See: Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., “Have You Ever Met Anybody Who Would Agree With That?”.)
Problem 3: Fr. Boyle supports homosexual “marriage”. (See: Notre Dame to give highest honor to Jesuit priest who supports gay ‘marriage,’ women priests.)
By now, you know we don’t make these things up. But, just in case you may be doubtful about what we have asserted above, please view the following video and listen to Fr. Boyle in his own words. Fr Greg Boyle on gay “marriage”, Proposition 8, women priests, communion
Once again, the AUSCP agenda has insinuated itself into St. Peter’s. The snakes of death and the worms of corruption have crawled into our parish. How many souls will be saved by sharing the thoughts of Fr. Gregory Boyle?
The pen that wrote Ode to the Plum Blossom was wielded by the same man who was responsible for the death of as many as 65 million. Remember that as you read Barking to the Choir.
For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2018-01-21
Here is Bulletin_2018-01-21
In Absentia: As noted in post St. Peter’s at the 2018 March for Life the parishioners of St. Peter’s delivered the message of Life to the Capitol on January 18th. Meanwhile, our Pastor, Fr. Neverwithus, was on his annual mid-Winter vacation. Prior to the March for Life there were no comments of support or urging participation in the March from him. But … our Pastor did leave another message, both in Bulletin_2018-01-21 and on the parish website:
Comment 1: If you don’t remember some of our encounters with Social Action Linking Together (SALT), please refer to Rules and Tools for Radical Pastors #15 – Take it with a Grain of S-A-L-T and do a search on this blog for other references to SALT.
Comment 2: Many children in the womb today are on “death row”. They will be executed by Planned Parenthood tomorrow morning. Consider that unjust sentence in contrast to a few days in solitary confinement. My family and I know our priorities and we devote our spiritual, physical, and monetary resources accordingly. We know where we will make our voices heard.
Comment 3: It becomes increasingly apparent that our Pastor is aligned with the social justice priorities of the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests (AUSCP). Close examination of its priorities shows that it is working to make the Church look like the world rather than making the world look like Christ and the Church.
Comment 4: Our position, priority, and most earnest prayer at the Sheep of Kephas blog is to bring our Pastor to a change of heart and make him look more like Christ and the Church.
After all – The Salvation of Souls is the Supreme Law
The AUSCP and St. Peter’s – Facts and Questions
Fact 1: Our Pastor is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, VA and the pastor of St. Peter Catholic Church.
Fact 2: The Sheep of Kephas blog has established that our Pastor has attended two Association of U.S. Catholic Priests (AUSCP) national assemblies.
Fact 3: Our Pastor acknowledged publicly at Masses at St. Peter’s that he had attended the most recent (2017) AUSCP national assembly.
Fact 4: This blog has not established that our Pastor is a dues-paying member of AUSCP, but there is enough circumstantial evidence to support that type of conclusion.
Fact 5: The AUSCP recently posted this letter addressed to James Martin, S.J. on its facebook site here:
Question 1: As a likely member of AUSCP, does our Pastor stand in agreement with Fr. Bob Bonnot and the AUSCP Leadership Team with regards to the AUSCP letter dated January 10, 2018?
Question 2: What are the implications for the sheep of St. Peter’s if, in fact, our Pastor stands in accord with the AUSCP on the above letter?
Question 3: What are the implications for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington if, in fact, our Pastor stands in accord with the AUSCP on the above letter?
“GUN CONTROL” at St. Peter’s – More to the Story
When it comes to our radical Pastor’s involvement with issues on the left, it is always necessary to delve deeply into what motivates him. In yesterday’s post (For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2017-12-10), we had only peeled off one layer of the onion. To be certain, the Unitarian Universalists (UU) are among the chief sponsors of the scheduled December 14, 2017 GUN CONTROL event publicized in St. Peter’s bulletin.
Let’s put the UU’s aside and go one level deeper. First, we’ll go back to For the Sheep in Exile: Bulletin 2017-06-25 when Father told us that he had just returned from attending the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests (AUSCP) assembly in Atlanta. He himself established that he was impressed and influenced by the event. Then, we go further back to the picture of our Pastor attending the 2016 AUSCP assembly in Chicago. It is here that we find another motivating factor for Father’s apparent support for GUN CONTROL.
It was in Chicago that Father may have or even likely participated in an AUSCP vote for GUN CONTROL. Following is a direct quote from the AUSCP website article AUSCP passes resolutions regarding gun control and violence, dated June 29, 2016:
Members of the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests approved (June 28) three resolutions regarding gun control and non-violence. One resolution supports the statement made by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and Pax Christi International regarding Nonviolence and Just Peace. Another resolution calls for members of the association to “incorporate the lessening of gun violence in their personal life choices and pastoral ministry.” The third resolution supports Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich who is urging the USCCB “to make gun control and gun violence one of the top priorities of the Church.”
So, it seems that our Pastor has decided that the UU sponsored GUN CONTROL event coincides perfectly with the AUSCP call to “incorporate the lessening of gun violence in their personal life choices and pastoral ministry.”
Our parish bulletin now promotes (in capital letters) a “GUN CONTROL” event. That would lead us to suspect that GUN CONTROL is now part of the “pastoral ministry” here at St. Peter’s.
How many souls will be saved?
Radical Remaking of a Parish – “Cherished Beliefs”
You haven’t heard from me for quite a while – but I couldn’t resist this one. So, I gave my hubby the night off and I’m taking over. Enjoy!
Is there anyone out there listening? Wake up, Speak up, Shake up – Do it now!!!
I’m sure you remember when Barrack Obama said this:
“… And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”
Were you disturbed? Did it sound like a personal attack? Does it still bother you? Or have you grown numb?
A few days ago, someone made a statement that in my view is even more disturbing.
“It is our job to take up that discernment. It takes time. It involves discipline. Most importantly it requires that we be prepared to let go of cherished beliefs and long-held biases,” …
This person was speaking of your Catholic beliefs and understanding of Catholic teaching. In that context – Are you disturbed? Does it sound like a personal attack? Does it bother you? It should!!
(See: Catholics must let go of ‘cherished beliefs’ to ‘discern’ like Pope Francis: U.S. Cardinal)
The speaker was none other than Cardinal Blase Cupich who said that if Catholics want to engage in “discernment” like Pope Francis does, they must let go of “cherished beliefs.” He thinks you and I have “long held biases.” – We certainly are not as enlightened as he is. Bull poop!
When you read the article closely and watch the video what do you see. Tell me, can you agree with the babble and drivel that he is promoting? Does it even make any sense?
Although he was speaking of his own Archdiocese and how he is “rebuilding” and “reimagining” the Church through a process of “discernment” and “dialogue”, it was clear that he believes his Archdiocese should be the template for change throughout the country.
What the heck do those blasted words in purple mean? HUH????
He feels confident that his own clergy (dare I add mealy mouthed, wimpy, yes men) are supporting him and his vision, he is not so trusting of lay people.
The Cardinal said that while the majority of priests are supportive of his “Renew my Church” program, local lay leaders are far less supportive.
Renew my Church? Get a grip! People like him have been renewing our Church for the last 50 years – pulleeeze!
So what does this mean to St. Peter’s Parish?
Take a look at the picture below. There in the center is the very same Cardinal Cupich who expects you to let go of your cherished beliefs. He is standing proud and tall with the leadership of the Association of US Catholic Priests (AUSCP) on January 28, 2016.
From AUSCP Website article: AUSCP WELCOMED IN CHICAGO:
The then Archbishop expressed support for the work of the Association, and said he would encourage priests (dare I say again mealy mouthed, wimpy, yes men) of the archdiocese to join in the assembly.
So who did join with the AUSCP and Cardinal Cupich at the assembly? Who participated with those who want you to let go of your “cherished beliefs”? Who was there that in all likelihood supports most if not all of the positions of the AUSCP and Cardinal Cupich? I can show you at least one person who was there.
Virginia Voting Day: Don’t talk about it – do it! Vote tomorrow!
My oldest grandson will be voting tomorrow for the first time. This is our future.
For all of those like Cardinal Cupich who want me to change my “cherished beliefs”, this is what I have to say to you:
Get back, get back
Get back to where you once belonged
Get back, get back
Get back to where you once belonged
Catholic Cultural Revolution #3: The Parish Pastoral Council has been “Disappeared”
I went to the St. Peter Catholic Church Website this week to find out what’s new. Every now and then I find some useful information. For example, last week I found out that Father was missing in action – again. (See Catholic Cultural Revolution #2: Where’s Father? Again!)
To really know what’s going on in the parish, I need to hire a good detective.
This week, oh my goodness, I found out that the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) is missing in action. It is gone. There is no trace. Either the PPC and all of its members have disappeared or, even worse, they were “disappeared”.
This really calls for a good detective.
- So, you might ask, who is the PPC member for your Mass? You can’t find that on the Website anymore.
- What wonderful works of the New Evangelization are being developed by our PPC? Sorry, you can’t find that out on the Website.
- What plans for savings souls have been considered? Nope, you won’t find it.
- In fact, you just can’t find anything about the PPC anymore.
Not Really “Disappeared”: Although the minutes of past PPC meetings have been “disappeared” from the parish Website, that does not mean the Sheep in Exile no longer have access to them. (This was the first success for our newly hired detective.)
For our Pastor, in case you want a personal copy, here are the ‘disappeared’ PPC minutes:
Char’s Commentary:
Our radical Pastor has once again made a sneaky move to cover up an inconvenient truth – The PPC is not what parishioners have been led to think. Although I can’t read his mind, there is every reason to suspect that the PPC always was, and as long as Father is at St. Peter’s, always will be just another tool used in the Catholic Cultural Revolution. There is also every reason to suspect that this PPC charade is fully in accordance with RULE 2 for Radical Pastors.
RULE 2: Build an organization by presenting a vision of where you are going and moving toward it.
Saul Alinsky said that people were to have the power that their ideas and programs should come to the surface. But he also understood that the organizer had to capture the best of those ideas and present them as a vision so that people could move toward them. Alinsky wrote, “The organizer’s biggest job is to give people the feeling that they can do something”
Dear readers, RULE 2 is why Father established the PPC. As Alinsky wrote, “The organizer’s biggest job is to give people the feeling that they can do something”. It doesn’t matter if anything is accomplished or any souls are saved. Our Pastor’s vision of a good PPC is a coffee clutch that has the feeling that they can do something.
More importantly – keep no records and keep the parish in the dark. Mushrooms grow well at St. Peter’s where PPC minutes and members get “disappeared”.
That’s it folks. The PPC is charade. If it remains missing from public view, it might just become another self-licking ice cream cone and book club like the PPC at Father’s last parish, St. Charles Borromeo. Woohoo!!! (Read: Minutes – Pastoral Council Meeting – St. Charles Borromeo Church – April 21, 2014)
“Oh, just one more thing” … Meet my new detective!
The Death of a Dear Friend
1. Death of a Dear Friend: We prayed and we prayed but the good Lord has finally taken our dear friend, that good and faithful dead horse Petition. My sweet spouse and I are mourning his loss. Meanwhile, Fre3d Capra remains in a coma. We hope we never have to tell him about poor Petition.
2. Why? You might be wondering what brought on the demise our dear dead horse. Perhaps the following from the official Diocese of Arlington site will explain it all. Petition truly hoped that he would see the name of our Pastor on this list, but it was not so:
2017 Clergy Announcement
Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington, has announced the following clergy appointments effective Wednesday, June 28, 2017, except where noted differently.
Pastors
Reverend Brian G. Bashista – from Parochial Vicar at Saint James Parish in Falls Church to Pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Lake Ridge.
Reverend Edward R. Horkan – from Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Luray to Pastor of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Luray.
Reverend Stanley J. Krempa – from Pastor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Winchester to Pastor of the newly established Parish of Saint Bridget of Ireland in Berryville, effective July 12, 2017.
Reverend Bjorn C. Lundberg – from Chaplain at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Dumfries, with residence at Holy Family Parish in Dale City, to Pastor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Winchester, effective July 12, 2017.
Reverend David P. Meng – from Pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Lake Ridge to Pastor of Saint Timothy Parish in Chantilly.
Reverend Keith M. O’Hare – from Service in the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana in the Dominican Republic to Pastor of Saint Louis Parish in Alexandria.
Reverend Matthew H. Zuberbueler – from Pastor of Saint Louis Parish in Alexandria to Pastor of Saint Anthony of Padua Parish in Falls Church.
Parochial Vicars
Reverend Milton R. Acevedo – from Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Angels Parish in Woodbridge to Parochial Vicar at Good Shepherd Parish in Alexandria.
Reverend Thomas B. Cavanaugh – from Parochial Vicar at Saint Theresa Parish in Ashburn to Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Angels Parish in Woodbridge.
Reverend Phillip M. Cozzi – from Parochial Vicar at Saint Timothy Parish in Chantilly to Parochial Vicar at Saint James Parish in Falls Church.
Reverend Alex Diaz – from Parochial Vicar at Holy Family Parish in Dale City to Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Angels Parish in Woodbridge.
Reverend Michael J.R. Kelly – from Chaplain at Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax with residence at Saint Philip Parish in Falls Church to Parochial Vicar at Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Fredericksburg.
Reverend Luis Quiñónes – from Parochial Vicar at Good Shepherd Parish in Alexandria to Parochial Vicar at Holy Family Parish in Dale City.
Reverend Augustine Minh Hai Tran – from Parochial Vicar at Saint James Parish in Falls Church to Parochial Vicar at Holy Trinity Parish in Gainesville.
Special Assignments
Reverend Brendan W. Bartlett – from Parochial Vicar at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Winchester to Canon Law Studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., with residence at Saint Charles Borromeo Parish in Arlington.
Reverend Keith D. Cummings – from Parochial Vicar at Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Fredericksburg to Chaplain at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Dumfries with residence at Holy Family Parish in Dale City.
Reverend Stephen F. McGraw – from Chaplain at Christendom College in Front Royal to service in the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana in the Dominican Republic.
Reverend Marcus A. Pollard – from Pastor of Saint Anthony of Padua Parish in Falls Church to Chaplain at Christendom College in Front Royal.
Reverend Stephen J. Schultz – from Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Angels Parish in Woodbridge to Chaplain at Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax with residence at Saint Leo the Great Parish in Fairfax.
Retirement
Reverend Gerald Weymes – from Pastor of Saint Timothy Parish in Chantilly to retired status in a private residence.
Newly Ordained Priests
Reverend Mr. Steven G. Oetjen – upon ordination to the priesthood, to Parochial Vicar at Saint James Parish in Falls Church.
Reverend Mr. Stephen M. Vaccaro – upon ordination to the priesthood, to Parochial Vicar at Nativity Parish in Burke.
Reverend Mr. Jordan M. Willard – upon ordination to the priesthood, to Parochial Vicar at Saint Theresa Parish in Ashburn.
Transitional Deacon Assignment
Michael J. Folmar – upon ordination to the diaconate, to All Saints Parish in Manassas, effective June 12, 2017.
Christopher F. Tipton – upon ordination to the diaconate, to Cathedral of Saint Thomas More, effective June 12, 2017.
Religious Personnel Assigned to the Diocese
Reverend James Puglis, T.O.R. – from service outside the Diocese of Arlington to Parochial Vicar at Saint Joseph Parish in Herndon, effective June 10, 2017.
Clergy Personnel Assigned Outside the Diocese
Reverend William N. Serrano – from Parochial Vicar at Saint Bernadette Parish in Springfield to ministry outside the Diocese of Arlington, was effective May 15, 2017.
Reverend Jonathan St. Andre, T.O.R. – from Parochial Vicar at Saint Joseph Parish in Herndon to ministry outside the Diocese of Arlington, was effective May 18, 2017.
3. To Our Bishop – The Smell of the Sheep: You live in Arlington. You do not live in Rappahannock County – you have only been here once. If you had to attend (not celebrate) Mass here every week, you might know what “odours” are in the air here. So in the words of Pope Francis:
This I ask you: be shepherds, with the “odour of the sheep”, make it real, as shepherds among your flock, fishers of men. True enough, the so-called crisis of priestly identity threatens us all and adds to the broader cultural crisis; but if we can resist its onslaught, we will be able to put out in the name of the Lord and cast our nets.
There is a “crisis of priestly identity” here and the Sheep of Kephas and the Sheep in Exile will “resist its onslaught“.
The Sheep of Kephas 