Okay, the movie was sheriff.

I need some advice. It has been rumored (my wife assures me it is a fact) that some charitable members of our parish have decided that they do not like our new priest and have started a petition against him. He is not Ruthenian (he's from India), he spent a lot of time with the Ukrainians (God Forbid! Alex, I hope I NEVER have to meet you!), and he has made some minor changes, which these parishioners have found objectionable.

It was said that these unhappy parishioners have decided to send this petition to Pittsburgh detailing their complaints and suggesting some action.

Well, our priest heard about this petition from someone who was asked to sign. Having been the first time he had heard these complaints, he called a meeting of the parish council, some of whom have allegedly signed this petition. So, our priest asked what about the issues that these parishioners had. Incredibly, everyone was aware of the petition, but not a single person had seen it.

One kind gentleman decided to explain to our priest some of the issues they had.

1. He moved the lectern from the side of the church to the center. "That's just not our tradition. The priest should stand behind a lectern in the corner."

2. "I've never seen a priest do the Presanctified Gifts the way you do. What, are you reading from a Ukrainian book or something?"

3. When he read the gospel on Easter Sunday, he read the gospel in "too many languages." He read it in nine (he knows a lot of languages) and he read it in Latin, which was okay, but he also read it in Ukrainian! God forbid! Horrible and ugly Ukrainian! So different from our perfect Rusyn Tongue.

I will admit that our priest is learning, but this is from a parishioner who has successfully maintained kneeling, the filioque, and other Latinisms. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

At any rate, will Pittsburgh chuck this odd little "letter," or is this something we should address.

We (the parish council) told our priest to go on as if the petition doesn't exist and print a message in the bulletin saying that anyone who has issues should come to him or to a member of the Parish Council to discuss whatever problems they may have.

This is my first time through a civil war and I would prefer to remain OFF the casualty list.

What is wrong with people like this? You Eastern Catholics do not have a monopoly on them, I can assure you. A similar letter was written to the Dean by a prominent member of our Parish Board with complaints that our new Acting Rector (a newly-ordained priest) takes too long in doing the Services (actually, he does the Services the way they're *supposed* to be done!) and they aren't nice and short like when Father x..., our former rector of 44 years was here! The Dean told Father to go slow with any changes and that he had a furor in his own parish when he removed one pew which was never used!

OrthodoxEast

Dear Cizinec,

Why do you hope that you never HAVE to meet you?

Who would force you to meet me?

The next time your in town, I'll insist on seeing you then!

And there are as many Ukrainian typicons as there are priests. We had one from Ukraine the other day and he vested in the middle of the Church and took his time . . .

Perhaps that individual who is against your priest is wasted in your parish.

Perhaps he would better serve the Ruthenian Church in its vocations department?

Alex

Very well said Alex!

These complaints should carry no weight at all if they are attempts to restore authentic liturgical traditions.

The congregation is lucky to have such a priest. Even if he has difficulties he sounds very sincere in his efforts. If the petition is successful they could find themselves with Readers Services as there may be no replacement for him, and some other parish may benefit from their folly.

Hurray for the brave priest!

Send him to Illinois!

Michael

Unfortunately we went through something very like this about 15 years ago. It got very ugly, led to the dissolution of the parish council (which has never been restored) and the temporary dissolution of several other parish organizations. Our (then) bishop strongly supported our new and embattled pastor, as did many of us in the parish.

I have to say that "the great schism" did lasting harm. If you can defuse the situation before it gets out of hand, by all means, do so. Blessed are the peacemakers.


Sharon

I am very sorry to say that I now know the petition is real. My wife received a copy of the petition after it was written and sent. One of the primary complaints concerns the way our priest conducted the funeral of our daughter in October.

I have to say that when my wife found this out she was extremely upset, as am I.

If I were the priest, I would do some things differently. I would remove most of the pews, put an end to the filioque, and put more emphasis on our Eastern Traditions. Our priest, although he is still officially Latin, has done his best. No one else wanted to come down here, partially because of the situtation with some of the parishioners. There were some things at Marcella's funeral I wish could have been different. But our priest did his best, and he took care of us and prayed for and with us.

I am disappointed that the ones who have complained about our daughter's funeral are the ones who gave us the least solace. Most of them, and they are primarily from the choir, didn't even show up for the funeral. I feel betrayed and violated that they would use the death of my child to their own political ends. Now I know why no one showed us the petition and why it was kept from us.

They started the petition during Holy Week. Pray for these people. They are so lost in their own world that they would destroy our church, our priest, our parish, and even give no concern to my family.

Alex, I would be proud to be a Ukrainian. I hope you realise that I was being sarcastic, noting that they would prefer to be Latin than Byzantine-Ukrainian.

It sounds like what your priest is doing is more in line with the authentic tradition of the Church. The priest should always read and preach from the center of the solea. The center is a liturgically signficant position for the priest to take.

The practice on Easter from the Typikon is to read the Gospel in as many languages as possible, and if the priest is linguistically gifted, why not read more. There is no number limit on the number of Gospels. In fact the more languages, the more vivid the universality of the message of the Resurrection becomes before our eyes and ears.

It seems as if the "tradition" the way some in the parish imagines ("that's just not our tradition" as you quoted them) has more to do with a more Latinized recent history than really understanding the tradition. And if he does things a little more Eastern or Ukrainian, well, there's worse things.

I hope your priest will be strong and not allow himself to be chased away by those who want things "their way".

Christ is Risen!

My prayers are with you, and with the community, and with your new pastor. It is so hard to cope with change, and I hope that you will be able to help the community see that some of these changes might be positive. In any case, they do not sound like earth-shattering questions. Don't worry too much.

If I were a bishop who got a letter or a petition of any kind, there are two things I might do. If it is signed with a return address I would answer it. Then I would either put it in the parish file, or if I thought it might help the pastor, I might share some or all of it with him.

Parishes, families, communities of any kind, require a lot of work. It is very difficult, and there are always challenges, bright moments and disappointing failures. So much depends on a willingness to accept one another's weaknesses, forgive, and build on strengths.

Let us pray for all of our parishes and communities, and entrust them, one another, and all our life to Christ God!

Christ is Risen!

This only confirms that there is great sickness in the world. I feel sad for you and your wife for the trouble these folks made for you, especially during such troubling times as in the loss of one's child.

Eternal Memory!

Joe

It is truly sad that the funeral of your dear departed child (Vichnaja Pam'jat) would be something to be taken advantage of. May God grant you all peace, solace, and strength to carry on under these circumstances. Z'Bohom

Christ is Risen!

As one who is preparing for ordination, this is my biggest fear. I will go to a parish with all of this zeal, and this is what I will face.

A priest came to the seminary recently to give us a talk on parish leadership. This priest, although Latin, took a parish that was almost dead, and close to closing, and brought it back to life. He went slow and kept moving, he said it is hard to hit a moving target.

One of the things that he did that I thought was the right thing was to make no changes for six months. He listened to the people and where they were and what they wanted, and then he moved. He got them to think that the changes he wanted to make, all good and authentic ones, were mostly their ideas.

Good bit of information I thought.

Peter

Dear Cizinec,

I was being sarcastic as well - but situations like the one you describe drives me up the wall!

I remember Fr. Dzulynsky who served at St Volodymyr and Olha's Church in Chicago - he came from Toronto where I was an altar-server for him at the first Ukie Church in Toronto on Bathurst Street.

I remember watching idiot parishioners go up to him after Divine Liturgy to criticize his sermons, the way he turned about in front of the Altar and I recall the meekness with which he bore those crosses.

The people in Chicago greeted him and treated him as if he were a king by comparison.

The point you raise about the "anything but Ukie" thing is one I've come across.

I know Ukies can be short-sighted and mean-spirited.

But nothing like the Russians . . .

May God bless you and your family through the prayers of your heavenly patrons, including your dear daughter!

Alex

Your daughter and your family are in my prayers.How sad those people weren't there for you at such a sorrowful time in your life. We aren't having Liturgy this week because our priest is out of town. I wish those folks could stand in my community's shoes.I hope that Metropolitan Basil goes to Houston and puts those people in their place. BTW we have a former member living down there. When she and her family came back to visit she told me a disturbing story. She went to the Church for Liturgy and was told by some woman she wouldn't like it and she shouldn't come there .Her English is broken and she is from Guatamala. I think that had something to do with it. Her feelings were hurt that she was discouraged from attending there.

Nicky's Baba

Nicky's Baba,

That, indeed, was another sick moment in our church. Now what did our Lord say about shaking sand from one's sandals? It is quite obvious that nothing, absolutely nothing, about God's love or teaching sank in with some of these folks after all those years.

I pray for Cizinec's daughter and for him and his wife. I pray for Fr. Julian. I pray for all the others of the Houston parish who had/have to put up with such corrupt behavior. I hope it ends soon. If this is so typical of the people of this parish, then I hope that Archbishop Basil pays them a visit they'll never forget. Such miserable and cowardly scoundrals. Shame on them!

Joe

Nicky,

I'm not surprised. A few "Ruthenians" in our parish don't want anyone to come who isn't East-Slovak Ruthenian. We found out from a Muslim who visited our parish that some of our parishioners were saying that Fr. Julian wasn't "one of our kind."

I wonder what I am? They tolerate me because my wife is . . . but what the heck difference does that make. I'm not even going to dignify it with a discussion.

Some of these guys would throw Sts. Cyril and Methodius out for not being Ruthenians. Heck, they don't even like Ukrainians!

I would love a visit from the metropolitan! I wonder if we would like a pair of cowboy boots with really pointy toes?