UPDATE 11 Sept:
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles released a statement. HERE.
The statement, in brief, says that Fr. G was removed NOT because of a sermon, but because of “issues with his interpersonal relationships with parish staff and parishioners”. This is a little vague, of course. The statement also said that Bp. Barron had nothing to do with the decision. Fr. G will return to Chicago.
It seems to me that, in the interest of fairness, this link should be posted.
UPDATE 5 Sept:
I have decided to close comments on this one.
UPDATE 4 Sept:
I pent almost 7 hours in the car today. Calls came in and were made.
It seems clear that the sermon Father Gavancho gave was not the sole reason why he was given the boot out of that parish. However, had the powers that be – including His Olympian Middleness – wanted to avoid making it look that way, they should have waited awhile. ‘Cause from where everyone is sitting, that’s what it looks like: he gave a great sermon and he got sacked for it.
However, even people who really wish him well say that that sermon wasn’t the whole deal. Father has also brought some of this on himself in other ways.
It really seems that he was given the boot because people don’t like him. It may be that Father didn’t help himself out on this score.
I hope he finds some place to land where he can make it work.
MEANWHILE: This functioned a little like an “Early Warning Alert System” trial.
This will happen to priests, now. It is going to happen.
Originally Published on: Sep 3, 2018
This is how it is going to be, my friends.
I am told that a priest, Fr. Juan Carlos Gavancho, was given the heave-ho from his parish in Santa Barbara for giving a sermon on corruption.
My sender opined: “What is sad about this is that the sermon, although frank, and moving, does not strike me as particularly “outspoken:””
The 20 minute sermon is on Facebook. You might start around 10:00.
Fr Gavancho has spoken about the value of ad orientem worship. HERE
About this sermon HERE. An excerpt from the transcript in English.
The evil has found in the Church a hold. And it is natural for people to believe that there is nothing else to do in the Catholic Church. Maybe many are thinking of leaving the Church. After the terrible experience of 2002, with the abuses, many people left the Church. Now, another opportunity, many people are going to leave. I hope they don’t do, I tell them that they need to stay, that this is the Church of Christ. But if they do, believe me, I understand. Because it is very bad what we have allowed to take place in the Catholic Church in the world. Because this is not only America. In the world! Everywhere! Chile. Ireland. Australia. Everywhere.
If you are Catholic, and you love the Catholic Church, you cannot just say, “Well, let’s pray, let’s offer a couple of rosaries, and we’ll see what happens.” You cannot do that. You have to pray, but pray for truth. You need to pray so God can act. He has begun to act. Who may think that yesterday, that a former Vatican ambassador from the Holy See to the United States was going to write 10, 11 pages letter saying this — asking for the resignation of a pope?! Who may think that? If you had told me that yesterday morning, I wouldn’t have believed you. But that’s what happened.
So, what are we doing now? Where are we going from here? First of all, we must understand one thing. This Church, the Catholic Church, is the Church of Christ. It is the Bride of Christ. St. Paul is right when he said in the letter to the Ephesians, “He has cleansed the Church with His Cross, with His blood.” She is beautiful. We have betrayed her. This is not an abusive church. This is a holy church that has fallen into the hands of abusive, evil men, who are trying to destroy the Church from within, since they couldn’t do it from the outside throughout the centuries.
But you must be aware that Christ is in charge of the church. He is in charge. Sometimes on days like this, we may not see him. We may not feel him. And we may cry out like we did at the beginning of the mass, “Please, Lord, help us! Have mercy on us!” But he’s in charge, and he will bring justice. He’s already begun to do that. These things I have told you are just the beginning. Just the beginning. Many bad things are going to happen, and we need to be glad, because nothing is better than the truth. To know what is happening, even though it may be ugly, it may be painful, to know it is very good. So, Christ is in charge.
Second, pray. Do sacrifices. Pray the rosary. Come closer to the Lord. Ask the Lord to be part of his flock. Because you will see many wearing cassocks like this, or chasubles like this, many preaching from the pulpits. They are traitors. So you need to have something that in the Catholic Church is called discernment: the capacity to know where is God and where is not. Regardless of it seems like God is here or it seems like God is there. No, no — now you need real discernment, because the Devil has clothed his children with shepherd’s clothing, to make it more difficult to recognize him.
You need to pray for discernment, to pray for the Church, to pray for you, for your children. To pray for your priests, especially for so many bishops who are good, still, and priests who are good, faithful. Who have suffered greatly all these decades, and all these years, being moved from one parish to another because they were preaching the truth, and the pastor or the bishop didn’t like that, so they moved to another place, and another place, living a life of great suffering — they are there. And it’s not fun. It is difficult. You cry a lot, because you feel lonely. Forgotten. Despised. Only because you wanted to be faithful to Christ, but your speech, and your homilies didn’t fit with the ideas of these people who wanted to destroy the Church, and who wanted you to say nice things to the people. Don’t make waves. Just go along with everything. Don’t make people nervous. Just, you know, speak about general things, so people are not aware of what’s going on.
So my dear brothers and sisters, then we must act, which is part of a process of conversion. You must act. Bishop Fulton Sheen, one of the greatest bishops that America has ever had … said that: “Do not look for change in bishops and priests.” Do not. He was talking to you. The change in the Church … will come through you laity. When you don’t give up, and tell your pastor and your priest and your bishop: “Tell us the truth! Stop being just nice, and smiling to us, and preach the Gospel to us! We want to live a holy life, not the life that the world lives. Tell us the truth, and we will help you to sustain the Church with our money and other things. But you, you need to do your mission, you need to do your job, which is helping us to get to heaven. To be saved. To give us the Sacrament, to love Jesus, and not just to be politically correct. That’s not the Gospel.
But that’s the temptation that you laity have fallen into. … Speak out! Do you want the Gospel? Do you want Christ? Do you want heaven? Do you want the truth? Or do you just want what we find everywhere in the world, which is what we really want to hear, what is pleasing to our ears. Demand change in the Church. It’s not going to be enough, just adding a couple of policies to this taking care of the children. It’s not going to be enough just to see three, four, or five cardinals resigning, and ten bishops resigning — it’s not going to be enough. We need to see real change. We need to go back to be faithful to Christ, to Our Lord Christ, not the world. We are here to change the world, not the world to change us. We are the light of the world; we are not equal with the world. We have Christ. We have the truth. The world is helpless. The prince of the world is the Evil One, and we are hear to fight against him.
Now, what I’m saying might sound very hard for you, and I have to say I’m sorry, but I had to say it. Because I’m sick and tired of seeing my mother the Church being insulted and portrayed as an institution of criminals. Because it’s not. It’s my mother, it’s your mother! The one who gave you eternal life through baptism, who gave you the courage through confirmation, who gives you the Eucharist every Sunday you come. She’s our mother, and we need to help her in these dreadful times. So my dear brothers and sisters again, I have to say this because I am priest of Christ. Many people don’t say that, and I was afraid to say something like that. There are more things I want to say, but I don’t say it because I want to be here next week.
[Applause]
But I need to say this, and I ask the Lord’s pardon, because I’m a coward too. Sometimes I don’t say what I should say, because sometimes I’m more concerned about my position. Pray for me too so I may be a saint. But suffering is hard, it’s tough, you don’t want to suffer. Pray, my fellow Catholics, in these dreadful times. Demand from your leaders the truth — only then everything will be fine. With Jesus! Not with cardinals, not with popes. These are human beings. Some are wonderful, some are bad. Only with Christ. Only by doing his will. Only by staying next to him faithfully, everything will be fine. And I tell you this: everything will be fine. The Church of Christ cannot be destroyed through anybody, not for the Devil. They will not destroy the Church, but they will take some members of the Church away — yes, that he can do. And we pray that none of us will be one of them. So my dear brothers and sisters, may the Lord help us in these dreadful times to have courage. I have my hope in God, and in you, the laity. You will save the Church.
Fr. Gavancho was told to leave the rectory. He name was taken from the parish site. He is living in a hotel and doesn’t know where he will go next.
His home is in Chicago, but…. golly… he hasn’t been serving there.
What is it going to be like for strong priests in dioceses with lib bishops and “gay” networks?
I am reminded of the scene in the movie Gandhi when the people go forward one by one to make salt and they are beaten down by the guards.
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Thank you, Father Z, for posting this. I was brought up to date on this situation only this morning by a parishioner of Our Lady of Sorrows. To elaborate, Fr. Gavancho was thrown out of the rectory by the pastor at 7:30 in the evening this past Tuesday and not allowed to even take all his possessions nor told why. He ended up in a hotel that night. Unfortunately for the pastor and two of his minions, a parishioner was looking for Fr. Gavancho for a pre-scheduled meeting when they entered the rectory and witnessed the expulsion. So there is a witness. The pastor has only been ordained for a few years and is more preoccupied with the décor of “his” church and is arrogant. The line from the archdiocese is that this occurred because Fr. Gavancho was rude to some people.
More than one person had stated prior to this incident that Fr. Gavancho had preached as they had never heard even before this McCarrick debacle. The Mass attendees after the Mass referenced above broke into applause after his sermon! Interestingly, Fr. Gavancho was educated at Mundelein but our Bishop Barron – his former Rector – has remained mute not offering support or clarity.
Please do not let this incident fall out of the spotlight. He is being thrown to the wolves. We have been donating money to assist him in having a roof over his head. May God protect him.
Oh dear God in Heaven. Evil within the Church has been unleashed.
As with many things that will transpire in the coming weeks, it is important to get the full facts.
Fr. Gavancho should make a full public statement, and the bishop should make a full public statement. Does the priest know some uncomfortable truths? Or is it a personality clash, and simply that?
Dear Father
Like so many thousands recently, I’ve been horrified by events in Christ’s church. I’m finding things really difficult now, and this post might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for me. I wonder whether others have reached this point, too. I honestly don’t know what to do… praying my Rosary earlier, I was completely distracted so didn’t finish. Could you please suggest something for me again to pray. I need help. Sorry, Father, I know you get so many requests, but I’m a bit remote at home; not many others to share my worries with; my priest is nice but doesn’t understand or share my view, although he is kind. I’m told by other pastors/bishops at home that the Holy Father is being calumnied and needs our prayers against the rigid, and now I think I’m one of them. Sorry, Father, but it’s hard for me at the moment and a brief suggestion would mean the world to me
This happened in our parish here. The pastor maintains that the priest has taken a “voluntary step back” due to “exhaustion” to “consider his “future in active ministry.
I am so exhausted from this.
I know you’ve told us before that pastors can make life miserable for their subordinates if they so choose. It sounds like this priest isn’t incardinated in the LA Archdiocese, and if he’s also not incardinated in Chicago, it sounds like he’ll be quickly headed back to Peru for this, unjust as it is.
Someone should ask the USCCB at their next presser why the bishops are in favor of deporting immigrants who challenge corruption in the Church.
“Fr. Gavancho was told to leave the rectory. He name was taken from the parish site. He is living in a hotel and doesn’t know where he will go next.”
Well if anything he said was “wrong” PLEASE LORD let more Priests preach “wrong” like this. If this is “wrong” we need more Priests to be “wrong” in their homilies. May God bless this man and all Priests, Bishops, Cardinals, Seminarians, Deacons, Religious Brothers and Sisters who speak the TRUTH. Those who try to silence the TRUTH from our clergy and laity will answer to God for that. Those who try to put the blame on those who speak and live the TRUTH in the Church will find themselves alone before God and having to answer for it. Real wrong of speech and action will NOT triumph. Real TRUTH alone with triumph in the end. Don’t settle for fake, false, fallen imitations. May God have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Really he got removed for that? He didn’t even call out anyone by name!
How can we help Father Gavancho?
Feels a bit like Jeremy Irons being shot down by the Portugese at the end of The Mission…
@racjax
Can you get word to friends of Fr. Gavancho or Fr. Gavancho himself, to see if a GoFundme site can be set up for him? Then we can get the word out to the Catholic Faithful of the Universal Church to contribute. …I would be happy to contribute funds toward him, though we need to ensure that it will be he who gets the funds.
Also can he get access to a canon lawyer? Surely there must be a canon lawyer among Fr. Z’s priestly friends who might be able to help?
Finally, in the near by parishes, are there faith Catholic or Christian business men who might be able to give Father a job for a while?
Alas, I can only pose these questions, as I live in Canada, but would be happy to help in any way I can.
Yet Archbishop Gomez doesn’t have the courage nor the will to throw out the people responsible for filth and corruption at the Religious Education Congress. For decades that conference has been an annual orgy of heterodoxy and liturgical abuse, and Gomez doesn’t do the slightest thing to fix it. But one lowly priest tells the truth in one homily about corruption in the Church, and he’s thrown out within days. What does that say about Archbishop Gomez’s character and leadership?
Fr. Juan Carlos Gavancho preaches the truth, and he’s forced to live in a hotel. Uncle Ted McCarrick disgraces the Church, and he gets to live in a fancy 9-bedroom, 5-bathroom mansion (Cf. Michael Voris).
There must be more to this story.
A priest who is not under some canonical penalty is owed, in Justice, support from the parish and diocese. The pastor cannot remove that support, justly or legally. Even if under censure the bishop still must give some support… something is fishy here…
PetersBarque,
Let me ask you a question, is God in control or not?
All that is happening is God is expelling the weak from the Church by testing their Faith in the Church being indivisible and indestructible. So many laity are now on the kick that offering the Priesthood to the world in sacrifice will make the world not want to eat them; these people fear the government more than they care about God. If all of the laity cannot take actually having to live what they previously claimed to believe and jumps ship, you will not see me weeping for a single one of them.
Can’t parishioners take this priest into their homes to give him shelter until this is properly dealt with? I looked at his Facebook page and he is still posting but there is nothing about what is happening with him now. (He did post Jesus’ words about the servant is not greater than the Master.) Like others above, I would like to help him if I could. The hierarchy needs to know the laity will support their priests and require adequate explanation for such actions against them. It utterly dismaying that a priest may be dismissed( not chided, not counselled) for being rude to some people i.e, preaching the truth, but for preying on the weak will be “forgiven” and transferred.
I am convinced that the present situation is an “all in” situation. It is time to use the powder that has been kept dry. Not wildly but decisively with intent, bringing the stories forward of abuse, calling for inquiry, calling for laicization, calling for the guilty to be handed over to the State (simply asking that what the Church teaches be done) and calling for reparations to God our Father, who must be most offended.
Why do I say this? Because of the gravity of the situation at hand requires sides to be chosen. Silence is only consent. The powers that be will start lopping heads of those that stand up and say enough. But we must keep courage and stand though some may fall. Stories must be told, “open secrets” publicized. Prayer and discernment lead to action, not never-ending navel-gazing. Pray that God might act and pray that your own actions confirm, as an instrument, to God’s will.
This poor priest, poor Fr. Gavancho. What can be done? Just prayer?? Leave him in his hotel room to God? No, some parishioners of that parish, scoop him up and bring him into their homes. Fr. Gavancho is a priest that is in need of a “priest hole”. Let there be a Go-Fund me page.
But this stuff, this is why RICO. Those who are standing up are having their names taken. This is the proof of why RIOC, because it is racketeering that is going on. Not everywhere but in enough places and high enough that those that stand against it are having their names taken and will face retribution if things quiet down. Look at the retribution that has already been handed out, look at what happened to this priest, look at what shall come. We know who has already stood, so do they.
~aviva meriam I am exhausted as well, so are we all. You are not alone.
He was rude to people? I highly doubt it. If priests got the boot for being “rude” then St. Pio would have been kicked to the curb. He probably wasn’t rude at all, just speaking the cold hard truth. Some people think if you speak the truth and stand your ground that you are rude or uncharitable.
If anyone cares to write, the address seems to be:
Bishop Robert E. Barron
Archdiocese of Los Angeles
3424 Wilshire Boulevard
LosAngeles, CA 90010-2202
He’s on Twitter @BishopBarron and on FB as well:
https://www.facebook.com/BishopRobertBarron/
@ Fr Andrew, I wish I could have your faith in the system. Fr. Gordon MacRae, writes the following about Fr. Richard Lower….
On December 27th, every priest’s worst modern nightmare was visited upon Father Richard Lower. He was informed by a diocesan official that a claim of sexual abuse had been lodged against him from thirty years earlier in 1972. Father Lower had never been previously accused. The accusation stood alone, but was enough – three decades later – to abruptly end a life of ministry and priestly self-giving.
Based on the single, uncorroborated thirty-year-old claim, Father Lower was informed that the police would be notified. In accordance with the “zero tolerance” policy of the U.S. Bishops’ new Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, he was suspended from ministry and told that he must immediately vacate the parish he had served for thirteen years.
….
Two days after celebrating Christ’s birth with the parish community he loved and served for thirteen years, Father Richard Lower lived Christ’s scourging, and was about to live the Scandal of the Cross in a way for which he had no defense. Succumbing to the darkest night of his soul, this good priest, walking alone in the valley of darkness, took his own life.
http://thesestonewalls.com/dark-night-of-a-priestly-soul/
All I can say, is no more of tossing priests out who have no where to go. ….
A really good priest I have utmost respect for who has spent time in Rome says the corruption is worse than most of us can imagine.
Very unsurprising ; extraordinarily disappointing.
Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, Saint Francisco Marto, Saint Jacinta Marto, Sister Lúcia, Saint Bernadette Soubirous, Saint Athanasius, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Michael Archangel, Our Lady of Salette, Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Fatima pray for us.
Lord, help and protect your Faithful Church against these sinners and these false priests, whomever they may be, so that your Church may return to loving orthodoxy in the Faith and religious hope and trembling for the destiny of souls.
This tyrannical homosexualism that seems to have seized control of the Church is suffocating. Please faithful bishops and lay leaders, do something. What is happening is intolerable. I pray that God infuse the faithful with the courage to proclaim the truth even it means to be a martyr for the truth.
Absolutely tragic and wickedly unjust. Yes, please, would someone who knows how to do so please set up a GoFundMe page for him. We all have to Rally around him and hopefully other priest will come to his aid and provide him with a solution for his future. The atmosphere in the Catholic church has become so vitiated that priests are no longer permitted to speak the truth and to “Confirm the Brethren” without being persecuted or jettisoned.
Come Lord Jesus!
Vincent1967. Please accept these few….
From the book, The Cloud of Unknowing. “God, unto whom all hearts be open, and unto whom all will speaketh, and unto whom no privy thing is hid. I beseech thee so for to cleanse the intent of mine heart
Referring to Francis’ silence, Thomas Reese of all people just tweeted that it “won’t work”.
Maybe the tide is turning?
Leviticus {5:1} If a soul will have sinned, and heard the voice of one testifying under oath, and he is a witness because either he has seen it himself, or he is aware of it: if he does not reveal it, he shall carry his iniquity.
Rod Dreher has updated a blogpost on this case. The sermon is supposedly not why Father Gavancho was directed to leave.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/the-sermon-that-cost-a-brave-priest-his-job/
Brilliant, brilliant homily and he was absolutely right. He will be fine – and he even says he’s glad – because in my opinion, the whole structure is coming down soon anyway and taking all the termites in the walls with it. He’s right, the laity will be the ones who have to come forward and support these good priests (and bishops who are not “company men”) and we will do it. I actually feel very happy about the events of the last week or so, happier than I’ve felt about the Church for about 50 years.
There was a brief positive interlude with BXVI, who unfortunately didn’t realize the drastic measures necessary and wouldn’t have been capable of carrying them out anyway, but it was probably then that I realized that the “hermeneutic of continuity” was not going to work because it was a fiction – and in any case, there’s no way of uniting heresy and orthodoxy and claiming there’s any continuity there.
So let it all come down. That is the only way to cleanse this temple. And Our Lord will not abandon us (although the going may get very rough, for both laity and clergy).
Oops. Hit the post tab. ” …heart with the unspeakable gift of Thy grace, that I may perfectly love Thee and worthily praise Thee. Amen.”
The August Queen of Heaven Prayer, and its interesting history. http://www.marysheel.org/two-prayers/5-august-queen-prayer.html
Last, my I suggest learning some prayers in Latin. As is said, “The devil hates Latin.” The Ave Maria is nice as a repetitive pray, and the pray to Archangel Michael ‘gallops!’ in the Latin. “Sancte Michael, defende nos in proelio..” Preces-Latinae has them in English and Latin. Recordings will help with the pronunciations. Latin has no silent ‘e’s, no ‘-ough’, (through, tough, bough,)
Pax Christi Vincent.
Bishop Barron seems a straight shooter. If he is the ordinary here, suggest not jumping to conclusions. “Post hoc ergo propter hoc.”
Meanwhile, what is the canonical status of a priest who is not incardinated in a diocese when removed from a visiting position? Were his faculties suspended? What rights does such a priest have? Does only his diocesan bishop in Latin America have a duty to support him?
There seems to be quite a bit of background missing from what has been reported so far.
“The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
We knew him, he was at “our” parish in Lake County, Ca…. the Deaconess and her minions Slandered and libeled him. “Neutral” Sources undermined him. He is like a Fr Z, Fr Keyes …a Soldier with the Sword of Truth. Going at it “alone” ….
It was discouraging to hear how it was handled by the “men in charge” he (Fr Gavancho) left our parish around Easter.
Enough so, we plan to leave ASAP…that was the last straw for our family. We are tired of the Kool Aid drinkers & the lukewarm that follow them. We had been going to the FSSP parish many hours away. When he arrived we did the; stay and vote w/ ones presence. Make a change where you are they say. BUT….that clearly didn’t end in our favor.
So… we leave to hunker down with the like minded. We are tired and clearly see it’s now time to do what monks do and live with their like minded brothers & have a place to repose. Collect ourselves for the future battles. Which are clear will come. Like Fr Z says… equip ourselves by learning everything our Catholic faith teaches. The Battle is coming
St Joan of Arc Pray for us…
@Cradle Catholic : I don’t have Faith in the system, I was just stating that he has certain rights that he ideally should fight for. A pastor has no right to evict the priest over which he has a responsibility and not provide for him. That’s not to say it can’t happen and doesn’t, but there are steps to take, and I think in such a situation to call the police to recover my things if I was not allowed to get them, would be among the steps.
Strictly only the bishop where he is incardinated has the duty in Justice and Law to support him financially and otherwise. Still, there is at least an obligation in Charity, and the local bishop and pastor under which a visiting priest is serving certainly has a duty to see to his needs.
I would not be surprised if this is a case of abuse by the pastor towards this priest, but I also suspect that there’s a great deal more. That sermon is hardly something worthy of a booting of a confrere from the rectory. It’s bound to get such backlash, that even a wicked man might at least in carnal prudence make up a problem and let it simmer for a while and boil over on other matters.
Thus I would be interested to hear more details, because I think there must be something deeper here. As it stands it does not make much sense. At least, as Ed suggest, the pastor is going to have to come up with a decent excuse, even if it’s not true, because this one just does not work.
Bishop Barron is the Auxillary for the northern portion of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He resides at a parish in Santa Barbara but not at this particular parish. He must be aware of Father Gavancho, but it is most unbelievable that he would countenance or be party in advance to a Priest being turned out on the streets as is described above. Something is up.
Can you imagine Fr Gavancho returning to Cupichville? Waste of the airfare.
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Canon 552 seems to suggest that only the Bishop can remove a parochial vicar. Did Bishop Barron do so? What was Fr. Gavancho’s status? I am very confused by this narrative.
I know someone at this parish who supports this good priest and some of the parishioners have gathered some funds to support him for the moment. I know of other priests who are either relegated to the far ends of a diocese or do not have an assignment or have had to search out other places to accept them for the simple reason that they speak the truth. A priest friend of mine was just removed for disagreeing with his bishop on immigration and for speaking plainly to the homosexual mayor who was a baptized Catholic. Our Lord did promise persecution to his faithful disciples, did he not?
Also, the 2018 Cathlic Directory for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (https://indd.adobe.com/view/96af9db5-881b-4568-a74d-12a13f492407) pages 71-72 contains the parishes in Santa Barbara and Fr. Gavancho is not listed as assigned to any of them.
More confused.
To all this, I say: Let it rip! This time I think we need to stand back, watch and let Our Lady put the pervs in their place. She is the Hammer of Heretics, Apostates and all those vile creatures that prance about in their fancy Lycra yoga panties and expect us to pay attention to them instead of doing an about face and saying Mass “Ad Oreitem” and leading us in prayer. Nope! This is the time of the greatest saints in history. And without suffering, there is no salvation! No cross- No crown!
All ZedHeads need to go to Bishop Baron’s Facebook page and ask why does the Archdiocese of Los Angeles persecute orthodox priests who speak the truth!
Of course, being the home of the disgraced prelate Roger Cardinal Mahony, is it any wonder?
Lurker,
I have two questions:
1) Why are all of your posts about deifying the state and turning the Church over to the state?
2) What happened in England when heretics were turned over to the state in the 1500’s?
Massachusetts Catholic,
Bishop Barron is the auxiliary bishop of Santa Barbara.
semperficatholic,
St Padre Pio *was* thrown to the curb and viciously attacked anyone who badmouthed his Bishop, the same one that put him away from the public.
Dreher has an update on his update—closer to the bottom of the page:
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/the-sermon-that-cost-a-brave-priest-his-job/
I can imagine the type of parishioner who didn’t like him in Lake County and Santa Barbara after reading what Fr. Gavancho said. We have them in my parish, too.
Gavancho said at his Santa Barbara assignment, he tried to be on his best behavior. “I didn’t wear my cassock precisely because I knew [the pastor] wouldn’t like it,” he said. “I didn’t go to other places and say the Latin mass because I knew he would get mad.”
My Spiritual Adviser, a Priest who was a corporate attorney, knows five languages and is absolutely brilliant, was banned from saying mass where I live by the local rectum, I mean rector, because, God forbid he prefers to say the TLM. Now he’s a ‘friend’ of the FSSPX. I’m not kidding, they first relegated this brilliant Priest to a town of 300 people. I don’t know how it is elsewhere, but I have first-hand knowledge of the Lavender Mafia here.
If my parish priest could but say two of sentences of what Fr Gavancho said.
Let me offer a radical suggestion:
I have seen the “Internet” band together to do truly amazing and life-changing things. Fr Gavancho is being made an example of, let us make a further example. Let us ask a God Fearing bishop to take Fr. Gavancho. Pending his proper assignment as a parish priest, I am willing to donate $75 per month for the first year to cover part of his salary and living expenses.* I don’t make much money so that is enough to hurt — true giving should always hurt a bit.
I am sure that this can be accomplished, for even in the most orthodox of the diocese, priests are in short supply. I am sure that there is enough readership on all of the sites that are covering this, that a year’s salary for a priest can be covered.
Shall we not band together and say no more? No more abuse, sexual nor physical.
*This pledge is void for Fr Gavancho’s current diocese if he should find a parish there, unless those who ousted him are tossed out in turn.
Dreher has an account from Fr. Gavancho, it pretty much sounds like the pastor has someone’s ear at the chancery, submitted a laundry list of “complaints” after a mere 6 weeks, the homily being one of them, and the young priest had his faculties within the LA Archdiocese withdrawn by Wednesday. He was previously in Santa Rosa and before that Chicago, but has run into problems in both places.
Not familiar with how dioceses handle non-resident priests [Depending on the bishop, they don’t even have the right to Christian burial.]
– would a decision by the chancery to revoke faculties have even reached the level of Bishop Barron or the Archbishop? The Vicar for Clergy office in LA, mentioned in Dreher’s post as the office Fr. Gavancho visited the day after being evicted and got news of the decision, is not headed by any of the bishops in LA.
@Rob83: thanks for the update. I am posting the update (update 2) from Rod Dreher’s site. RD phoned Fr,Gavancho:
UPDATE.2: I’ve just heard from a friend I trust who has direct personal knowledge of the situation. He suggested that I change the headline back, saying that Father Gavancho was definitely kicked out because of this homily. I also got Father Gavancho’s phone number, and called him tonight. Here is Gavancho’s version of what happened:
The pastor of his parish, Our Lady of Sorrows in Santa Barbara, asked him to meet privately at 6pm on Tuesday, two days after delivering the homily. The pastor told him that he had to get out of the rectory that evening. The parish will pay to store your things for one week, Gavancho said he was told, but after that, you’re on your own. Gavancho spent that night in a hotel, with as many of his belonging as he could stuff into his car stored there. Gavancho had been resident in the parish for only six weeks.
The next day he reported to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles vicar for clergy office. He was told that his right to say mass in Los Angeles was being removed. Gavancho asked why. The official meeting with him was surprised that he didn’t know, and presented a piece of paper with ten complaints by the pastor of his parish against him.
The above homily was on the list. The other complaints are, in Gavancho’s view, either things that happened, but were twisted by the pastor to make them sound bad, or did not happen at all. The priest gave me a couple of examples. I won’t get into the details here, because they are extraordinarily petty.
Gavancho said at no point was he allowed to defend himself. The decision to oust him was made without his input. This is the second time he has been asked to leave a California diocese. He came to Los Angeles from Santa Rosa, where he had gone after friction in the Archdiocese of Chicago, his home diocese.
“I have to recognize that yes, trouble has followed me, not because I’m a troublemaker, but because the situation in the Church is so difficult that priests like me don’t fit in well,” Gavancho told me.
I asked him to explain. He said that he is orthodox in his Catholicism, and outspoken.
“I’m not a priest who always preaches about hell, abortion, or homosexuality,” he said. “I preach on whatever the Gospel reading was that day. If it talks about the poor, I preach on the poor. I defended immigrants in a homily not long ago. Sometimes they try to portray me as someone who is mean, but that’s not true.”
Gavancho said at his Santa Barbara assignment, he tried to be on his best behavior. “I didn’t wear my cassock precisely because I knew [the pastor] wouldn’t like it,” he said. “I didn’t go to other places and say the Latin mass because I knew he would get mad.”
But here he is, with nowhere to go. In our conversation, Gavancho expressed concern that people would think that he reached out to me. (He didn’t; I called him.) He seemed hesitant about talking to me, but said after delivering that homily, he didn’t want to be a hypocrite.
“The time in the Church has come for people to speak out,” he said. “I can’t tell people not to say anything now because I don’t want to get in trouble.”
Gavancho told me that he’s praying now that some other bishop will take him. Failing that, he’s hoping to find a place to stay for the next six weeks, and a place to store his books and personal belongings, or the funds to pay for a hotel, until he can get back home to Peru to see his mother. He has planned to fly back on October 15. He thought it would be a normal visit back home, but now the flight back may be a one-way trip.
“I had to speak the truth,” he said, about his homily. “But the consequences have been terrible.”
I have changed the headline back to the original form.
I’m loosing faith in the Church
[Man up. The Church is INDEFECTIBLE.]
A James in his under-the-line comment on an American Conservative article put something quite well, certainly very succinctly :
Quick summary of Pope Francis’ reaction :
1) Do your job as journalists and investigate Viganò’s claims!
2) No, none of us are willing to speak with you, and we won’t provide you with access to relevant records either.
3) Why are you still bothering us? Don’t you know that by being silent, we’re imitating Christ? Really, it’s very holy.
4) *put on halo; look smug*
I’ve changed my mind: we should openly accept openly homosexual clergy because they make us happy in our delusions that all things are acceptable, and we shouldn’t feel shame in accepting abortion, contraception and gay marriage. Get with it, guys; this is the 21st Century for God’s sake! All of you Luddite Tradies are WAY behind the times!
Cradle Catholic and Rob83 ….
Very True. But we mustn’t forget what Fr Palka has said! …..a Priests file stays with him for good/bad….people (Bishops) are afraid to take the Truth tellers or to them what appears to be a scandalous Priest… Warrior Spirits. Think about what most parents do when their children are at odds with one another? Silencing is a tool used to to hide what is uncomfortable…
If it’s out in the open, then what? It has to be acknowledged in some capacity. Or what we see going on with the Present Crisis …media complicit, the bad Bishops and minions. Complicit.
As for Fr Gavancho before Santa Barbara,he, I believe had an interim …he was Stationed at Queen of Peace in Clearlake. It was terrible to witness how they treated him there from the get go because he wanted to introduce Catholic worship… he wanted Benediction in place, Processions done around the parish many of the old traditions of Parishes of old. Something new to this County. Believe me…my family has had a trying time being stationed here without a solid Priest. They ALL currently bow to the Laity. What the Laity wants the Laity gets!
He was there since last August until Easter time of this year. It was a tumultuous fight which ended with slanders against him. People I’ve known for years..changed because of it. The house was divided then as he became more outspoken on the current issues we’ve been facing, the ghastly 70’s music taken away and their figurative tambourines swapped out for: Reverent music! Oh the Horror!
The usual Priestly functions, ways to cut here to spend it there. Which was all sincerely being directed to augment the Kool Aid that was the parish…in favor of Coffee? They didn’t like the kneeler he had as an option. That twisted their panties. They didn’t like seeing Sunday’s change with more women wearing veils…slowly the Kool Aid stopped showing up. Except for a few evil do’rs that were hell bent into bringing his ruin, they stayed. Patiently waiting…
Some people didn’t like their hours cut, or told that it wasn’t necessary for them to be paid for the Summer when classes weren’t being given. Well that’s when the tidal wave came. All the clucking chickens disturbed the peace enough to be noticed. Perspective is everything kids!
If enough dirty things are said regardless if it isn’t true. You can be sure the catolicleft will shut you down. He was in 2 parishes in Napa and similar issues happened. The Kool Aid drinkers wanted to shut him down! What better way than to cause dissent and slander him. Try to pick fights….
At the Clearlake Parish they said he stole money… What really happened was he had asked on behalf of a family left destitute for help. Like “Catholic GoFundMe” if you will…the parishioners gave. But the Deaconess and her minions whistle blew to Bishop Vasa about it being something it was not. There was hardly anyone there after the new year ..3 to 4 people during the weekday masses…the English mass shrunk. The Spanish mass was burgeoning interestingly enough. Maybe that toxic masculinity keeps at bay the weak kneed… thoughts.
Not all is lost in the Hispanic culture. I pray to God that they remain faithful despite flaws within the culture. I wish they could read Blood Soaked Alters…
The Left at this Parish hurt many faithful… played dirty. Some true women, very holy women stood by his side even when popular opinion crashed against them. A sort of martyrdom took place there.
I am left to wonder if the witches that exist in Clearlake were afoot as well. Chavez Market has the Santa Muerte candles, have not been back there since. It is troubling to hear what is happening in that city in regards to Witchcraft…
St John Vianney pray for us! Would St Vianney be thrown out if he were here with us presently?
In fact, I think it’s an abomination that we can’t marry trees: http://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/2018/02/28/women-are-marrying-trees-to-help-save-them.html
Geesh!! You are all so like fifth century!
I forgot to mention. He was forced to give the money back.
As an aside. It came to mind. If it’s true what we’re hearing about weak Priests, what will we the Laity do? What do we do with the Fr Corapis? We should love them in their brokeness and HELP. What of the Beatitudes of OUR OWN? Someone has to dress their injuries and walk with them?
I too wonder at these files that are known about Priests and how the Evil One can use that for a good hearted but weak Priests downfall …. place a girl that is relentless at seducing him. Or drugs offered at just the right moment… if they are disheartened by what they hear and see constantly. Where are their physiological briefs?
This just mimics the Old Testament so much! History repeats itself when man allowed for it to happen. No one was doing the tough work! Abraham shows us. We at the cost of our son, Should remain FAITHFUL.
The Book of Daniel also tells of Nebuchadnezzar…..
God against the Evil One …the first murderer…
Let us be like that of faithful men and women despite what might look lost. Pray, Fast, Self Denials in our time of plenty here in these USA. So much luxury most of us should step into the ghettos like St Mother Therese of Calcutta for a head adjustment. There are plenty of Third World countries to get a Reality Check!
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
-this version is credited to Mother Teresa
It would be best to keep this in mind, It is between you and God. It was never between you & them Anyway!
It occurred to me, was he able to take his dog? Geez that’s got to be tough in a hotel room with a dog. We had to have 2 dogs while the fire went through in 2015… and the prospect of doing That again for “Santa Rosas” Fire… or the Mendocino Complex Fire for that matter. Oi.
@frmh… Like a commenter stated above about St Pio… he too was maligned. I know it wouldn’t be any different today. What do we DO about that?
Fr Z has given great options for us. One of which, We will need the new Priest Holes that might entail ferrying a Priest by plane, or driving to pick him up 4 hrs away…
but no one should fool themselves into thinking that is safe. There are spy’s just like the ones who turned on people hiding Jews or tricked them into thinking they were giving them a place to hide. The Wolves wearing Priests clothing too will want to find their prey no different than what’s going on in the Church, the next weak spot.
The Regiments are gaining men & women..Church Militant will happen. We’re dusting off and cleaning our weapons.
It’s going to come to every Holy Priest, Bishop, Deacon and the Laity that follow…
We have to do the human work to bear with the persecution, to hold our forts when possible and to know when to get out of dodge just like the Military does when at War…and PRAY to be given any graces to hold steady, to persevere.
To gift Our Lord our mortifications, to deny ourselves so that He sees us truely asking. He has always wanted us to show Our Love
He is the Source and Summit.
He just wants Us to know that :)
This situation reminds me of Fr. Michael Rodriguez of the Diocese of El Paso, who was reassigned for the “crime” of explaining the Church’s teaching on homosexuality.
https://wdtprs.com/2014/11/fr-michael-rodriguez-update/
Terrible news. I hope it will galvanize people further, and I pray Fr. Gavancho will be taken care of.
I don’t get it? Where’s the fire? What’s so controversial about what he said? WHAT??? The only part that bothered me is where people applauded during the homily! Don’t do that: templum dei, templum dei. There must be some other reason, otherwise this is not just ridiculous but infuriating.
I don’t get this. Parishes don’t fire priests, bishops do. What happened?
As a parishioner it is so incredibly painful to witness this happening to one’s priest. It makes one feel like charging in to the priest’s rescue or compelled to be more proactive in shielding the next from a similar fate. But nothing seems to prevent the inevitable crucifixion of good priests and this martyrdom that they are subjected to. It occurs to me that it is part and parcel of emulating well their High Priest?
I’ve come to the conclusion that what we can do most effectively for these good priests and bishops and cardinals and popes (and the bad ones as well) is to pray for them FERVENTLY.
Our failure to do so is what has brought us to where we are with these situations and also on a bigger scale the troubles with popes, cardinals, bishops and bad priests.
Our shepherds should not be left alone in this battle against the demonic hordes, but should have an army of prayer warriors behind them, sustaining them. Those who cannot be turned to the dark side via temptation are crucified…meanwhile, we prayer warriors are catching the latest episode of some scandalous HBO series. Out for coffee. Visiting with friends or madly shuttling children from here to there and back again thinking to ourselves, “I will pray this evening” “I will go to daily Mass once the children are out of the house”.
What to pray? Father Z has the for the priests….but that’s like a minute’s worth of prayer. We need to be in constant prayer. How do we integrate constant prayer into our busy lives? Seriously how do we do this?
I find myself getting together with Catholic friends all the time and not one prayer is said during the entire visit. Perhaps we should model our friendships on the one between Mary and Elizabeth. The first thing they did was embrace and pray.
If we were to do this, then I believe we could have a profound impact on the lives of these good priests who are being so abysmally treated in our parishes, and perhaps assist priests who are in jeopardy of succumbing to temptation and becoming bad priests.
One may also receive retaliation from one’s bishop, priests, etc. if you, as a layperson, rebuke those priests and bishops for their gravely evil actions and/or corruption.
I have commented on this before but it is worth repeating: I rebuked my bishop and several priests more than once in written letters.
It appears as though they retaliated by giving my letters to one government entity or another. The result appears to be unlawful surveillance combined with numerous public harassment and intimidation skits and schemes which appear to be intended to provoke me to anger and/or commit a crime on Church property. It seems to me that their actions are conspiracies to commit entrapment.
One such occurrence was an apparently staged purse-snatching which was done while I was praying a Holy Hour at a downtown Catholic Chapel; a staged purse-snatching may have been committed with the intent to see how I would react (unlawful “search”? look up Detroit staged purse snatching). It also may have been done to cause fear and try to push me away from praying at this Church.
Another event was an apparent forced drugging which was committed at the same location. Shortly after entering the Chapel, and shortly after dipping my fingers in the holy water, I suddenly became light-headed and loopy, almost as if I was inundated with laughing gas or another mind-altering chemical. I was unable to think. I felt as though I was going to lose consciousness. A similar occurrence was described by some recently at Notre Dame in Paris. Due to the symptoms it caused, I went to the ER. Was this another attempt at an unlawful search and seizure? I don’t know. I do know, though, that I am in tip-top physical condition, and I also know that multiple chemicals can be absorbed through the skin and can cause the symptoms I experienced.
I am giving these anecdotes for those faithful priests and bishops out there to be on the lookout for. Leftists and the establishment are gravely evil and dishonest people. They will eventually unite to propagate their grave evils. (Related: surveillors are often plain-clothed actors. Be on the lookout for them.)
Vincent1967 — The usual Biblical prayers are the psalms about unjust persecution, like Ps. 21/22 (Good stuff, like “My enemies circle around me like dogs”).
A lot of Catholic classics like Imitation of Christ include comments that might help. Since she lived in a time of great Church corruption, here’s one from St. Catherine of Siena’s Dialogues, Bk. 2, Ch. 6. God is speaking:
“….guilt is more gravely punished after the Redemption of the Blood than before, because Man has received more; but sinners neither seem to perceive this, nor to pay any attention to their own sins; and so they become My enemies, though I have reconciled them, by means of the Blood of My Son. But there is a remedy with which I appease My wrath — that is to say, by means of My servants, if they are jealous to constrain Me by their desire. You see, therefore, that you have bound Me with this bond which I have given you, because I wished to do mercy to the world.
“Therefore I give My servants hunger and desire for My honor, and the salvation of souls, so that, constrained by their tears, I may mitigate the fury of My divine justice. Take, therefore, your tears and your sweat, drawn from the fountain of My divine love, and, with them, wash the face of My spouse.
“I promise you, that, by this means, her beauty will be restored to her, not by the knife nor by cruelty, but peacefully, by humble and continued prayer, by the sweat and the tears shed by the fiery desire of My servants; and thus will I fulfill your desire if you, on your part, endure much, casting the light of your patience into the darkness of perverse man, not fearing the world’s persecutions; for I will protect you, and My Providence shall never fail you in the slightest need.”
I’m currently working with the pastor of my parish to help From Garancho. Is there a way to contact him? If so, please have him look at his Facebook friend request. I’m reaching out to him.
Re: the above, it should be noted that St. Catherine also urged people with secular and religious power to use it in righteous ways, so prayer wasn’t the only tool she advocated.
Here’s her dissection of Christian sinners who refuse Christ’s grace, in Bk. 2, Ch. 15:
“….as a corpse which can have no feeling or movement of itself, but only when it is moved and lifted by others, so those, who are drowned in the stream of disordinate love of the world, are dead to grace. Wherefore, because they are dead, their memory takes no heed of My mercy. The eye of their intellect sees not and knows not My Truth, because their feeling is dead; that is, their intellect has no object before it but themselves, with the dead love of their own sensuality; and so their will is dead to My will because it loves nothing but dead things.
“These three powers then being dead, all the soul’s operations both in deed and thought are dead, as far as grace is concerned. For the soul cannot defend herself against her enemies; nor help herself through her own power, but only so far as she is helped by Me.
“It is true indeed, that every time that this corpse, in whom only free will has remained (which remains as long as the mortal body lives), asks My help, he can have it. But never can he help himself; he has become insupportable to himself, and, wishing to govern the world, is governed by that which is not — that is, by sin. For sin in itself is nothing, and such men have become the servants and slaves of sin.
“I have made them trees of love with the life of grace which they received in Holy Baptism; and they have become trees of death, because they are dead….”
@Nigelteapot who said, “St Padre Pio *was* thrown to the curb and viciously attacked anyone who badmouthed his Bishop, the same one that put him away from the public.”
You have totally missed my point! But, oh well.
Did anyone hear Pope Francis’s homily yesterday (Monday)? It was a thinly veiled attack on Viganò and Viganò’s supporters.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2018-09/pope-mass-santa-marta-silence-truth-humble-silent.html
In his refusal to answer The Question, Pope Francis is likening himself to Jesus as the rejected prophet.
Isn’t it all about the Eucharist and the necessary office of the apostolic (AKA valid) priesthood…….. all the others stuff this fine priest talked about does not present a convincing reason to ‘stay’ in the Catholic Church which is:
1. One (doctrinally)
2. Holy (has the means to holiness),
3. Catholic (for all people and nations), and
4. Apostolic (trace to it’s Origin, Jesus Christ).
If you want a ‘nice’ community of people…….. I know many Episcopalian who are really delightful
If you want ‘meaningful’ services……… Seventh Day Adventists put on a great show
If you want lots of activities………. try a Mega Church, often Baptist
If you want to do good works……. go Methodist; they care about everyone have clean water etc. etc.
JonathanTX — It’s a very poorly thought out slam against Vigano. Jesus as much as said, “I am here to proclaim the Gospel good news to the poor, healing to the repentant, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, freedom for those beaten down — a year of favor from the Lord and a day of retribution.”
So obviously that was all about freeing the libertines and blinding the laity. Obviously.
Young priests – no different from young engineers, lawyers, carpenters, etc – could benefit greatly from having a mentor. I’d like to say that having a mentor is a necessity. The key of course is to find a good one. In this case I’d like to suggest that the young Fr Gavancho could find his footing at St Catherine of Siena in Phoenix under the paternal care and protection of Fr Saenz. After a stable 3 year “apprenticeship”, Fr Gavancho might then be assigned elsewhere and do decades worth of much needed ministry among Hispanic folk in the US.
We’ll take him. Contact……..
thanks
Dear Vincent1967,
I pray for you, please dont give up praying,— distraction is something, that God understands very well—such prayer is especially precious for Him!
I understand your being horrified,….I recommend you to read http://liturgicalnotes.blogspot.com/ too—
there is many consolating , and there are some interesting commentaries..
e.g.:http://liturgicalnotes.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-heart-of-bergoglianity.html
Jesus said: “And remember, I am with you each and every day until the end of the age.”
MT 28:20
I live in the Atlanta area and I can think of two holy, traditional priests who disappeared off the face of the earth after giving a sermon that someone in power ( big donor or pastor) found offensive. I am sick of this. I have been listening to truly offensive and heretical sermons for 40 years from priests who are never corrected or disciplined for such.
The thing about liberals is – it’s always “heads I win, tails, you lose” in their matrix. The worldling priests enjoy infinite mercy, infinite charity, infinite indulgence showered in their direction.
The truly Catholic priest is playing a “sudden death” game. One misstep, be it ever so tiny, and it’s off with his head. We don’t have the Holy Mother Church, we have Lewis Carrol’s Queen of Hearts!
The hierarchy does not understand – we have been putting up with these worldlings for 50 years in order to receive the sacraments. At some point – it is no longer worth it. We are in a cold rage.
Send that good priest back to his flock. It is the pastor who should be banished.
Fr. Juan Carlos Gavancho’s case is demonstrative. Revolutions involve purges. Good Catholics are not leaving the Church, they are being thrown out of the Church.
Speculation on what happened: priest had frequently clashed with the pastor and was already being moved from the parish already. Since he was being removed, he decided he would speak directly with his last homily and didn’t care whether certain people (including the pastor) didn’t like it. This sparked the outburst witnessed by the third parties, lead to his immediate removal (as opposed to at a designated later time).
We don’t have to put up with this. Imagine if you would, this Sunday, not one person shows up for Mass, and therefore, there is not one dime in the offertory. No cars in the parking lot, nobody there at all. Silence.
Imagine that week Two. Three.
As long as the laity (otherwise known as Suckahs) keep showing up and putting money in the offertory, under the belief they must, why on earth should these men change anything. What do these men have to fear? Nothing! They don’t fear God, obviously, and they don’t fear the consequences of their actions, so ask yourself…why wouldn’t they do exactly as they want to do.
They ask themselves, what are you going to do about it.
If the answer is nothing, or pray the rosary, or make comments in comboxes, or complain to your neighbor, that’s good, you are doing something, but there are only a very few things these men care about, and one of the most important is $$$$$$$$$$ and the other is PR (optics).
We should ask Congress to end Resettlement Funds, one reason these guys are so independent now they don’t need to worry about what we think of this mess, or they can do things like fire a pastor who feeds the sheep properly. They are accountable to no one and that’s the problem!
Make them accountable! Let them feel the deprivation and you’ll get their attention and good pastors will NOT be fired.
The way things were always done is not going to work anymore. We need to leave some things behind because they are defunct responses to our new reality. As long as we react to a new reality with old responses nothing will change because it doesn’t have to. They…are…comfortable, albeit nervous perhaps. It’s only us suffering. We need to change that dynamic. When we do we will have their attention.
Make some noise in that diocese for good Fr. Gavancho. There needs to be consequences.
It sounds as though there’s more to this story. I wish people wouldn’t rush to judgment until they get all the facts. Apparently there were problems with Fr. Gavancho’s “interpersonal relationships with parish staff and parishioners.” Apparently the Archdiocese is giving him financial support while he transitions back to Chicago. A good, conservative priest I follow on Twitter says he knows the pastor who dismissed Gavancho & says the pastor’s a good man. If you look on Gavancho’s FB page you see some photos that are…odd. We really need to be more careful when we make accusations, especially in the current climate.
http://www.our-lady-of-sorrows-santa-barbara.com/
AveMariaGratiaPlena says:
“If you look on Gavancho’s FB page you see some photos that are…odd. ”
I looked but what photos were odd. I don’t speak the language so maybe I was missing something.
~AveMariaGratiaPlena
In terms of not rushing to judgment or besmirching the character of priests without facts, let it not go unnoticed that you said ” look on Gavancho’s FB page you see some photos that are…odd” without substantiating any of that and just leaving that insinuation hanging out there inviting people to judge without having facts. M.C. Esher photos are odd, saying that a priest has “…odd” photos in today’s climate evokes something very specific in the imagination, such as this image of a younger Mr. McCarrick https://bit.ly/2ClXSis
Let us engage in facts.
Facts:
1. This past Tuesday, following a pertinent and very pastoral homily, there was a witnessed expulsion from parish and rectory of Fr. Gavancho by the pastor of the parish.
2. No side is claiming that the expulsion was strictly based on the homily, and both sides agree that the homily did play a part in the events.
3. No side is saying that Fr. Gavancho didn’t have problems with certain individuals, which is going to be at least those who do not like Fr. Gavancho’s pastoral nature as exemplified by the homily being discussed.
4. No side is saying that Fr. Gavancho isn’t a “problem priest” — that is to say that Fr. Gavancho ruffles the feathers of at least those who do not like Fr. Gavancho’s pastoral nature as exemplified by the homily being discussed.
Now I have gone back several months on Fr. Gavancho’s Facebook postings and the only thing that is there is a priest who cannot abide clerical abusers of bodies and souls. Perhaps I missed something, feel free to cite (with direct linkage) to what you find “odd”.
It should go without saying that Fr. Gavancho is going to catch hell and have “issues with his interpersonal relationships with parish staff and parishioners” to quote his former parish’s website.
That Fr. Gavancho is considered a “problem priest” is 100% why there is an institutional and systemic problem of abuse of power amongst the episcopate where power is systematically used to physically and spiritually abuse subordinates.
One thing caught my attention in this affair was the mention of a vindictive deaconess. What the heck is a deaconess? Is this a new local clerical position? I thought such positions were abandoned long ago. I can easily see that such a priest and a “deaconess” would have trouble getting along
It appears he may have been illegally evicted from his residence without proper notice. The circumstances concerning his termination may also bring into question illegal employment practices by the diocese. The issues concerning hospitality may relate to differences in nationality which would involve illegal discrimination issues based on nationality. He needs to consult with an attorney immediately and not make any further public statements. This has the makings of a seven figure civil lawsuit against the diocese.
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good for you, Father, trying to be there to help this priest. Like others I surmised that the sermon could not (even for Cupich) be the reason for him being removed. There is an opening for a priest at Mission San Juan Diego Parish in Chicago Archdiocese, per the story about the two Chicago priests caught doing something evil in a car in Miami. That’s much more serious than having a difficult personality or something. I want to pray for this priest.
I guess “An Inconvenient Truth” is only welcomed when it applies to global warning.
Late for Heaven – when I read the article I thought the reference to a deaconess was sarcastic, referring to a busybody lay woman who acts as if she *thinks* she’s “deaconess”, not that there is any such thing in the Latin rite Catholic Church.
I have heard the term “deaconess” used in a friendly, ironic and gently mocking way to refer to the wife of a permanent deacon, who is very much involved in helping her husband to exercise his ministry. I think many permanent deacons benefit greatly from the support and assistance of their wives.
This is nothing new. I saw it happen to two holy faithful priests in the 80’s. The liberal (likely homosexual) bishop didn’t like that they were preaching the truth that hurt people’s feeling so they were sent away suddenly. Pray for true faith, hope and love; stick with The Church, Our Blessed Mother and Jesus in the Eucharist. There is no other way to get to heaven. This is our cross… a cross we can use as a stepping stone to get to heaven! We are the Church militant, act like it, and fight like a true soldier of Christ.
As a part-time parishioner at this parish in Santa Barbara, most of our joy in having this priest was that “he fed a people who were starving spiritually,” a friend of mine aptly put. A number of parishioners, I think, are not personally attached to priests at this parish; rather, Fr. Juan Carlos “represented” the kind of orthodox and honest preaching so many of us need at this time. That is the feeling of the laity I know here in Santa Barbara. We would like easier going access to our sacraments in their fullness.
Claudia
COMMENTS CLOSED – Fr Z