When I was a teenager and young adult, I was a practicing Catholic. Our parish Youth Program was one of the strongest, most creative, most well-organized programs in the state. We were active, we were all involved in dozens of retreats, outreach programs, etc. We were constantly being invited to come and do retreats and events in other cities and even states, to help them build their programs.
Our priest, the one who was devoted entirely to the youth program, was a legend.
It was a beautiful time in my life.
Fr. F was transferred. At the same time Fr. K, the head pastor, retired, replaced by Fr. D. D's first act was to confiscate the entire Youth Program bank account, all money we had earned through fundraisers, and give it to another program. Within a year, the Youth Program was gutted. Other strong communities within the parish were destroyed in order to concentrate on what Fr. D felt was important. The man came in and nearly singlehandedly trashed an entire parish -- the only church in that particular town, with the nearest being 20 miles away. Nobody knew how to handle it, or was willing to buck the system, and so a huge chunk of something lovely was completely destroyed.
A lot of people lost faith. I know it contributed heavily to my leaving the Church (I would have eventually anyway, but it surely sped me on my way).
My point, and I do have one, is that humans are fallible, with their own motivations. Everyone here has given good advice. I guess my story is just an illustration of what can happen when people don't step up and take on the problems.
You may not be able to fix this. You may have to leave. But don't go quietly. Don't just sit back and let things go to pieces without at least trying.
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Date: 2004-09-12 09:14 am (UTC)Our priest, the one who was devoted entirely to the youth program, was a legend.
It was a beautiful time in my life.
Fr. F was transferred. At the same time Fr. K, the head pastor, retired, replaced by Fr. D. D's first act was to confiscate the entire Youth Program bank account, all money we had earned through fundraisers, and give it to another program. Within a year, the Youth Program was gutted. Other strong communities within the parish were destroyed in order to concentrate on what Fr. D felt was important. The man came in and nearly singlehandedly trashed an entire parish -- the only church in that particular town, with the nearest being 20 miles away. Nobody knew how to handle it, or was willing to buck the system, and so a huge chunk of something lovely was completely destroyed.
A lot of people lost faith. I know it contributed heavily to my leaving the Church (I would have eventually anyway, but it surely sped me on my way).
My point, and I do have one, is that humans are fallible, with their own motivations. Everyone here has given good advice. I guess my story is just an illustration of what can happen when people don't step up and take on the problems.
You may not be able to fix this. You may have to leave. But don't go quietly. Don't just sit back and let things go to pieces without at least trying.