Denver Newsroom, Oct 14, 2020 / 04:00 am (CNA).-
Like many Catholics in the Archdiocese of New Orleans these days, Theresa Truxillo said she was alarmed when she learned Fr. Travis Clark had filmed a pornographic video involving himself and two women atop an atlar in his parish.
The scandal sent shockwaves through the local Catholic community. Clark was removed from ministry, and the altar he desecrated was burned and replaced. The church in which the act took place was reconsecrated. The news came shortly after Fr. Pat Wattigny, a former high school chaplain, came under suspicion for text messaging students, and was removed from ministry for admitting to the sexual abuse of a minor.
“That was just really shocking and upsetting,” Truxillo told CNA.
“My friends and I were just processing it, and I would say our initial reaction was disgust and anger.”
After the initial upset, however, Truxillo said her heart, and the hearts of her friends, turned toward the good priests and seminarians of their diocese, “because they do so much for us, and we became protective of them. We didn’t want the whole world to think that everybody was making those terrible choices, especially our clergy.”
They wanted to do something soon, and they wanted it to be something that would visibly show their support, Truxillo said.
Truxillo and her friend, Sheri Derbes, decided to organize a prayer rally of support outside Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, which took place on Saturday, Oct. 10.
“I was concerned that so much negativity was hovering over us,” she said.
“Sheri and I joked that it felt like a great cloud was hanging over our whole archdiocese, and it felt bad. And (the rally) was an opportunity to stand up and maybe turn that tide – not to forget or gloss over the tragedy that is happening in a few of our parishes, but also to recognize those priests and seminarians and our archbishop who are being good leaders and who are pure and who are probably really hurt by this scandal.”
Just 24 hours after the idea came about, about 200 Catholics showed up – socially distanced – to the prayer rally, praying together for their priests and seminarians, Truxillo said, and hoping to encourage them.
Everyone was asked to bring a small rock from their garden with a cross or other religious symbol drawn or painted on it. Participants held the rocks while they prayed the rosary and other prayers, and then left the rocks on the steps of the seminary, so that they could be distributed among the seminarians as physical reminders of the prayers offered for them.
“We very specifically prayed for our seminarians and our priests and our archbishop, who we believe are the successors of Peter, who Jesus built his Church on,” Truxillo said.
Fr. James Wehner, rector of Notre Dame Seminary, told CNA that Truxillo had asked him for permission for the prayer rally, and he told the seminarians to expect “three or four people” to show up on Saturday to pray the rosary. Then he left for a parish mission for the day.
“I came back and there were over 160 people…and I thought, what happened here? And I think word was getting around,” he said.
Wehner said he was “inspired” that this prayer rally was completely lay-initiated. He added that the seminary has held meetings about the recent scandals, to ensure that seminarians are receiving the best formation, so as not to repeat the mistakes of the past.
“The seminarians were very humbled by the role of the laity in offering this spiritual support,” he said.
“I think in some sense, we preach to seminarians, so we’re embarrassed by this criminal, Satanic behavior of both of these priests,” Wehner added.
The rector said it’s been inspiring and humbling “to see people looking past that, to say, the faith of the Church, the faith of the priests, and the faith of Jesus Christ cannot be undermined by the power of evil.”
Wehner added that this year, Notre Dame Seminary has seen its highest enrollment in its 97-year history.
“So for me to see young men who should be very discouraged by the infidelity and the scandalous behavior of clergy, they look beyond that and still want to respond to God’s call…I’m inspired by their commitment to solid priestly formation.”
Truxillo and Derbes are both students of a lay program at the seminary, but since the pandemic struck in March, they have been unable to resume their regularl classes, or see their seminarian friends.
Coronavirus has been especially rough on seminarians, Truxillo said, because they live and study in the same place, and thus have been more restricted than most people during the pandemic.
“COVID has separated the seminarians specifically from the lay people because they live on campus and so they have been in a different lockdown than the rest of us,” Truxillo said.
“I’m allowed to go to the office now, I’m at least interacting with people. My children have gone back to school in person now – but they haven’t. And they commented to me that it was meaningful to know that we were there praying and to have just a small rock they could keep on their desk and remember that their vocation is valued and is important to the people. So that was really nice to hear.”
Jordan Haddard, the director of the lay programs at Notre Dame Seminary, told CNA that while he was not at the rally, he was grateful for the lay-led initiative.
The participants have a “deep love for our priests and recognize that the awful actions of a few do not in any way change who we are as a Church, and doesn’t change what our mission is. And it also doesn’t impugn the good reputation and the good work that the rest of our priests, deacons, our Archbishop does on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
“We draw closer together to one another in difficult times like this, because we’re really hurting and suffering in the Archdiocese right now by these scandals. And when one member suffers, we all suffer,” he added.
Truxillo said one of the most moving parts of the prayer rally was when she noticed the parents of priests were there.
“When I saw the father of Father Steve, and then I saw Deacon Martin, whose son is Father Andrew, and I saw another lady whose son is a priest, I got a lump in my throat because I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, if I’m hurting, think about how these people must be hurting. They’ve given their son to God and to feel that attack must have really been heavy,’” she said.
Truxillo said there are other events being organized in the archdiocese in reparation for the recent scandals. A Mass of Reparation, advertised on the Notre Dame Seminary website, has been postponed, but is expected to take place soon.
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“The Holy See gave no reason for the decision.”
Is it just me, or does this seem a tad high-handed?
Doesn’t the Holy Father owe the Diocese of Arecibo an explanation? Is Bishop Torres a danger to his flock in any way?
And what are his fellow bishops supposed to read into his removal?
For a papacy that claims to be all about the synodality of synodality, taking such an action in a virtual vacuum appears altogether centralized and authoritarian.
It certainly seems that the Church — as, indeed, the world — is at a hugely consequential inflection point.
No, it’s not just you.
To the new disoriented clericalist elites, the Church is their centrally managed corporation, and they all work as regional managers for “the bouncer-in-charge” Pontiff Francis.
See Phil Lawler in Catholic Culture, Mar. 9.Gi
“I think that for quite some time many bishops have been watching with concern what is happening in the Church and we have resisted believing what is happening. Today more than ever we must remember our calling to be prophets” (Bishop Daniel Fernández Torres).
When faithful priests and bishops are persecuted by the Church we know something is terribly amiss. That a bishop seeking to safeguard his seminarians, affirming conscientious refusal of vaxx by member of his fold is censured and removed, while elsewhere Catholics are permitted license by bishops to receive the Eucharist when living in adultery and same sex relationships.
Are we approaching perhaps that final test of our faith? Men like Bishop Torres whatever transpires forge the path for us.
Blessings of peace and ever increasing wisdom.
Man is known by what he says and how he acts. Thank God for Bishop Daniel Fernández Torres and others of his ilk.
Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Psalm 27:10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Wasn’t Puerto Rico the place that shut down the Mass of the Ages rather precipitously?
“For a papacy that claims to be all about the synodality of synodality, taking such an action in a virtual vacuum appears altogether centralized and authoritarian.”
Curious. Bishops like Bill Morris in Australia were ejected from the episcopacy. Rome has always been about centralization and authoritarianism. The people complaining usually are allies, personal or ideological.
A bishop who refuses to collaborate with fellow bishops on a seminary, who bucks the trend in favor of public health and safety–that seems like more serious reasons than other bishops getting the pink slip.
It depends on whose ox is being gored.
There has to be more to the story than this.
If being a “traditionalist” and not being “collegial” are the reasons Torres was fired, there are quite a few bishops in the United States whose job would be on the line.
I think people who understand Spanish and have access to Puerto Rican media may be able to find out more information.