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FATHER DANIEL ETIENNE AND TROUBLE AT ST. CUTHBERT’S BLACKPOOL.

Etienne all dressed up in his gear

Good morning Bishop Pat,

I need to ask for your advice on what to do next as I phaven’t slept all night thinking about this.

I was given your details by another Parishioner from our Parish of St Cuthbert’s, Blackpool, where I have worshiped for over 32 years. My children were baptised and married here, so I have a close connection.

For the last few years, our Church has been joined up with the nearby St John Vianney’s and has has been under the care of a very able Polish Priest who resides here.

The Assistant for the last couple of years has been the unbearable and newly ordained Fr Daniel Etienne who resides at St John Vianney’s.

Fr Etienne has persistently bullied the Polish Priest since day one.  This was reported to the Bishop who did nothing.

More dressing up

The Polish Priest (the victim) has had enough of it and leaves this week to move to another Diocese.

Despite many of us raising concerns to Bishop Paul Swarbrick about the behaviour of Fr Daniel Etienne, we are shocked and disgusted that he has been appointed as our new Parochial Administrator when the Polish Priest leaves next week.

Mass behind a brass wall.

I won’t say what he did to bully the Polish Priest as that is a separate issue, but examples of his concerning and strange behaviour towards the rest of us include wearing black vestments for funerals and refusing to acknowledge funerals as a celebration of a life, introducing a regular Latin Mass without even asking anyone and saying this is the new direction for our Parish, making it clear that there isn’t any place in the Church for lay people, making it clear that women’s only job should be to clean the Church.

He has no people skills at all and often ignores anyone who says good morning to him, he dresses up in a long cassock and often wears head gear like a 1960’s Priest, he constantly looks down his nose at us and makes us feel like second class citizens, he is often rude and confrontational, he has said he is disbanding the music group because there is no place in God’s house for guitars and perhaps worst of all, he continually spreads gossip between Parishioners.

Michaela Campbell encouraging nonsense.

All of this has made our once lovely Church, a place that is well, just not nice anymore. He formally takes over next week and already he has replaced all photos on the websit with photos of himself, and in this week’s newsletter, he has issued a statement making it clear that he has been appointed with the full backing of the Bishop (clearly acknowledging the fact that he knows that he is not wanted here).

Never in all my years did I think I would ever complain about  how my Parish is being run, but I feel that since Fr Etienne will not listen (infact his behaviours just get worse when he is challenged) and the Bishop just ignores us all, I am left with no choice.

I am even more alarmed that this dangerous and immature Priest is the Assistant Vocations Director.

On the bus – in a cassock.

I’m from and HR background and I know that recruiters often recruit people in their own likeness, so God help us all.  I really want the best for this man. He needs a strong mentor and I’d have thought that the Bishop would have handled this situation.

From what I know about Bishop Paul, he is a warm and prayerful man, but he is clearly not a leader and he cannot deal with difficult situations at all.

He basically told us that we must be the problem and should try to get along with Father. I am asking for your advice on what to do next.

Mrs…..

PAT SAYS

Dear Mrs ……

Sorry to hear of your troubles in your parish and the trouble with the newly ordained Etienne, who clearly has strong Tridentine tendencies.

I looked on the Lancaster website and saw the personal qualities desired of a priest:

Personal qualities

A genuine love and respect for the Church.

A spirit of self-sacrifice

A natural inclination of service to all in need.

Generosity, kindness and humility.

A real desire to assist the bishop, and to serve the people.

The capacity to put others first.

Uninterested in status or prestige.

Integrity of life.

A capacity for dialogue, implying a sense of readiness to learn from others and an openness to others

The ability to share the Faith.

The ability to listen respectfully to other’s points of view.

The capacity to listen carefully.

The capacity to stand up for the truth and respectfully challenge others.

Good communication skills.

A sense of responsibility, including fulfilling one’s word and completing one’s work.

Self-directed and collaborative accountability.

Balanced and prudent judgement.

The ability to lead, motivate, facilitate and animate others into appropriate action.

I cannot see Etienne as possessing:

1. A natural inclination to service.

2. Generousity, kindness and humility.

3. The capacity to put others first.

4. Uninterested in status or prestige.

5. A capacity for dialogue, implying a sense of readiness to learn from others and an openness to others

6. The ability to listen respectfully to other’s points of view.

7. Good communication skills.

So, you and the other parishioners must FIRMLY STAND UP TO HIM.

The bishop may be “holy” but a bishop also needs to lead and challenge wrong.

Tell the bishop what you intend to do if he does not act

If they won’t listen to dialogue:

1. Stop contributing to all collections.

2. Place a picket on Etienne’s house.

3. Involve your local media.

4. Start up a STOP ETIENNE social media account.

The only way these bishops and priests will listen is when they are getting media attention and losing money.

Sad, but true.

Keep me informed.

If I can do anything else to help I will.

My telephone no

07488 374364

236 replies on “FATHER DANIEL ETIENNE AND TROUBLE AT ST. CUTHBERT’S BLACKPOOL.”

I have a lot of sympathy with the parishioners having this joke of a priest foistered upon them, and no surprise that the Bishop is nice but ineffectual. This is a pattern repeated up and down the UK. However, I have to say that a Catholic funeral is not a celebration of a life, but a commendation in Christian hope of that life to the judgment of God. Few priests will have the guts to remind people of that, so we see the Church’s entire sacramental system hijacked by secular sentimentality and a photo opportunity for self-promotion – that certainly applies to every funeral, wedding, baptism, first communion and – yes – ordination, that I have ever attended.

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A Catholic funeral, apart from the actual mourners, is a paid performance: priests charge for this piece of semi-street theatre.

Please don’t glorify this con as a ‘commendation in Christian…’. That is pompous bullshit, a tarted-up lie.

Folks save yourselves money and grief by holding your own , personal funeral services, because priests only hijack them for their own ends… and then expect to be paid for the abuse.

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9.58: How ignorant of you. An insult to families and mourners. I trust you have organised a humanist send off for yourself – street theatre at its best with fatalism and hopelessness at the centre. As for your accusation of abuse by priests – families make an offering as suggested by funeral undertakers. There is no pressure on anyone if they are financially stretched. In fact on many occasions the families leave an offering alongside that of the ubdertakers, so keep your petty stupidity l8cjed away. Can I suggest you look at the cost for funeral undertakers, singers, musicians, flowers, coffins….price of a grave…astronomical compared to offering for church. You are an absentee catholic – so off you go and have your merry dance at your pile when your time comes. Why not use your summer barbeque – even cheaper for cremation…I have never in my life – and I don’t know of any cleric – abused any funeral or grieving mourners. Ever. I am attuned to my own humanity and to that of others. Incidentally, humanists cost much more for officiating at a funeral or cremation. Tough.

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11.35, where to start with your ridiculous and disingenuous post?

First, I am not a humanist; I’m a Catholic Christian. There will be no fatalism and hopelessness at my funeral, nor will there be a priest to sponge off my family at a vulnerable time.

You call his fees an offering. What self-deception! What a lie! I can imagine the look of anger on a priest’s face were he not paid (and paid handsomely) for his little bit of semi-street theatre.

I insult no family by telling the truth about these men, but if I have annoyed you, Father, I shan’t lose any sleep over it.

The sooner Catholics accept the fact that Christ’s coming obviated priesthood, the better The Assembly will be.

You, Father, could always find another job: selling snake oil. Now THAT is something all priests know a great deal about.

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Thank you @11:59 & 9:58: needed to be said.
But to “debate” the issue with A@11:35 probably fruitless: the tone of his comment is revealing.
MMM

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This woman complaining and asking of all people Patsy for advice tells you what she is. Probably an other Big Delia who likes to run the parish herself, and resents it when she is put in her place. Also when someone dies it is not a celebration of their life, we are mourning their death, and praying for the repose of their soul. As for the lefty loonie polyester brigade always giving out if a priest wears proper vestments, others have had to put up for years with all the dreadful liturgies foisted on us by the liberal elite and that lot. It’s very encouraging to hear of a priest who celebrates The Holy Sacrifice of The Mass as it should be. Of course all the happy clappy morons and the rest of the Buckbots scream and protest. You can protest all you like traditionalism is here to stay wither you lot like it or not.

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Of course a funeral is a celebration of a life… a life loved, and now mourned over.
How can you mourn what was not loved and celebrated, with thanksgiving to God?
The two aspects are inseparable.

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10.45 the liturgy war is long lost (it doesn’t matter by whom)

You blatantly gloss over gossip though

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Were the funeral Masses for Jimmy Saville and Fr Brendan Smyth a celebration of their lives?

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5.18, your post is entirely cynical, devoid of any merit.

I’m sure to the families of these men, they were more than the sum total of their manifest sins.

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I tend to agree, as a Funeral Director in Blackpool when Father Daniel first arrived I thought he was a bit “stiff” but having worked with him on many occasions I have found him helpful. I think many people are influenced by attending non Catholic funerals where it is treated purely as a celebration of life with some religion. It is my understanding that a Catholic funeral adheres to Church teaching and parishioners from time gone by would recognise this. If anyone wishes to go the more “modern” way for a funeral there is always the option of having whatever service they want at a crematorium chapel, at a graveside or other venue with whichever clergy or celebrant they wish. I favour more of the celebration route however the Catholic have a serious and set way of conducting these matters and should be respected I think.

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Bishop Pat

Many thanks for update on Blackpool. That priest is on a different planet! I Believe the way he speaks to people is terrible, one woman in her seventies left church in tears after a conversation with him. Other parishoners couldn’t get to the bottom of it and the poor lady hasn’t returned since.

I hope you are keeping well ? I read your blog every night. Please keep up your work. Keep Safe Sincerely yours David Cushen On Wed, 13 Jan 2021, 11:30 am BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY, wrote:

> commented: “I tend to agree, as a Funeral Director in Blackpool when > Father Daniel first arrived I thought he was a bit “stiff” but having > worked with him on many occasions I have found him helpful. I think many > people are influenced by attending non Cath” >

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Pat. This man is too young to head up a Parish, he must be in his 20’s. Straight out of school and then to seminary, so no life experience. If his Bishop has any sense, he will move him to be under the direction of a well balanced and experienced man. I am sure that Fr is getting a little carried away with what he will consider is power and authority. We should pray for him.

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Just another young priest who thinks he can trample on everyone in his way. You don’t have to go to the UK to encounter this type of behaviour. Irish dioceses have more than enough of these pompous little dictators. Unfortunately, most bishops haven’t got a backbone so unless people confront the problem themselves then it’s here to stay.

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Bishops are desperate for priests so they simply accept anyone who applies. There seems to be no filtering of candidates today, so if a seminarian sticks around, he will definitely get ordained. It’s a pathetic situation.

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When will people learn?
Jesus never intended a clerical caste. His coming was to obviate the need for priesthood, since it only aped to do what it could not do: atone for human failing, and its inevitable degeneration into the state some call ‘Hell’.
Anyone who continues to attempt to serve God through a clerical elite/caste (and this includes Pat Buckley) is ignoring the teaching of the New Testament, found principally, though not exclusively, in the Letter to the Hebrews.
When a hot air balloon is sinking in the sky, it is protocol to jettison excess baggage in order to regain altitude. In the case of Christianity, the excess baggage is… clergy!
Get rid of clergy. ALL clergy. FFS! Consider the damage they have done; the danger in which this excess baggage has placed the assembly Christ himself gathered.

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Magna Carta being anonymous at 10:55pm and talking its usual claptrap. Oh yes, Jesus did intend a ministerial priesthood – the keyword being MINISTERIAL. Prats like this Etienne geezer don’t know the meaning of the word service. They are little lords demanding to be served. It’s the likes of him are the problem – not the priesthood itself. A good kick up his fat pompous arse would do him good. And the same for the now anonymous Carta troll.

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‘Oh yes Jesus did intend a ministerial priesthood’? So this is the justification for priesthood? Your own words? 😂

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Then why don’t you all just hold eucharistic celebrations in your own homes, without priests, as did the early Christians?

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St Norbert: “You are God” “You are nothing” Typical Roman lies. Those he is foisted on have no chance. (Are the Norbertines we hear of, followers of this as well?)
The usual unhealthy rabble of trustees everywhere he got trained.
Black forest gateau hat.
Curious how Jersey a “crown” territory (“not cheap”) features in three men’s stories of late.
Amazing, also, who’s been rambling in the north west over the years.
Bp Paul got put up just in time to be a grand scapegoat for the pincer movements. The entire RCC is a high demand movement.
Remedy: DIY religion for you dear correspondent.

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Pat, would you one day do a blog on the journey from theism to atheism? I’d love to hear MMM’s story.

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11:41, might that be because you read and re-read his posts? Well keep at it until your penny drops

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Don’t contribute to the collection, it’s all about the money. He sounds as if he is on the autistic spectrum.

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11.51 correct but i. he should use self-management and fend off those who seek to exploit him and seek deaconhood instead where he can continue in a livelihood ii. if a seminary is a reputable place of learning it should employ diagnostic teachers and suitable coaches.
Additionally, dioceses should employ these, and the concept of safeguarding should be returned to the old one of pastoring (even the gays are to be deprived of which now, as it was discrimantory to pastor anyone at all)
Discernment should be thrown open to everyone for daily living.
Another way of putting it: deacon and layperson shouldn’t be used as a term of abuse, but the church authorities do, all the time, against us all.

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Begorra doesn’t this lad look like a 100 year old Santa doll like the Mrs has in a box somewhere. Appearances can be false. Maybe this is how the parish likes to do church same as some folk like classic cars. Bullying is another issue. The missionaries are coming back. Is this what we were like years ago out there. We need Fr Spock Jim hi

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Odd isn`t it ? When I was a child, churches and schools had regular collections to fund the missions in Africa and other places. Now our investment is paying dividends as this country is now a mission country and black skinned priests are ministering to us.

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I live in the Lancaster Diocese. If you look on the Charities Commission Web site, they have 1000 volunteers. They spent years trying to bully me into being a volunteer. I just wonder how many are pressed men and how many are genuine volunteers.

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What an arrogant looking priest. This guy was refused by several other dioceses. Maybe the Lancaster bishop fancied him?

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If the above is true, this priest is abusing his position if ministry. He needs to reflect on the a washing of Feet parable from the gospels. He is a servant to Gid’s people, not to his self given elevated role as a “priest”. His illusiins are, unfirtunately, hewn out of an ever present clericalism mind set, where the dreams of childhood “playing priest” roles in a bedroom are still his reality. This guy urgently needs a reality check. It is a demonstrable arrogance to rewrite the gospel where being servant is about being served “to” rather than serving others first and foremost. That means getting down on his knees from his pedestal of looking down upon….

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What a queenie little bitch, Bp Pat, there is enough lace there to curtain a couple of decent size windows.

Her ordinary, +Michaela Camp-Bell, was born in Larne, so he will be aware of you, Bp Pat, and your power.

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Yes, there are strange and deep waters running there in + Campbell. A complicated man. Not the calm man you at first see on the surface. There is a real temper there, just waiting to burst through. And all that dressing up stuff….? What is he trying to say ? I don’t have a sense that he is much missed in Lancaster.

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9.29 is clearly based on substance which incidentally explains country rambles which were boasted of (that’s an allusion).
It’s even sensible of other bishops to appoint the fluttery eyelash type as AVD because at least they attract a less unbalanced bunch whereas this one will only net shivering masochists.
How I recall the long years of authoritatively taught gossip techniques (to tell a tale). Your parish will take about 50 years to recover.
VEC is a recommendation. Oscott is a recommendation. Doubly credentialled!

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Pat. 3 years ago I met him at a presentation in London. I mentioned you and he went a funny colour. You obviously have something on him!

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This post is so hilarious. I was walking for the bus reading it and went over on my stiletto with laughing too much 😘

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They’ll accept anyone these days. Provided you’ve got meat and two veg. How would Etienne fare in the real world?

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Hi all,
1. Funeral Masses are not a celebration of life. Father is correct in doing away with this notion.
2. Any priest may celebrate the Traditional Mass. Summorum Pontificum makes this clear.
3. Wearing a cassock isn’t a crime.
4. The vat ii documents call for the retention of gregorian chant and organ accompaniment.

Perhaps you could find a Methodist church to attend? You might be better suited there?

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No, don’t move the goalposts, Father. Parishioners aren’t the problem: you priests are.

Christ never intended a priesthood. His coming not only showed up its impotency, it obviated its presence.

Go now, the lot of you. Before you do any more damage to The Assembly.

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If Christ never intended a priesthood, why did he give the keys of His church to St Peter ?

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Wearing black vestments is ok
Is it? Dressing up like a 60’s Priest is ok Is it? How is this encouraging people to come to
mass?

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12.46, they attended Mass in the sixties since, for the most part, they were too afraid not to. And too uneducated to work out that they were being coerced and conned by the priestly fraternity.

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2:47pm
Polly you never change, still on the gargle, what does it matter if they were afraid it’s a pity they are not afraid now. They will be afraid when they come to The Judgement Seat but it will be to late then.

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You must be an American cultural warrior. Better to fight your battles on the home front, where you are losing them. Your spelling of defence gives you away.

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There are some very serious issues here about the respect in which the People of God are held or not held. I was not aware that Blackpool and its environs was a hot house of traditionalist Catholicism, even though it is populated by the aged and the gay. So, this young, inexperienced priest with an inflated sense of his own ego, foists upon the local Church his interpretation of Catholicism, irregardless of the wishes and traditions of the people ! What arrogance. And what idiocy that the local bishop allows this to happen. It says very clearly that the People of God simply do not matter in the practice of their faith, that they have been loyal to for decades, and that one man can come in and inflict on them his particularly narrow view of Catholicism. That says something profound about the relationship between clergy and the People of God, which indicates that there is a dysfunction there, and that dysfunction is on the part of the clergy.
It seems as though the local bishop is not strong enough to confront this young man, or that he is so desperate to fill a slot that he will put up with anything, and I doubt that he will intervene to enable some kind of accommodation and compromise. This young man, having tasted influence and authority, will continue to trample arrogantly on the wishes of the laity. There are only a few options that might work. Go elsewhere and withheld your money. Both these things, presence and finance, will quickly be noted, and both priest and bishop will sit up and take notice. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, and this is the case here. My blood boils at the contempt, distain, disrespect and arrogance on the part of this young priest that this case shows. How in God’s name did he get ordained ? I understand he was removed from the VEC ? Surely there were signs of his unsuitability to be a pastor to the People of God, and he should not have been let near an altar.

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Is Etienne from Jersey, do I hear ? Perhaps he knows Power Bottom JPL ? Mind you, I don’t think Etienne would be able to serve JPL Power Bottom needs, do you ? JPL would break him with one straddle. Also, Etienne looks a bit flabby and soft skinned for a young man. Not sufficiently manly and robust for JPL’s attentions. Unless he looked good in trekkie bottoms…

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Robert Billing used to be the bishop’s secretary. He was not liked by the laity. As one nice old lady said he tells porkies… ie. he lies. He was known as the fat controller.

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Priesthood is redundant. The clergy are unnecessary.
These are the lessons of Hebrews. Until they are accepted and acted upon, Christianity will continue lurching from one crisis to the next.

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This guy Etienne is acting out a fantasy of priesthood in which he, not Christ, has the starring role.
Why don’t his parishioners just attend Mass elsewhere? Or why don’t they have a simple eucharistic celebration in their own homes, just as the early Christians did.
Stop telling yourselves that you need a priest. The only power these guys have is the power you attribute to them.
And this ‘power’ is all in your heads, since Christ’s incarnation exposed the impotency of priesthood.

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“This guy Etienne is acting out a fantasy of priesthood in which he, not Christ, has the starring role.” Just like Dame LITTLELOOKATME !

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The parishoner didn’t specify what she meant by Latin Mass. is he saying the Mass of the missal of 1570 or the missal of 1970s in Latin. If the latter there should not be any issue surrounding it. It’s also a valid option yo hse black vestments instead of purple for funerals.
I’d be more concerned about his alleged manner with people.
Why did he part company with the VEC and where did he go to afterwards?

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News from Northampton – Most clergy here are up in arms about yet another Priest out of a Parish to be priest secretary to the Bishop when our parishes are so short of Priests – “Bishop David has appointed Fr James Evans, currently Parish Priest of Sacred Heart in Aston Le Walls, as his Priest Secretary. Fr James will be based at Bishops House in Northampton and offer pastoral support to the Cathedral parish.
Fr James will remain diocesan Vice Chancellor, a role he has undertaken for the last few years. The role of priest secretary to our Bishop has been vacant for a number of years since Fr David Barrett stepped down from the role to undertake further studies before being appointed into a parish. Fr James will work alongside Tricia Elliott, who is Bishop David’s Personal Assistant when he begins his new ministry in September.”

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+ Oakley wouldn’t know a hard day’s work if he saw one. So, no surprise that he’s getting himself a priest secretary to carry the load.

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+ Pat, why do you not send a Priest on a regular basis to minister to the people so they can step away from this dictator of a Priest, and out of control of the Diocese?

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Leave him alone. I do not understand the need to continually harass all these guys. He has moved on, you should too.

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Chris Derwin cost the laity at least €300k to train him to be a priest for five minutes, therefore the laity has a right to comment.

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There seems to be no escape from the blog once you’ve been featured. LOL.
Fr Danny take note.

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Oh, she’ll be coming back to ministry / priesthood soon. Life is cushy as a priest. He won’t like having to work hard like the rest of us. I put my money on him being back by Christmas, all repentant and observant and sorry for his past errors.

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It’s very simple, how many vocations to the priesthood has that parish provided ? When was their last ordination ? The rest of the complaint could have been said in any era ‘ rude priest ‘ etc hasn’t got anything to do with candlesticks and vestments, I have met more priests who wore anything drip dry with a zip, never wore clerics and did a lot of shaking hands at the sign of peace who were constantly rude, arrogant and caused division.They are also the ones most interested in money , cars and second homes.

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In all those personal qualities required of a candidate for priesthood, neither Christ nor conscience got a single, solitary mention.

Priesthood is not only redundant, folks, through Christ’s passion, death, and ressurretion, it is trying to replace him.

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Yeah. And get this: he must have a real desire to assist the bishop and serve the people.
And he must put others first.
It is the bishop in both instances.
Priests do not serve Christ; they are expected to serve a mere man.
And people wonder why the Church is in crisis.

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11.43
Not so. But your one-liner has become tedious. It’s obvious that you are the poster who used to post here pseudonymously. I’d hoped we had seen the back of you.

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What’s not so, 1.26? That’s not an argument; a hissy fit, maybe, but not an argument.
As for tedious one-liners, “you are the poster who used to post here pseudonymously” is a more obvious one.
I am not Magna Carta.

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You’ve got no chance, girl. By the time these cogs have stopped turning you will not even be allowed to volunteer in palliative care at a RSPCA centre.
“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Romans 5: 3 -5

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Aside from today’s main subject, further to a despicable individual mentioned yesterday:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Horan
i. there’s something wrong with that gear
ii. did he know any colleagues in west Kent?
iii. we know what happens every time moral equivalency to Der Fuhrer is claimed
iv. incidentally, I saw Cowell deforming a participant in a programme – like the group confessions in some churches

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That’s a disappointment! I thought you had a news item on that nice Irish boy who used to be in One Direction – though I checked and see his name is Niall. I had never heard of this horrendous character: why is it that like Littleprick, they all look like Charles Hawtrey?

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Thank you for keeping Father Littleton upfront. Whenever our poster suggests we are “obsessed with” some cleric, it usually means there is a story or two still to come out.

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Moaning minnie of a certain age with no theological training alert.

I bet her children are lapsed and grandchildren are unbaptised. Startvwith passing on the faith in the home first, then you can opine on wider Church matters.

And spare us the Anglican crap of Requiem Mass being a celebration of the life of the deceased. Have a listen to Mozart’s Requiem, why don’t you?

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Imagine going anywhere near Blackpool! Are we seriously expected to sympathise with the moaning lay person? That priest would need everything from maniples to privileged altars to stay and rot in that place. “ I feel God is calling me to have a servant ministry to the vibrant community of the pilgrim people of Blackpool in all their diversity “ Yeah right! Get out now Father is my advice leave them to it , ageing agnostics who failed to pass on the faith or produce vocations , a bad tree produces bad fruit

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I once went to a funeral of a nun who was a relative of the wife. It was held at Ushaw seminary and it was the happiest church service that I had ever attended. The joy through singing and prayer and the smiling of the celebrants and congregation, was wonderful to behold. It happened about 35 years ago and I will never forget the happiness. It comforted my wife no end.

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How many more of these idiots do we have to put up with – the likes of Littleprick, Etienne, and so forth ? Those nitwits who inhabit the various Cong Orat places dotted around. Bishops should be pulling these guys back in to the mainstream, imperfect though it may be, rather than allowing them to wander off in to fantasy land of lace, birettas, incense, ad orientem, and arcane pietistic theological waffle. These guys are building for themselves a pleasant little life of isolation, away from the worries of the world which they cannot face, and taking us for a ride at our expense. They pretend to be so holy and devoted. But, in fact, they are just inadequate, odd, loopy and strange. Bishops are supposed to be leaders. So lead, and sort out this kind of nonsense !

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Yes, let’s have more Rory’s and Fr McCamley’s, both liberals who hated the Old Mass and the theology that went with it.

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12.04
I don’t think that by any stretch of the imagination Rory Coyle could ever have been described as a liberal. Maybe you would like to think so and are allowing your emotions to run away with themselves. Produce the evidence!

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I was a parishoner of Armagh parish when Rory was a curate there. He exclusively used Eucharistic Prayer II to make Mass quicker, even on a Sunday, and his lightweight sermons were of the “let us be kind” variety, when they weren’t about the GAA when he was farcically putting on his macho hetero act.

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Um, it’s not supposed to be done at all. Christ abolished priesthood with his death and resurrection.

That’s official.

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Though personally I have no problem with either the Old Mass or black vestments, the wisdom of Paul VI in suppressing the pre-Vatican liturgy is now apparent, especially in England and Wales where the Catholic Church has adopted the divisive culture of the Church of England. The lamentable Benedict XVI, first by giving open permission to any lace queen to use the Old Rite and secondly by letting in the Anglicans on their own terms, has effectively destroyed Catholic tradition whereby you simply went to Mass whether it was St Peter’s or a tin hut. You only have to look at the dress styles of the three priests at St Cuthbert’s, Blackpool to see that the pick-and-mix approach not only applies to one parish but right across every diocese, so that Catholics are now able to “go shopping” for whatever liturgy they prefer. Moreover, just as in the C of E you can be whatever you want to be, whether that be border-line Calvinist, liberal modernist or incense-junkie – or more usually nothing very much in particular – so our useless bishops have destroyed unity and common fellowship in one faith. The ideas expressed today on the nature and purpose of a Catholic funeral have demonstrated that we no longer believe the same things or share a common Catholic culture.

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It’ll all be sorted out by the effluxion of time. The Spirit of Vatican II generation didn’t pass on the faith, so when they die that unsuccessful experiment is over. The young priests and young Catholics, though fewer in number, will restore the Faith from the wreckage wrought by the boomers.

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12.14
You’re not a Roman Catholic if that is your view of the teaching of an Ecumenical Council. You may be a sedevacantist!

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There are options though out the Missal there isn’t supposed to be a unity of exterior worship anymore it’s all expressive of a particular community. The presider is free to chose the rite of penance, the Eucharistic prayer and to speak ad lib as a greeting, to introduce each of the readings, to introduce and conclude the prayers of the faithful, to introduce the Eucharistic prayer, to introduce communion and to prepare for the dismissal. The president of the assembly ‘ hosts’ or ‘animates’ the Supper of the Lord.

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1:02
The Presider ! The President of the assembly! The supper of The Lord! sounds like you’re talking about some protestant sect. As a Catholic we go to The Holy Sacrifice of The Mass with a Priest who is the celebrant, remember The Holy Mass is an action not an narrative.

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Fr Tom Butler, ex Army chaplain – he had a tough paper round and I’d say by 65 he is probably more like 75 or 80, so probably needed to retire to a seafront apartment in Blackpool. His fellow Army chaplain, Mons Alker, is also retired, to a seafront high rise luxury apartment in Liverpool. He can’t be more than 65 either. But, I guess they did their bit, and deserve some respite. Luckily, they will both have nice Army pensions and so can afford to retire. Otherwise, like the rest of us they would have to carry on ploughing the furrow and manuring the vineyard of the Lord until at least 75. I say good for them !

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Yes, ex-military chaplains retire on their huge gold-plated Service pensions. Fr Alan Ward in Clogher diocese successfully parish dodged for decades by being a Free State army chaplain in Finner Camp. When he got too old for that but well before the diocesan retirement age he promptly retired, didn’t go to a parish and bought himself a three-bedroom house in the most expensive part of Enniskillen.

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3.32: What’s your problem with retirement at 65? Are we all to emulate your 24 hours a day work ethic and work till we fall into a grave?????? – Oh great one… Your vision is crap….

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Do you mean 75, + Pat, for the official retirement age for priests ? Not 65, surely ?

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Good man, Boris.
But the Pope supports it. So I suppose God does, too, because God always follows his ‘vicar’ in these matters. Like a squaw. 😀

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Pat, I bet you wouldn’t entertain a complainer from an Anglican parish giving out about their vicar. You’d be very ecumenical and say it was none of your business.

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The irony of this priest in his fiddleback, lace and biretta is that the SSPX would refuse his ordination on two grounds.
1. They won’t take retreads from other seminaries.
2. They won’t take overweight young men. Their view is that it’s a sign of intemperance, lack of discipline, lack of exercise and a sign of depression (comfort eating).

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Re Point Two:
Ah, that’s why the SSPXers always look like emaciated sourpusses. And I thought Aquinas, who was of ample girth, was their exemplar.

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Yes, Aquinas was indeed a BFB.

A semi-circular cut had to be made in his place at the refectory table in order to accommodate his massive gut and to allow his fat hands access to the food with which he customarily stuffed his bloated face.

Weren’t the Seven Deadly Sins around then? Forbidding, among others, gluttony?

Yes, Etienne does look a man well practiced in the fine culinary art of welding a knife and fork.

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The people who do not want this Priest should do two things -1 All turn up together at the Bishop’s house, and refuse to leave until the Bishop listens to the concerns they have . 2 – Organise a sit-in at the church taking it in turns, and refuse to leave until the Priest is removed , and call in local press , and newspapers e.t.c

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12.39: How utterly ridiculous and outrageous. This is anarchy. This priest probably found that a certain elite or entrenched busybodies had too much authority and claimed responsibilities beyond their remit. It happens in parishes all the time. Certain people take on roles and hate being challenged. I don’t accept any priest abusing his role either but we must allow this priest act his role too. A lot of passive, aggressive behaviour is carried out by parishioners: I have experienced it frequently. But the idea of a lynch mob turning up at the church to protest at this priest would warrant calling the police. Outrageous behaviour. Bullying.

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@ 2.33, ‘certain people take on roles and hate being challenged.’
That would be the priest’s, wouldn’t it?

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Elderly Priest dies after being moved by Elsie to a new and cheaper nursing home.-“We announce the sad news of the death this afternoon, 17th July, of Fr Frederick George Jackson. Fr Fred died peacefully at home in the Kensington Care Home, Ladbroke Road where he had been living for just a few days, having moved from Nazareth House in Finchley.”

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Nazareth House, Hammersmith got a poor report following the last unannounced visit by the Care Quality Commission. It said it needs improvement in all the areas that were assessed. The Kensington Care Home, on the other hand, was rated “good”, so I wouldn’t be too harsh on Elsie on this occasion.

The full report on Nazareth House is at:

https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-403232028#accordion-1

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What’s Nazareth House in Hammersmith got to do with it? The priest was in Finchley.

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Run by the same order. Nazareth House Finchley does not get a clean bill of health either from the Care Quality Commission.

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Well, if + Elsie moved him as part of his cost savings on the back of the retired, that would be shocking. I would have thought Nazareth House would have been at the lower end of the market anyhow. Maybe they’ve gone up market now ? Whatever the facts, it is interesting that the worst motives are ascribed to + Elsie for any decision he makes. I think it just shows what contempt he is generally held in. Especially by his clergy. Time for him to move on to retirement soon at his 75th.

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A quick Google search shows that the maximum charge per week in Nazareth House, East Finchley is £730, which is low anywhere, but especially in London. The Kensington Care Home is run by BUPA. It does not disclose its fees, but I’d be amazed if a BUPA home in a more exclusive part of London was cheaper than Nazareth House.

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2.40, yes. But most lay people could not afford such charges, and so must make do with what is on affordable offer.

Isn’t it the irony of ironies that a priest who spent his entire ‘career’ sponging off others is able to afford, through his bishop, the best that nursing care can offer? Lay people should be up in arms at the arrogance and injustice of this.

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It seems the complaintant is upset because they were doing as they pleased in the parish. Sounds like it was run by a parish elite, probably old women- of both sexes.
I expect this person would also object to communion rails, latin in the Novus Ordo etc.
This is just throwing toys out of the pram.
I’m glad to see the piest making decisions and teaching the faith. A Catholic priest wearing a cassock and biretta? Latin? SHOCK HORROR! It’s called Catholicism.

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I’d never heard of him until now. Nobody bats an eyelid about such characters in London. There used to be the man on Oxford Street warning about meat inflaming the passions, and a bloke riding round in a bowler hat on a tricycle who protested outside Westminster Cathedral against JPII’s visit: well done that man! However, there also appears to be more sinister stuff about this character. Anybody know what led to his being defrocked.

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Mary Dunne – God rest her – was often to be found on O’Connell street. We knew her as the Rosary lady. She would be very well dressed and wore rosary beads around her neck, dance till her hearts content on O’Connell Street. She was apart of the place and everyone knew her. A gentle soul.

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Nobody bats an eyelid about such characters in London? They would if they were endangering human life, as this clown does.

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About 10 years ago there used to be a woman at Westminster Cathedral who wore plastic sandwich boards with eschatological gibberish written on them. She also carried a globe and in consequence the bitchy queens Mark Langham and Tim “Torville&” Dean nicknamed her “Miss World”.

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Miss World had to be watched by security during mass, as she had a tendancy to stroll onto the sanctuary during mass and wave her globe about (it had a little infant of prague on the top of it) to give a blessing to everyone.
I always found the relationship between her and the security guards to be rather sweet, they knew she meant no wrong and she knew that they weren’t going to hurt her.

Westminster Cathedral has a few characters, and the security guards are very kind to them.

In the early 2000s there was an old Irish man would sit close to the front who would mutter through the mass “the souls, the souls”. 9 times out of 10 he would get distressed and shout out to the celebrant “WHAT ABOUT THE SOULS? YOU DIDN’T MENTION THE SOULS!”. Again, security knew to watch him and would intervein before he got a chance to cause too much disruption.
They would be very gentle with him, and would simply invite him to a side chapel to “talk to them” about the souls.
Then there was another man who seemed to spend all his days attending as many masses as he could across London… attempting to receive communion as many as 20 or 25 times a day! He never caused security any problems, but they knew that they needed to watch him because he obviously wasn’t stable.

I guess Miss World is the only one left now, but there are probably others who have arrived.
God Bless the wonderful, kind security team at Westminster Cathedral.

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Yes, indeed, one of the most celebrated was Miss Shepherd, Alan Bennett’s Lady in the Van. She attended Our Lady of Hal in Camden Town where she prostrated herself for communion. In those days Arlington House opposite – immortalised in One Better Day by Madness – also churned out a fair few eccentrics. Catholic Churches always seemed to attract them, being kinder and more inclusive than the Anglicans. On the other hand, that could be a chicken and egg argument: they were bonkers owing to their Catholic upbringing. Needless to say, Arlington House is long closed, and the residents released into care in the community ie chucked out to live on the streets.

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7.01, Matt Talbot, of Dublin, did that, too: attended as many Masses as he could across Dublin and, presumably, received communion as often as he could. He was so unstable that…he was declared ‘Blessed…

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In the mid 1990s there was a homeless man who wore a coat and always had a suitcase. He used to sit at the door of Westminster Cathedral and always asked, very politely, “Any notes?”. I don’t know if he got many notes or had to make do with coins.

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A while ago I was at an evening Mass during the week in St Mary’s in Chapel St, Belfast. It was interrupted constantly by a woman who was high, or disturbed, or both. She stood in front of the sanctuary talking nonsense.
The PP at the time, a Mill Hill missionary tried shouting over her, but that just made her louder. Eventually he said “If I’d known it was going to be this good I’d have sold tickets”.

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I am a Parishioner in Blackpool. Good advice. I have just stopped my standing order until this man is moved out. He is crackers.

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Smart move they won’t be able to cope without your £4 a month contribution, it should 10% of your monthly income or in your case a pension paid for by those of us who go to work. The Bishop will definitely open a box and find a priest who will suit you down to the ground so get your guitar ready for the Israeli Mass

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4.25 – I pay £50 a month which is all I can afford as I am a single parent. My ex is in jail for murdering someone.

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5.38, keep your money to feed and clothe yourself, and your children.
There should not be a priesthood, and these men should be supporting themselves financially, like everyone else, instead of sponging off hard-pressed families like yours.

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Well done Hilary- I know St Cuthbert’s well as I have attended that parish for over 30 years with my family who reside in the parish and I will not be attending that church on my next visit to Blackpool..until he is gone. I have spoken to family today who told me that they will not be going back to that church now. Very sad.

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Watch out for Hilary’s ex husband Carmel he’s far more dangerous than a priest in a cassock

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4.03: You obviously have no exlerience of working in – or being part of a parish. Zilch. I have always worked in the belief of all of us working together – parishioners and priests – for the good of the parish community. It’s my approach to seek co-operation and consultation for the uobuilding of a parish community. The priest has a role, parishioners have a role. Sadly, some priests are autocratic and unable to work well with people. I do not condone any abuse of authority or position. Sadly too, I have arrived in parishes where some parishioners held undefined roles of responsibility, often causing huge divisions in a parish. I have been threatened by some when I brought my concerns to them. I know of cases where parishioners took legal action against fellow lay personnel for supposed harrassment and bullying. I try always to bring everyone together and I believe fervently in the ministry of gifted people in a parish setting. You sir, haven’t an iota of a clue . Zero. You smack of destructive sarcasm.

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6.23, just pause for a moment and reflect on what you posted.
The dog-eat-dog parochial competitiveness you correctly decry, from where does it come if not from the competitive, unchristian, clerical hierarchy of the Catholic Church?

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This is absolutely diabolical. Fr Etienne gave his LIFE for the salvation of souls. I know him, and he truly is a decent and holy priest. If Catholics truly understood the faith, there wouldn’t be posts like this… because they would see Fr Etienne just as he is… a truly CATHOLIC priest faithful to Our Lord and to the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic faith handed down to us by the apostles. These are the rotten fruits of Vatican II where many lay people don’t actually recognise a Catholic priest when they see one.

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Etienne gave his life for the salvation of souls??? 😅😅😅 You really need to cool it. It was Jesus who gave his life in this way.
Etienne is an anachronistic and theatrical self-promoter. He is, therefore, a perfect Catholic priest, because none of these men serves Christ, but a corrupt institution and, through it, themselves. An institution so evil it should be obvious that it could not be of Christ. This is the foul-smelling fruit of disobedience to Christ, since Jesus’ death and ressurrection obviated priesthood.
Etienne, and all other priests, by their very existence are denying not only this FACT about Jesus’ death and ressurrection, but are denying, too, his victory over ‘the ruler of this world’ through his risen flesh and, consequently, his triumphal, real presence in the Eucharist. These men are usurpers, and are attributing to priesthood, and to themselves, the universal and unalterable salvific efficacy of Christ’s supreme self-sacrifice, on the cross at Calvary.
This is what enabled you to make that astoundingly arrogant, but profoundly untrue, assertion at the beginning of your heretical post: ‘Fr Etienne gave his LIFE for the salvation of souls.’

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Great point. And he is always chasing people for money asking for Mass stipends and offering to bless houses for a fee. Walking around Blackpool in his finest roman collar and dress is asking for trouble.

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What his Rev Etienne doing on that bus photo? Centre of attention as usual and dressed like a penguin. Does anyone know when it was taken? He needs reported for breaking the law for not wearing a seatbelt. PS – I do like the cufflings x

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Are you for real? This sounds like Fr a Daniel posting about himself. He is a power mad bully who has zero people skills. At his young age he should not be left in charge of a Parish. You mark my words – watch the damage he will do in the coming months and years with Billing, the Fat Controller pushing his buttons.

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The problem that exists here – the fruits of Vatican II, where you have all been served up diluted Catholicism. You’ve lost (if you ever had) the meaning of the true faith. When Jesus said to St Peter, upon this rock I will build MY CHURCH’ and ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’. Jesus was telling us then that the devil was going to try. And he has never stopped trying. When was the last time you heard a priest talking about hell from the pulpit? It seems to have been omitted from every homily. People need to understand that the devil exists. There is the famous quote ‘the biggest trick the devil ever played on mankind was to make them believe he didn’t exist’ which seems to be never more apparent than today. Our Lady at Fatima said that more people go to hell for sins of the flesh than for any other reason. She showed the three little children hell. To keep quiet about the prophecies of Our Lady, the concept of hell and mortal sin is Catholicism Lite and is doing a great disservice to the laity that need to have explained to them the modern evils of today. Past saints such as St Maximilian Kolbe spoke about the evil intensifying in the last century – and it is happening now. Our Lady of La Salette spoke of the great apostasy of the Church. She also said that priests who venerate her will be scorned – just like Fr Etienne has been here. The true, traditional Catholic Church dictates to the laity, not the other away around. We don’t dictate to the Church! When Jesus says that we will know false prophets by their fruits – you only have to look at the fruits of Vatican II to see where everything started to go wrong. A priest who unholds the true traditional Catholic faith will lead you to salvation. The liberal mondernists who hate the true Catholic faith and seek to destroy the Church will lead you on a path to hell. We are blessed to have a priest like Fr Etienne and lets hope there will be more like him, for the sake of our souls.

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You made me laugh at 7:11. I loved The Song of Bernadette – especially Gladys Cooper as the vinegary old nun – but what is this crap about Fatima all about?

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7.29 there is something, but it is VERY badly explained. And no-one told me it even existed, till I was in my 40s – that’s how important so many catholics ever thought it was. Nothing was explained. We were just told it had all been abolished. Then I enquired one time too many. This is burnout. Paul VI lack of relating, JP II lack of relating. Thirty years of hysteria. Now PF’s thugs getting heavy. My parents were too respectful. My acquaintances were too respectful in a different way. Nobody is up-front.

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6.57, Maximilian Kolbe, alleged ‘saint’, was particularly well qualified to speak about the intensification of evil in the last century, since it is through his church that most of it emerged into a receptive world.

His church was seminal in planting, and in nuturing, in such men as Adolf Hitler the anti-semitism that drove him to order, on a capitalistic scale, the methodical slaughter of six million Jews, and an indefinite number of homosexuals, gypsies, political dissidents, and others.

And the same church, too, since its early days, had hepled foster growing disregard for the sanctity of human life, with its rationale for so-called ‘just war’, (hence its moral approval of the global killing in two world wars) and its traditional support for the death penalty. This dismissive attitude towards human life would bring further evil fruit through growing acceptance, worldwide, of deliberate and intentional abortion on a scale that would dwarf even the horrifying magnitude of the Holocaust.

The church to which Kolbe belonged was, and remains, evil. And it will continue to produce only the rotten fruit it is capable of producing.

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Lol you would think trad Catholics would be a bit wary about announcing we’re in the last days. Not only because of the many times people have foretold the second coming and it hasn’t happened, but you would think Holy Mother Church would at least have an inkling.
Of course that’s assuming he’s coming back at all – waiting 2,000 years for someone to return is off the wall.

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4.31: No need to act anyine else abiut Rory!! You seem familiar with the app. yourself, so undoubtedly you MUST know something. Have the courage, miss queenie, to tell us yourself!! Come on, have bravery, slapper!

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Oh Lady Sadie will be so pleased, she loves giving it on the tongue.
Although I have heard that until she heard Latin would attract young men she was decidedly liberal and poured scorn on not using your hand!

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Bishop Pat. On behalf of the Parishioners of St Cuthbert’s and St John Vianney’s, Blackpool I want to thank you and your followers. We have come together this evening to discuss the situation and we will take forward several suggestions. I will keep you posted. We hope the aforementioned Fr will be moved soon and we will all keep praying for him too. God bless.

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They could send that crackpot of a priest in Blackpool to Craggy Island. Then he could dress up in his frilly knickers and frilly vestments all he wants. Twat.

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I hope he gets moved to somewhere as far away from the dregs of humanity that is Blackpool, it’s been a seedy dump since the late seventies and it’s not going to get any better. Imagine thinking God was calling you to do anything in that place other than clear the church for demolition. Both churches want closing and turning into car parks.

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So all of the Catholics from two parishes met and maintained social distancing ? What’s that 500 people in 2 metre squares ? Did you hire the Winter Gardens for your get the priest out rally? Please go for a protest Blackpool Catholic Lives Matter and don’t wear any masks or worry about keeping your distance and make certain you sing Walk in the Light at the top of your voices

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I hope the people commenting on the blog earlier were not doing so on company time while “working from home”.

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Not at all. The gay saunas in
Blackpool are still shut, so the old Queens have plenty time 😂 I went to Blackpool last summer and logged into my Grindr account. Looking at what was on offer terrified me.

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9.29: You mean they were uglier than you….and all queenie types…What’s your flavour on grdr??? You idiot.

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Etienne will feel emboldened by the latest cant and puff from the Congregation for Clergy. On the growing shortage of priests and its effect on parishes, the Congregation has copperfastened clericalism with its claim that only a pastor can exercise ‘the full care of souls’. For this read the laity have neither the competence, nor the trustworthiness to do so. Or, there is no coming to God properly except through the pious ministrations of a priest.
Despite all the evil that has emerged (and which has yet to emerge) from Catholic clergy, the hubris and temerity remains that these men are to be trusted regardless.
Not as far as I could throw a priest.

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Well done Hilary- I know St Cuthbert’s well as I have attended that parish for over 30 years with my family who reside in the parish and I will not be attending that church on my next visit to Blackpool..until he is gone. I have spoken to family today who told me that they will not be going back to that church now. Very sad.

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If Elsie crys the poor mouth and says she has no money for priest pensions, she could always sell the St Joseph’s Cottages at 38 Cadogan St, Chelsea. They are worth tens of millions. There are also the apartments next to Vaughan House at the back of cathedral. They too are worth millions.

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I came across this website whilst looking up churches in Blackpool and I was quite taken back to read that parishioners detest a priest and that a priest is rude and confrontational. I am not judging or taking sides as I do not know anyone here, but you should be thankful that you have a priest who offers Holy Mass. Lots of parishes these days have Mass only once a week and do not have a resident priest.
There is nothing wrong with six brass candle sticks and a crucifix on the Altar, priests and servers wearing cassocks (it’s the official dress of a priest – and so too is the biretta, the funny 1960’s hat) and offering mass “Ad Orientem” (everyone facing east, as was the custom for hundreds of years). You would not say “turn around, you have your back to us!” to a pilot or bus driver…you all face the same way, the way of travel and this is the way that the Lord will come again…from the east. Should we not give to God what belongs to God? Why shouldn’t the Lord have the best or at least better than one stumpy candle, a polyester special vestment with awful embroidery or worse? The question is, would you wear anything with holes or ugly 1960’s curtains to a black-tie event or a night out with the family? Just because vestments and liturgical dress look expensive doesn’t mean that they are. Most hideous 1970’s vestments with grapes and wheat on cost more than a full set of nice vestments which can be picked up from Poland or India for half the price of Hays and Finch or their competitors…and last much longer too!
The old rite latin Mass of 1962 (Extraordinary Form) was never abrogated and any priest is legally allowed to offer this form of Mass if he wants to. Both forms of the Mass should be respected as they can enrich each other. I suggest that you read Pope Benedict’s Motu Proprio – Summorum Pontificum which says just that.
http://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20070707_summorum-pontificum.html
Just as the new Mass is not for everyone especially guitar Masses, so too the old rite isn’t for everyone…but you must remember that the more liberal take on the new rite was a result of the 1960’s/1970’s movement and almost all of that music and trappings from that era should have died out a long time ago…but still remain.
Black vestments were never abolished, (neither were birettas and maniples) and are perfectly legal for Requiem Masses where firstly we pray for the repose of the soul of the person, that he/she may be granted a merciful judgement (after all, we do not go straight to heaven when we die!) and to thanks Almighty God for his/her life. Attitudes and behaviour vary from person to person and this is something that every human being must face in one form or the other. Whilst I do not agree with rude behavior, priests do have a hard life and they are human after all…perhaps a little give and take from both sides would help and pray for each other! The truth is that the true faith has been watered down over the last 50+ years and now that Roman Catholic priests are teaching the true teachings of Holy Mother Church or are dressing as they should be or offering Mass as they should be is frowned upon by those who have not grown up with it or have never seen it before and see it as dressing up. I have experienced this in my local parish where an elderly priest who was a lovely Man but didn’t want to know and number dwindling was succeeded by a younger priest who yes wears beautiful (not expensive either) vestments, maniples, black vestments, birettas and uses the full brass big six and crucifix…but you cannot ignore the fact that the faith has flourished here and continues to do so elsewhere! My prayers for you all. God bless.

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