Dear Bishop Lang,
The present arises from a matter within the Diocese of Meath that has repeatedly featured on my blog for the past eighteen months or so. However, I now write to make enquiries about two priests that were previously ministering within the Diocese of Clifton that constituted the so-called “Glastonbury Monks”.
Both Fr. Rowe and Fr. Redman were ordained by you, Bishop Lang at Clifton Cathedral. This is a matter of public record. Therefore, Fr. Rowe and Fr. Redman are priests of the Diocese of Clifton, and they are subject to your jurisdiction, so it is appropriate to bring the following to your immediate attention.
In what follows for the avoidance of any and all doubt, I am NOT making any allegation of sexual misconduct about either of the two priests. I wish to make that unequivocally clear. They could be accused of naïveté and stupidity however, those are not delicts.
I am led to believe these two priests have been present in Ireland “discerning their future” for a conspicuous period of time. Is this true? This is a legitimate question, because Fr. Rowe was explicitly seen at the Cathedral in Mullingar, this morning.
It has been suggested that these two priests have been have been in contact and perhaps have stayed/are staying at Silverstream Priory — a diocesan right monastic community mired in scandal that is subject to the jurisdiction of the Ordinary of the Diocese of Meath, Bishop Thomas Deenihan. Is this true?
In the past, I have written to the safeguarding officer of the Diocese of Meath about my concerns about Silverstream Priory because scouts were staying at Silverstream Priory for camps and attending the Eucharistic liturgy. I have subsequently discovered that scouts were unsupervised within the monastic enclosure.
Therefore, the presence of these two priests, if they are staying at Silverstream Priory is now a safeguarding issue. And, as a consequence of same I now write to you as the Ordinary of the Diocese of Clifton the following questions.
Are Fr. Rowe and Fr. Redman visiting the island of Ireland with your explicit written permission?
Do they have your written permission to celebrate the sacraments in any Irish Diocese? In other words — are they in possession of a celebret from Diocese of Clifton, indicating they are priests of your diocese, and they are in good standing with their Ordinary?
In light of Fr. Rowe being seen at the Cathedral in Mullingar, we know definitively, therefore, that he [Fr. Rowe] is in the Diocese of Meath. If the two priests are present in the Diocese of Meath “discerning their future”, are they lawfully present at Silverstream Priory with the explicit written permission of the Ordinary of Silverstream Priory, Bishop Thomas Deenihan?
If they have spent time at Silverstream Priory: has Bishop Deenihan given them permission to celebrate the sacraments within the Priory and more generally across the Diocese of Meath?
Did you communicate with your brother bishop, Thomas Deenihan, about the presence of these two priests in the Diocese of Meath? If so, did Bishop Deenihan give his consent for the two priests to be present: a) at Silverstream Priory; and, b) within the canonical territory of the Diocese of Meath?
These two priests, I am led to believe, were members of the Community of Our Lady of Glastonbury, which was canonically erected by you presumably by a Decree. However, the website of the community states since the “promulgation of Traditionis Custodes and its implementation in the Diocese of Cliftion [sic], the Priory of Our Lady of Glastonbury is discerning its future”.
If these two priests of the Diocese of Clifton are looking for an authentic monastic life where the Liturgy of the Hours is celebrated in Latin with the Eucharist in the Extraordinary Form they would be better discerning their future in France rather than on the island of Ireland. And, they should avoid Silverstream Priory at all costs, because it is toxic and fatally compromised my sexual and financial scandal. The fact that the current Prior of Silverstream Priory has an acknowledged problem with viewing gay pornography is a demonstrable example of same. This sad fact was publicly and repeatedly recounted by Dom Mark Kirby to several individuals visiting the Priory.
May I respectfully suggest the following French monasteries as alternatives to Fr. Rowe and Fr. Redman? The following listed communities offer an authentic expression of what these monks may be looking for: Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Fontgombault, Abbey Notre-Dame de Randol, and, Abbaye Notre-Dame de Triors. If there were looking for something very right-wing almost fascist, Abbaye Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux would be perfect. Alternatively, if they require something English-speaking, then, Clear Creek Abbey in the United States would also be a suitable alternative.
I would be grateful for a prompt reply to my e-mail with clear and unequivocal answers to the questions posed, herein.
+Pat Buckley
Cc:
Bishop Thomas Deenihan, Ordinary, Diocese of Meath.
Ms. Loraine Byrne, Safeguarding Co-ordinator, Diocese of Meath.
Ms. Becky Cawsey, Safeguarding Co-ordinator, Diocese of Clifton.
Br. Elijah Carroll, the “prior” of Silverstream Priory.
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 