Dear Bishop Pat,
Thank you for beginning to shed some light on the unsavoury goings on in Portsmouth diocese.
I was a diocesan employee for many years.
Around 3 years ago, it was decided that the diocese needed a “chief operating officer,” and one was appointed.
The COO is paid £100,000 anualy and is given free reign. There is no supervision of her at all, and she fires all the shots. I found her to be bullying, and with her, everything’s a drama.
Her son will soon be ordained a priest for the diocese. He has appeared on your blog before.
The COO is Heather Hauschild, and I resigned over her.
I was also unhappy with wat I saw as the incompetence of the moderator of the Curia Canon Michael Dennehy – who incidentally was JOHN PAUL LYTTLE’S PP in Reading when the policeman alleged assault took place.
I also believed I was seeing too much corruption and mishandling.
Bishop Egan is a dictator. He holds grudges and treats people very badly. If you cross him, he will come after you.
I remember him dismissing Angela McGrory, the then head of safeguarding, because she challenged him on his handling of an alleged abuse case involving Cardinal Murphy O’ Connor – investigated during te IICSA enquiry.
Since the arrival of the COO there has been a huge turnover of diocesan employees.
The relationship between the COO and the clergy couldn’t be worse. She treats the priests of the diocese disrespectfully and undermines them.
I had to get out!
There is so much to be uncovered in Portsmouth, and I sincerely hope you keep digging and that priests will be courageous enough to speak out.
CANON P J SMITH
Until September 2022, was Cathedral Dean. He is now out of parish ministery completely and is living in a parish presbytery and being funded by the diocese. What happened?
There is talk of financial issues and something about a local undertaker?
Smith is a close friend of Fr Michael Daly, the PP of Parsons Green in Westminster.
THE NEW BISHOP’S SECRETARY
FATHER ANTHONY FYK appeared to come out of nowhere. No one knows him, and he has no connections with Portsmouth.
Fr Fyk was a seminarian for a Canadian diocese ans half way through his training when he changed diocese and tomove halfway across the world to be ordained by Egan and lo live with his former seminar vice rector.
FATHER RAY LYONS AND FR SEAN TOBIN
These two priests have been business partners for many years and now live together.
They have also bought a holiday home in Spain together.
Fr Lyons is very wealthy and made his money in property before coming to the priesthood.
He was abused as a child by a priest.
Fr Tobin was a painter and decorator before becoming a priest.
Bishop Hollis suspended Fr Lyons from ministry, and Bishop Egan reinstated him. He went on to be a school chaplain in Westminster and was suspended a second time?
After being removed from ministry the second time, Fr Lyons moved in with Fr Tobin, who was PP in Fleet. Bishop Egan said Fr Lyons had to leave the presbytery.
This, I caused Fr Tobin to have a breakdown, and he has not been seen since.
Frs Tobin and Lyons ate reputed to be looking to buy a building in Fleet to open their own church there.
Bishop Egan is trying to laicise them.
EGANS 10 YEAR PLAN
Egan intends to reduce the dioceses parishes from 127 to 23.
There will be 23 parish priests and 23 parish bank accounts. All other priests will be assistan priests.
The parish finances will then be all governed by the COO !
The plan is to sell off dozens of parish churches diocesan debt. It costs £ 6 million a year to run the diocesan offices.
The diocese owns £ 400 million in property.
Bishop Egan as a personal secretary and personal assistant paid for by te diocese.
A communications officer paid £ 75,000, and the COO paid £ 100,000.
Bishop Egan inherited millions of pounds from Bishop Hollis from funds ring fenced for the LIVING OUR CHURCH projects. He has spent it all.
Egan has raided many diocesan accounts. On paper they look to have money in them but it’s all gone !
The parish levies have been set far too high, which is a burden on parishes.
Now Egan has set sight on the PRIEST’S RETIREMENT FUND.
The diocese is in freefall. It is a complete mess. The priests are reluctant to cooperate, and it will get worse.
Bishop Pat, if you keep the spotlight on Portsmouth, others will talk.
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 