Sinner

An alert reader of the blog sent us this picture of Brian Higgins' Yes-man Chris "11,000 Doors" Fahey enjoying three hot dogs at Ted's this afternoon. The good Catholic boy must have forgotten today was a Friday during lent.

By the way, what's up with Higgins' most arrogant followers wearing their little white scarves in public? These guys will do anything to try and make themselves appear better than the rest of us. You wear a scarf like that to Hoppers and you might end up hanging from it. Newsflash: Despite what you keep telling each other, you guys are not celebrities. Stop taking our hard earned money and get off the public sector payroll.

Catholic School closings leave many parents scratching their heads

The recent closing of St. Ambrose and Trinity Catholic Schools is a big topic these days with parents I speak to throughout South Buffalo. So many people (including myself) attended and graduated from one of the many now extinct Catholic grammar schools. I think what bothers some people is the perceived dishonest manner in which the parents, teachers, and students were treated by the Buffalo Diocese. It seems like they made their decision behind closed doors and then pretended as if they were looking for input and involvement from the parishioners. 

Take the closing of the two schools last week. A teacher from one of the schools (who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal), forwarded me a recent article from the Western New York Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. The article was written just this past September. It talks about the uniqueness of the three remaining Catholic Schools and how they will soon be one school with three campuses. It boasts about a new leadership model, yet the leaders at St. Ambrose and Trinity Catholic weren't given any chance to increase registration under this new model. Here are various excepts from the article that will have leave many South Buffalo parents scratching their heads...

South Buffalo Catholic School takes pride in its unique structure. It is one school with three distinct campuses. A new administrative model being implemented this fall aims to further unify those campuses and strengthen Catholic education in the South Buffalo area.

Notre Dame, with about 360 students, is the strongest of the three sites in terms of education. Business First listed it as the number seven top grammar school in Buffalo. Ambrose Academy followed at number eight. Trinity is in a neighborhood with a low economic background, yet placed better than 31 of the Buffalo
public schools. “And we’re expecting Trinity to go even higher now that it’s under the new model,” said Father Judge. “By having the same guidelines, the same handbooks, everything else, it creates a better atmosphere for learning, which in turn turns into a better school of excellence for the kids.”  

The South Buffalo Catholic School Parents Association has offered plenty of ideas for fundraising for all three campuses as one entity. 

“There is no way that people can take a look at this and say it won’t flourish,” said Sister Joan Sherry, school board president.

I have to admit, this one got past yours truly. But, thanks to the soon to be out-of-work teacher, affected parents can go back and read the article in it's entirety. I'm not sure how many parents read it when it came out a few months ago.  

The News and the TV stations won't hold the Diocese accountable, but we will on this site. If they were truly serious, how could they pull the plug on this "new model" after only a few months? The parents of the students at all three of these buildings are terrific volunteers, coaches, and fundraisers. Trinity recently had some problems in this area, but I think a change in leadership was much needed over there, based on my conversations with parents.

 If you read the attached article in it's entirety, it is very clear: the Diocese had no intention of keeping the the three schools open long term. The plan all along appears to have been to merge to one building. It's sad that, with this new development, many students from the two closing schools will not realistically continue to receive a Catholic education. Teachers will be without jobs and parents will be forced to make some difficult choices as to where to send their children next year.

Please check out the full article here. Also, feel free to share this article with others affected by these changes.
http://www.wnycatholic.org/wnycatholicnews/tabid/1002/vw/1/itemid/1684/new-leadership-model-to-further-unify-south-buffalo-catholic-school--.aspx

Rough night

It's never a good thing when you get pulled over for DUI while completely naked and holding a laptop. Probably even worse if you're a Catholic priest...

Rev. Peter Petroske, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, was arrested late Thursday night, according to the Detroit News, and faces charges of disorderly/obscene conduct and operating while intoxicated.

When he was arrested, Petroske was alone in the vehicle with a laptop, according to the Detroit Free Press.

What's all the fuss about? The same thing happened to me the other night. The report doesn't say what website he was looking at, but I'd say it's a pretty safe bet it wasn't Mapquest. 

 

 Catholic Priest Suspended After Alleged DUI In The Nude

St. Ambrose-Let it Be

In times of trouble, you would hope the people in charge would work with those greatly affected to come up with solutions. Unfortunately, from what I'm hearing, this has not been the case at St. Ambrose.


From what I'm told, a parents group has asked for the names of the 27 Catholic School Board members and have been denied this information from Father Judge. They also requested an extension to August 1st, in an effort to recruit more students. Again, this request was denied. I have never met Father Judge, but I'm sure he is taking orders from a higher force. (No. Not HIM. Probably someone downtown.)


In any event, WGRZ did this story on an effort by parents to keep the school from closing...


SAVE OUR KINDERGARTEN


The Parents of Ambrose Catholic Academy are spearheading a grassroots effort to enroll students into our outstanding Kindergarten program.


The South Buffalo Catholic School Board is threatening to eliminate the
Ambrose Catholic Academy Kindergarten program for the 2012/2013 school year.


For the first time Ambrose has been given a deadline to
have 14 children registered at our campus by 7/1/2012.


We are very close to this number and we need your help,
here’s what we’re offering!!!


NO REGISTRATION FEE AND
½ OFF YOUR TUITION!!!


The Parents, Parish and Alumni have joined together and raised enough money to pay the non-refundable $200.00 registration fee for the next 10 families who enroll in the ACA Kindergarten Program from now until 7/1/2012. In addition, the Parish has graciously offered to give half off the tuition of any Ambrose family who refers a Kindergarten student to the school.


HERE’S WHERE IT GETS REALLY GOOD!!!


We the Parents and Parish would like to pay it forward and are offering our half off referral fee to the first 10 Kindergarten families who register their children at Ambrose Catholic Academy (starting now until 7/1/2012).


To enroll your child and learn more about Ambrose Catholic Academy please call the school directly at 716-824-6360 or email Christine O’Keeffe at tocb@verizon.net
 Ambrose Catholic Looks to Boost Kindergarten Enrollment with Discounts


I can tell you St. Ambrose has a great parents group, excellent teachers, and the students come out of there with a great education. And also something severely lacking in today's world-manners. Please help spread the word to anyone with school age children looking for smaller classrooms and very good instruction.

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be...

What's going on at St. Ambrose?

 
I know the neighborhood politicians will never do anything about it, so I thought I'd take a minute to talk about St. Ambrose School. Not sure if it's true, but I heard recently that only six students had registered for next Fall's Kindergarten class. It makes you wonder whether the neighborhood can support five Catholic grammar schools. Currently, we have St. Ambrose, Notre Dame, Trinity Catholic, OLV, and Our Lady of Discovery. I include the Discovery School because it is essentially a Catholic School minus the daily prayer rituals and Murphy's Oil Soap. When the politicians are all sending their kids there, you know it is not your typical public school. I don't see any of these snake oil salesmen sending their kids to Southside or School #27.


Let's face it, times are tough around here. Parents able to get a free education equivalent to a private education, jump at the chance. Then, you have the South Buffalo Charter School, which also takes students away from private schools like St. Ambrose, due to price (free) and proximity. There are also so many families who have fled the city due to better job opportunities out of state or for quality of life. My mother sits in her backyard and watches people walking by, smoking marijuana in public, littering on her property, and uttering obscenities. Then, the cars speed by going 85MPH with their speakers blaring. Not to sound like a prude, but it's no wonder so many people choose to move to the suburbs.

St. Ambrose is a very good school. I've met several students from there over the years and they are great, intelligent kids. I have to ask whether there is more at play here than just increased competition from other schools? Schools like St. Ambrose are going to have to be ahead of the curve in order to remain open. What can they offer prospective students that the other schools cannot? The simple answer is a Catholic education. However, people are fickle, and will jump ship if they think the grass is greener on the other side (of McKinley Parkway).


They have a great group of dedicated parents over at St. Ambrose. I see it in their sports programs. Unfortunately, their numbers are so low, it makes it difficult for them to compete against bigger schools like Notre Dame. I would be interested to hear from parents from St. Ambrose and elsewhere to understand what has really been taking place. I know the parents from the school have been trying to drum up support and hopefully, it will pay off with an increase in future enrollment. This post is not meant to deride any of the other schools in South Buffalo. I just hope St. Ambrose doesn't suffer the same fate as St. Agatha's, St. Thomas', and Holy Family. I think it can be saved if people work together and come up with innovative ideas.

Sisters of Mercy

 
An opinion expressed in Today's Buffalo News by a Farrell, and believe it or not, it wasn't from Marty. Marty's sister, Patty wrote this well written article about the Sisters of Mercy. Or as Buddy the Book calls them, No Mercy. Patty is right. The Catholic Church is a way of life for many. And much more than what some in the Vatican have tried to turn it into...

Whenever I get fed up with the archaic actions of the Vatican and its backward sexist leadership, I have to ask myself what causes me to remain a Catholic? Some days this answer does not come easily. The Vatican’s teachings against homosexuals, suppression of women, chastising the divorced, favoring the wealthy, prohibiting birth control and other atrocities make me wonder why I choose to be a member of such a closed, dark, judgmental society. 

But then I remind myself, this dark cryptic tomb is not my church! My church is not the rules, the fundamental teachings, the incense or the rote prayers. My Catholic Church is a spirit burning bright and warm and is welcoming, loving, cheerful and hopeful. It is not a building but a way of life. Who wouldn’t want to be a member of my Catholic Church? 

My enlightened view of the church is one that was instilled in me by the Sisters of Mercy, who taught me the Sermon on the Mount and the Golden Rule by example and led with songs of joy and happiness. The good, dedicated sisters who, in grade school at St. Teresa’s, organized canned good drives and bake sales for Catholic charities and collected change and clothing for children in countries we could never pronounce. The sisters who, later at Mount Mercy Academy, gave us our voice and taught us to stand up for social justice.

One of the greatest points in history was around 1983, when the maniacal parent finally crossed paths with the sadistic nun.  Up until that point, it was considered an honor for your kids to get beaten across the head in the name of God. What were you going to do, go to the police? Even they were afraid of them. Nuns were the only group exempt from common law. They were like an organized crime syndicate. Even the Blogger was wacked across the head in 2nd grade by a nun (because I wasn't writing fast enough for her). Some were great people. Others, from another planet.


You're not from South Buffalo unless you heard stories of at least one nun who "left the convent" and ran off with a priest (see Fr. Art). In any event, I miss seeing the nuns walking up McKinley Parkway. It's funny how the young kids in the schools today only have heard the stories of these penguinlike people who walked around with rulers as their weapon of choice. Who was the craziest nun ever to come out of the neighborhood? I would have to say Sister Kateri from St. Agatha's. Sister Theresa Kelly comes in at a close second. (Kelly, at Outside Linebacker, was a member of the Bills practice squad in 1981.) If you have any other nominees, please feel free to comment.
 Nuns are the lifeblood of the Catholic Church

Come out Virginia, don't let me me wait
You Catholic girls start much too late
But sooner or later it comes down to fate
I might as well be the one

They showed you a statue and told you to pray
They built you a temple and locked you away
But they never told you the price that you pay
For things that you might have done...

Church scammer

I don't know why they're being so hard on this poor bastard. Everyone needs to make a living. He's clearly very religious, as he worships at Catholic, Baptist, and Protestant churches. In fact, he worships wherever petty cash and lax security coincide. This was probably my favorite part of the article...

John Bish is responsible for a several church burglaries in Buffalo, according to area police, and is suspected of similar thefts in Amherst, Hamburg, West Seneca and Jamestown over the past 18 months.

Though Bish’s DNA was found on a bottle of altar wine he allegedly drank, the case was dropped late last year.

In the words of a famous former South Buffalo resident, "Can't a man relax?"
Suspect in church burglaries an enigma


Share|

The endorsement Chris Fahey doesn't want you to know about

Some critics say we don't talk about the issues, so let's talk about them. A looming issue for any candidate for statewide office is gay marriage. One needs to look no further than Mark Grisanti to see what a polarizing issue it can be.

An alert reader from Lackawanna (birthplace of the Blogger), sent me a recent political cartoon from Artvoice Magazine. The cartoon blasts both Catholics and Conservatives. (I guess if you're on the Left, it's ok to be intolerant towards these groups.

Anyway, I don't begrudge groups like the Stonewall Democrats. They have a clear agenda and would be the first to admit it. Made up mostly of homosexuals, they obviously are a strong proponent of gay marriage, and it is their right to do so. The district Mickey Kearns and Chris Fahey hope to represent, however, is predominantly Catholic and predominantly conservative. I don't know if the majority of the constituents in this district feel the same way on the issue as Chris Fahey does.

The constituents have the right to know where each candidate stands on the ssue of gay marriage. Kearns did not seek out the endorsement of the Stonewall Democrats. However, Fahey did, but doesn't want your conservative neighbors to know it. He hasn't mentioned it on any of his fliers or commercials. Here's a comment from Artvoice, which was found underneath this cartoon...

I’m supporting Chris Fahey for State Assembly in the special election in the
145 AD. He received the endorsement of the Stonewall Democrats of WNY and I’m
proud to have voted for him in both the Erie County Democratic Executive Committee and the Stonewall Club meeting.

I hope all you Democrats out there in South Buffalo, Lackawanna, W. Seneca, etc. get out and vote for him on March 20 in the special election.

Comment by Bruce Kogan — March 1, 2012

So when Chris Fahey tells your grandmother at the Irish Center what a good Catholic boy he is, have her ask him where he stands on the issue of gay marriage. I realize many people are in favor of the new law. However, I don't think you can count most elderly conservative Catholics among them. This is a tightrope Chris Fahey has chosen to walk. Perhaps it's why most of his contributions are coming from New York City special interest groups. Interesting.
http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2012/03/01/this-modern-world-a-new-controversy-erupts/


Share|

2nd accuser surfaces

Priests are human just like everyone else. It's the way the Catholic Church continues to coverup crimes that baffles people. Now, we're finding out that a second woman had filed a harassment complaint against Father Secondo Casarotto in 2008, only to have it go nowhere...

The woman also contacted the diocese recently to report her allegations, diocesan spokesman Kevin A. Keenan confirmed. The woman told the lawyer and diocesan officials that she previously reported the 2008 incident by calling the Catholic Center and sending a certified letter. The diocese has no record of the letter, Keenan said.

But Monday, a Catholic Center employee told diocesan officials that he remembered handling a call from a woman complaining about Casarotto, Keenan said.

The employee, whom Keenan declined to identify, did not inform diocesan officials of the complaint.

“It didn’t go anywhere. The person got the complaint but didn’t tell anyone at the diocese about the complaint,” Keenan said. “We have procedures in place, and they were not followed in this situation.”

2nd woman accuses ex-pastor of advances

The mistake this woman made was not going to the police when the incident happened. I have a feeling we're going to see more cases like this become public. 99% of the priests I've known have been great people. We've all heard the stories about the other 1%.

I thought the following clip was kind of funny. When exactly did former professional wrestler/governor Jesse Ventura officially become crazy? I used to like his unconventional beliefs until everything became one big conspiracy. Here, he tells the pompous Bill Maher that the Catholic Church should be prosecuted using the federal RICO (organized crime) laws...

Share|

Three local priests removed

The removal of three Catholic priests in recent weeks has sparked a mini-debate on whether the church owes it's local members an explanation. Some say it doesn't. Others, citing the church's' long history of covering up cases of abuse, feel it does...

BUFFALO, NY- Parishioners at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Buffalo learned over the weekend their longtime priest was removed, but the reason why is still unclear. His is the third unexplained removal of a pastor in the Diocese of Buffalo in recent weeks.

Father Secondo's ouster is the third unexpected removal of a pastor in the Buffalo Diocese in recent weeks. Diocese Spokesperson Kevin Keenan confirms the Rev. Arthur Smith was removed from St. Mary of the Lake Church in Hamburg and Rev. Jospeph Sicari is no longer serving at Sacred Heart Church in Bowmansville. He would not give reasons for either priest's removal. He confirmed the three cases are not related.
Third Unexplained Removal In Recent Weeks | wgrz.com






Share|

Oh God

Awhile ago on this site, I made some comments about a few Catholic priests who I viewed as self-promoters. They were more interested in promoting themselves on the alter than in serving the community. I caught fire and brimstone from some people, yet others agreed with me.

So I was not surprised to hear today that former St. Thomas Aquinas priest Father Art Smith was caught having an affair with a married member of his new congregation. Hey, we're all sinners when it comes right down to it. I wish I had a nickel for every time someone told me about a time Father Art gave them a hard time about something. Not letting someone baptize their kids.... Telling someone they can't have this priest or that priest perform at their wedding at his church.

I remember carrying the collection at St. Agatha's for about a decade (I'm still using some of the money to pay off my car) before I became a pagan. The late Father Snyder used to say the 4PM mass and it was filled with mostly young people. Many of them came over for the mass from St. Thomas's, probably because they could still sleep in. A few of them told me that Father Art had told them, if they didn't stop coming to this church, they would not be able to play on their school's basketball team. If I remember correctly, even St. Thomas's coach attended this mass regularly. It was just typical of the stories going around about Father Art. The power had clearly gone to his head years ago. Some dumb people must have told him how great he was, and he was dumb enough to believe them. People tell me I'm great once i n awhile, and I tell them they must be high on drugs. We all have our flaws, but it annoys me when some misuse a position of power. I'm not the type to say I told you so, but...







Share|