Kafka, Heller and Corapi Have Much in Common

Thus Says Father Gordon MacRae of These Stone Walls

If there is someone on the planet whose opinion should matter on the affair of Father John Corapi, and the still to be proven accusations against him, that would be someone who has walked miles in similar shoes.  So, when Father Gordon MacRae published his latest thoughts at These Stone Walls, titled: "Good-Bye, Good Priest! Father John Corapi’s Kafkaesque Catch-22", I took notice and I highly recommend giving it a read and some thought.

I am concerned for Father Corapi's mental health today, as I have been while reading and listening to his own comments on the goings on that have been swirling around him over this whole matter.  It would be very stressful to have been caught in flagrante delicto.  There, pants figuratively at half mast, the sinner has his assets bared for all to see.  That was not the case here.  It must be even more stressful to find oneself pilloried for things beyond the pale, that are far beyond what the individual would ever commit in sane mind.

What is even more stressful, is to fall victim to a draconian process which much like being hauled in front of one of our Canadian or provincial Human Rights kangaroo courts (officially tribunals), where as Calgary lawyer and journalist, Ezra Levant demonstrated, the punishment is the crime. 

Father Corapi, and priests like Father Gordon MacRae, as well as others like Father Mark Gruber, are paying a heavy price for the sins of others. You can look at the left of this page and see labels for Father MacRae and for Father Gruber that will lead you to articles where I have made mention of their situations, and provided links in articles to other sources about them.

Most instances of sexual abuse going on between priests, and young people in particular, approximately 94% of those reported to the Church took place prior to 1990.  But, prior to 1985, priests who were accused of sexual abuse were buried, or were sent for treatment, and if considered rehabilitated were returned to active ministry.

It could be said that the bishops of North America and the world, were asleep at the switch.  In fairness, society was asleep at the switch and though many were abused at the hands of priests, far more were abused at the hands of parents, relatives, teachers, coaches and others.  But that does not make good newspaper copy.

Our bishops, priests, and the religious leaders of the Catholic Church may well be anointed with the Sacrament of Holy Orders, into a life of service to the cause and sharing in the life of Jesus Christ.  However, unlike Jesus Christ, we must always remember that they too are sinners, subject to the same temptations as we are, and probably worse, because they are an affront by Holy Orders to the devil and all that he stands for, which is destruction of you and me and them, and separating us from our eternal home with Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Like us they have the Holy Spirit for inspiration, but also like us, they are often hard of hearing, or worse still hard of listening.

The sexual abuse scandal and its remnants, particularly in the United States of America is a case in point.  Here in Canada, our bishops created a committee on Child Sexual Abuse, which drafted a report called "From Pain to Hope" in 1992 which has been the foundation of the Canadian Church's handling of the issue and prevention of such behaviours today.  Even in 1992, this was late to address a serious issue that had brought harm to many young people and their families, while undermining the trust of parishioners in their priests.

But, in America it took the Boston Globe breaking news about the criminal prosecutions of 5 priests, to get what appears to be serious action from the US Bishops. In 2002, the US Bishops produced the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.  Until that time, the basic principles of the Charter were being applied on an ad hoc approach.

The Charter is focused on the following:

Creating a safe environment for children and young people; 
Healing and reconciliation of victims and survivors;
Making prompt and effective response to allegations;
Cooperating with civil authorities;
Disciplining offenders;
Providing for means of accountability for the future to ensure the problem continues to be effectively dealt with through a national Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection and a National Review Board.

 But, it seems that the Charter and its concepts has become a one size fits all, for anything that might have the word "sex" in it.

The Dallas Charter has resulted in the official victimization of priests.  An American priest against whom a claim of some form of sexual misconduct is raised, is punished first, and if by some chance, with his hands tied behind his back, and a blindfold on he is able to prove his innocence, he may have some opportunity to try and rebuild his life and heal his hurting soul.

Father Gordon MacRae's conviction in New Hampshire happened several years before the Dallas Charter.  There was no credible evidence against him, but that did not stop the prosecutor, investigating detective and judge from having him sent away basically forever, since he refused to admit any culpability, for the things that didn't happen, but for which he was charged and convicted.  Had he admitted he had done, what logically could never have occurred, he would be a free man, ostracized, mind you, but free in some sense of the word.  Instead, he continues to claim innocence, and gets to be a guest of the state of New Hampshire.  But, the main reason he sits in prison, is because he was abandoned by the Catholic Church, by his bishop at the time, and his successor, and those responsible for believing incredible claims and paying significant sums of money to those making the claims.

There is nothing in the charter or in the actions of bishops around America, that even pretends that priests are innocent until proven guilty, which presumption by law they have a right to.

Father Mark Gruber, a well known retreat leader and teacher has been silenced because someone used a computer in a public area attached to his office to access homosexual pornography.  The person who did the accessing came forward and admitted his sins.  For a time, Father Gruber attempted to commence a lawsuit to recover his good name.  But, in a courageous action on his part, he abandoned the case because of the pain it would have caused to others.  The case of Father Mark, and his silencing has nothing at all to do with sexual abuse, or sex for that matter.  It is about power, and the power to silence a good and holy priest, under the guise of sexual misconduct.

So too, the case of Father John Corapi, .  A woman, who claimed that she would destroy him for personal reasons, has been able to do that, with the complicity of bishops and those in charge of his order, by making claims of sexual impropriety against him. 

The safest place to be a child in North America today is in a Catholic Church.  The most dangerous place to be a priest in North America today is in the same Catholic Church.

We must pray for our bishops and those in positions of authority in the Catholic Church, that they will use right judgement to examine the challenges they face over claims made against priests, both currently and in review from the past, particularly where there are credible claims of injustice.

Most in positions of authority are priests, and so me must include them in our prayers for priests, who face this internal persecution that makes priestly ministry more difficult for them.  I remember as a small child running up to our parish priest and giving him a hug.  I remember when my children were small and one child, not one of my own, commented out loud to her mother as our then pastor passed by in procession to the altar: "There goes God Mommy."  In a sense this child was correct, as our beloved priests represent Christ for us in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Kids don't usually hug our priests anymore, and more's the pity.  Some did break the trust tragically, and some small few may still do it.  But, that childhood holding in awe of our priests, and yet the approachability that was there to help them to see that beauty of a priestly vocation has been lost, and there will be a price to be paid for that down the line.

God Bless our priests and particularly those falsely accused.

Something Crappy going on with Corapi

More than Meets the Eye
I have followed the saga of (Father) John Corapi for some time. I confess that I was never particularly a fan of the good father, not because his teaching was not solid and beneficial to those who were blessed with hearing it. Something else seemed to hold me back from becoming interested in his work.

When all hell broke loose for Fr. Corapi, I did not doubt the veracity of his own claims about what transpired, and I have no doubt now that he is innocent of all charges. But, more is in play here than what we see at first blush.

(Father) Corapi is not the first priest to be falsely accused. If we go back a little in history, we find that Padre Pio was falsely and seriously accused of things beyond his capability of doing. Padre, now Saint, Pio was able to submit to his superiors, and eventually by the Grace of God, he was cleared of all wrong doing, and returned to his priestly faculties.

More recently, Father Gordon MacRae was falsely accused, abandoned by his bishop and diocese, and has spent over 16 years in prison as a guest of the state of New Hampshire. Father MacRae is the author of These Stone Walls, and you can read about his case there, and also the many thoughtful things he has to say about the faith and about the Roman Catholic Church, which he so loves.  He has been forced by circumstance to be submissive to a system that has treated him very badly.

There is also Father Mark Gruber, about whom I have written. Father Mark is a well known retreat master, and beloved for his faith and his communication skills. In what amounts to the weirdest set of circumstances, he has been falsely accused of something that is first of all, not illegal, though it would be sinful, if he did it. But, the SODDI (some other dude did it) defense applies here, not by innuendo, but by fact.  Some Other Dude confessed to doing what Father Gruber was accused of.  Father Mark, in his defence, originally commenced legal proceedings to protect his good name. 

I summarised some of where they are at relative to those of us who are free to roam the earth in this posting. 

Father Mark Gruber put into perspective his situation, in one of the most  humble and humbling comments yet on situations such as these, when he said:

“No man is just, except Jesus our Savior, and while I’m certainly not guilty of this crime, we all deserve any sufferings short of the fires of hell, simply for being a sinner on this earth."

But, Father Corapi was only able to take 3 months of being pilloried, by some, though still revered by many, until he cracked. I have no doubt that he is under tremendous emotional strain.  There were reports that Father Gruber was cracking for some time under the strain of false accusation, and I hope that has passed for him, and that he is able to bear his cross with equanimity.  Father MacRae has also born his cross nobly, though he has worked on his defence, and documented it and made it available with the help of supporters.

Father Corapi has handled his situation differently.  He has passively aggressively proclaimed his innocence, and done so with bombast and counter charges, and in reality, as a man falsely accused, he legally has the right to so do.

As one who has been recovering from a brain injury for over 7 years, I have a perspective that I think is somewhat different on this situation.  Father Corapi's behaviour, particularly of late, both in written and spoken form has appeared to be erratic to at least this casual observer, causing at least one commenter to suggest that he is on drugs.  This particular comment, which I believe was way out of line, begat a fiery response from Father C, when it needed none.  What I have discovered is that when one's emotional response to a particular situation is bigger than the situation warrants, then there are likely issues involving brain chemistry and function at play, and help is required.  This is not just from my own experience, but also from the training and experience of one of the foremost psychiatrists in America and probably the world today.

Doctor Daniel Amen, whose clinic I attended a few years back, specialises in brain imaging as a diagnostic tool, and has been particularly successful in situations where behavior has been erratic, even to the extremes of being criminal.  The brain is the center of our thoughts, moods and actions.  In a recent posting Dr. Amen wrote about Brains Acting Badly.  The focus of this article was the sexual misdeeds of some of the recent miscreants highlighted in the MSM, but the conclusions that our brains take the lead in our lives is valid, and must be dealt with if we are to lead lives that are filled with truth and which lead us to holiness.

I believe that Father Corapi is in desperate need of our prayers, and love as fellow travelers on the journey of faith.

It has been my belief for some time now, that we must provide prayer cover for all men who have a vocation to the priesthood.  The mantle of "alter christus" is too heavy for these dear men to carry on their own. They need us to draw alongside them, in prayer and fellowship, where that occasion arises.

Do not abandon Father Corapi, but lift him up.  He is one of us, and if he hurts, we hurt.

Addition By Subtraction

Learning from Father Gordon MacRae and Father Mark Gruber

It is late afternoon here in Southern Ontario as I write this.  The sun is streaming through the family room windows of our home that faces a small city park just beyond our backyard.  I have spent time outdoors today enjoying the fall sun resting on my shoulders and warming me.  God willing, My Dear Wife and I will leave our home here to spend the first four months of 2011 in our winter home in Southern Arizona, far from the snow and slush, and the bitter cold of Canadian winters.

We can do this because Our God is a Great God, and He has provided this for us to enjoy, but also to use for His Glory. 

It is not so for Father Gordon MacRae.  Father Gordon languishes in the New Hampshire State Prison, where he can, if he tries, see a few inches of the outside world.  But, he cannot choose to go where he wishes.  He is a prisoner.  So too, Father Mark Gruber in a very real sense.  They are the victims of lies perpetrated by those whose need to be right has exceeded their grasp of the importance of the Truth.

But, languishes is a word that diminishes these two fine men of God, for they are not in fact languishing, but seeking His Face in all they meet, and submitting themselves to His Divine Providence for their daily lives.

They are free in ways that most of us cannot imagine.  They have met the Way, the Truth and the Life personally, and He, Our Dear Saviour has allowed them to share in His Suffering and a Death to their dreams of priestly ministry.  He has made His Sufferings a gift to them, and they have taken up their crosses and are following Him, joined to His Death, and ultimately to His Victory over sin and death.

Add to this something else that happened recently, and how the rest of us respond to what is before our eyes must change.

Last weekend, Gus Lloyd, an Evangelist, and radio announcer on Catholic Radio on the satellite networks, where he hosts the morning show "Seize the Day" was given a prayer ("Drain Me of Me") by God, which he dutifully wrote down, and which he equally dutifully, but with some trepidation, shared on his web site and radio program, and which I reproduced the other day.  It is a prayer that calls for the pouring out of all that is in us that is not of Him, who poured Himself out for us at Calvary.

In one part of the prayer, near its conclusion, it says:

And when I am emptied, unencumbered by
The stuff and nonsense of the world,
No longer weighed down by the heaviness
And burdens put upon me by myself
Or the dark forces of the evil one

Fill me with your Spirit,
For your Spirit has no chains,
Your Spirit recognizes no boundaries,
Your Spirit is lightness and light,
Your Spirit allows me to soar
As on eagle’s wings.

Gus has realised that though he lives with his family in South Florida and travels about the country preaching as the opportunity arrives, he is not in fact completely free.  For reasons of my own personal journey, I know this too.

The Apostle Paul was never more free than when he was imprisoned, and neither have Father's MacRae and Gruber ever been more free than they are at this moment, while imprisoned, ostracized, criticized and ridiculed by those in authority.

True freedom can only come with abandonment to divine providence, to trusting in God so completely that nothing else matters but seeking to do His will every moment of every day.

Father Gordon and Father Mark have and are being drained by God of all that separates them from Him.  When all the clutter of daily life is removed there is only Him.

That their suffering not be in vain, nor that of Our Dear Lord, we too must take up the cross that is before us, and add to our life in Him by subtraction.

Lord God, Creator of the Universe, remove from us all the parts that keep us from being totally submitted to You and Your Plan for our lives.

Thanksgiving, The Pilgrims and Squanto

A Little of the Rest of the Story

Recently, I received a note from Father Gordon MacRae when I posted links to his latest article in a post I did on the Fate of the Catholic Church in America. 

In his note, he mentioned that when he thinks and writes about America, he means North America, including my most of the year home here, in Canada.  He stated that his links to Canada include deep roots from his parents: "My father was from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and my mother was from St. Johns, Newfoundland.  I wrote of her, and of Newfoundland in a post called, "A Corner of the Veil" last December."  He used this as a small link between us, little knowing that the link was a bit stronger than that, at least in my mind.  My Dear Wife, Christina and I were married in Newfoundland 10 years ago, though on the west side of the Rock, near Corner Brook.

But, in his latest post on the "The True Story of Thanksgiving: Squanto, the Pilgrims, and the Pope", Father MacRae writes about growing up in the Boston area and about things he saw, like Plymouth Rock, and about the history that he has studied.  As he writes about the Mayflower, and the pilgrims who came to settle in North America, he touched on the family history of my 3 daughters.  Through their mother's side, my three young women are directly, linearly descended from one of the indentured servants who traveled on the Mayflower and settled here, George Soule.  Their great, great etc. grandfather was one of the 41 signers of the Mayflower Compact.

Connections, no matter how fuzzy they might be, this is another excellent article by Father Gordon.  Remember that this author is a man of God, who has been falsely imprisoned, for crimes that he could not have committed, and abandoned by his own Bishop and local church administration, as well as all those who because of the Church stand have believed ill of him.  Yet, he still writes about the faith of our Church, with grace and humility.

Like Father Mark Gruber, of whom I have written several times lately, as he struggles with the challenges of being falsely accused, Father Gordon would probably agree with this statement made by Father Mark to a friend: "while I’m certainly not guilty of this crime, we all deserve any sufferings short of the fires of hell, simply for being a sinner on this earth".

In closing, let me return to the article that Father Gordon wrote about the first Thanksgiving and how it came to happen.  He writes about the connections that exist among men, that like those who chose to run away from the Catholic Church and all things remotely Catholic, as the Pilgrims did in coming to America, you can no more run and hide from the Catholic Church that Christ created in His Own Image, than you can run and hide from Him, if you so choose.  And no matter how poorly you prepare yourself for what life sends your way, He, in His mercy is available to provide help and assistance to all those who call on His Name.

Pray for Father Gordon, that he will be exonerated of the crimes for which he was falsely accused. 

I would ask that you pray for him to be set free, but he is, in truth, more free than most of us at this very moment.  I would also pray that he be returned to ministry as a Catholic Priest, but the evidence is that he is carrying on his priestly duties in prison, probably more effectively than most priests in America today.

God Bless You, Father Gordon. We give thanks to God for your faithfulness to him in the midst of your own trials, and the witness that that is to our weak faith.

Father God, we ask you to give those who read these words a double portion of the faith and fidelity that Father Gordon is living where you have him planted at this time.

Truth For His Guide

Father Mark Gruber

The heading of my blog, Freedom Through Truth, contains these words from Blaise Pascal from the 17th century: “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God's providence to lead him aright.”

Our human nature does not want to take truth for our guide.  We want, in our flesh, to be right, and for that to be our truth.  Some say "perception is reality."  But, perception is coloured by emotion, by circumstance, and by the self.  Reality/truth is not so coloured.  Is is.

It is a wise man, and most often a holy man, who actually takes truth for his guide.  Father Mark Gruber strikes me as just such a man, and must be believing in God's providence, for the providence of man is messing with his head.

I invite you to go to "Friends of Father Mark" on Facebook and read about the ill treatment of this faithful and faith filled priest, who first of all stood up to an administration at Saint Vincent College with which he respectfully disagreed.  There you can read about how his career was destroyed because he had the courage of his convictions.  It reminds me of the liberals in both of the lands here in North America, who fight disagreement by squelching it any way they can. 

You can also read how he finally, to protect his reputation and sanity, filed suit against his oppressors.  This past week, he rescinded his suit against them, and they have claimed a victory, as hollow as it is.  To save the bond of confession, he has had to withdraw.  His faithfulness to his vocation as a priest, including the seal of confession was too much for him to allow a penitent to be deposed in this vile charade.

Man's perfidy never ceases to amaze me, my own included.  To think that lies are truth, and that God will somehow turn his back and pretend along with you that it is not really a lie defies all logic, but from personal experience, I can tell you that that did not stop me many times.  So, Father Mark is caught up in the lies of others, the need to be right, and they are basking in the glory of being right today.  However, that glow that they feel from the heat is not that of the Sun/Son, but the fires of Hell being stoked for those who would defy God and harm one of His precious children, while hurting the faith of His other children in this perfidious display.

If this were the end of this charade, it would be a time for mourning, but God is not done with this situation, and will use the redemptive suffering of Father Mark Gruber for His purposes, and His ends.

Father Mark is very Christlike in his silence, and is a model for us all.

God Bless You Father Mark.

World Priest Day - October 31, 2010

God Bless You All

As we celebrate World Priest Day, 2010, I offer my prayers and heartfelt gratitude to all the priests who have in one way or another touched my life, those who have celebrated the sacraments with me, those who have written things that have inspired me, those who have prayed and worked to overcome the challenges that have come their way that would crush weaker men.

They have included Father John Pirt, our pastor at St. George Parish here in London, Ontario, who celebrated with My Dear Wife and I and gathered friends and relatives, this past summer, the convalidation of our marriage in the Catholic Church.  Of course, I think also of Father Sam Johnston, the 84 year old retired priest of our diocese, who challenged me (and My Dear Wife indirectly) to get on with it, and Father Tim Moyle, the author of Where the Rubber Hits the Road blog, who on the day of our convalidation said his own mass for us.

Other priests have ministered to me or us over the recent years, our former pastor Father Jim Mockler, and Father Clement Agamba, of Tucson, by way of Ghana. 

One priest has stood out in my mind for many, many years, Father Michael Prieur, of St. Peter's Seminary, a priest faithful to his vocation of teaching young priest aspirants in the ways of our beautiful Church, and who has so often shared his smile, and wisdom with me, even if I was not listening, or if he thought I was not listening with my heart.

Over the years, I have met priests at St. Peter's Seminary who have become bishops,  Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary, and Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto.  I also have had the opportunity to meet and speak with the retired Bishop of London, Ontario, John Michael Sherlock, both prior to his retirement and subsequently.  These men do not really know who I am, as my encountering them was brief, but they touched me with their faith and faithfulness, and their humanity.

I have encountered some priests by their faithful writing in defense of Holy Mother the Church on the Internet, including Monsignor Charles Pope of the Archdiocese of Washington, Father James Farfaglia of Corpus Christi, Texas, and the afore mentioned Father Tim Moyle of the Diocese of Pembroke Ontario.

Some have left the priesthood, Father Chris Beausoleil, who was a close friend, and who taught me much will remain in my heart as a priest, for the priestly way that he loved and encouraged me for many years.

And there are two priests for whom I have an ache in my heart.  They are Father Gordon MacRae, and Father Mark Gruber. 

Those who have read this blog and the These Stone Walls blog Father Gordon writes, will know of the case of this faithful priest, who now ministers in the New Hampshire state prison, where he is an inmate, having been falsely charged and convicted of phantom child molestation, during a money grab by litigants, and failure to protect him by his own diocesan administration over 16 years ago. 

You may also have read the strange and frustrating case of Father Mark Gruber, whose archabbot has removed his priestly faculties, in essence because someone used his computer (and subsequently confessed) to view homosexual pornography.  There, of course, is more to the story than meets the eye, and you can google it and find out more of the truth, or you can use my search box to find what I have written and linked here at Freedom Through Truth.

These two men are living the Crucifixion daily, and joining their sufferings with Our Dear Saviour in a way that most of us do not have to, and maybe could not even.

But, all the above priests in their station in life, are "Alter Christus", and bring Jesus to us in the Eucharist, and in the other sacraments instituted by Christ to bring grace to His people.

Deacon Greg Kandra came across a posting of this rendition of the Litany of the Saints, and I offer it up for you, along with my daily prayers of the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and Liturgy of the Hours, along with the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as I attend.

You, Dear Fathers in the Lord, are loved.  May God Bless you all, and all other priests who have touched my life, and indeed all priests throughout the world, both living and those who have gone before, in your ministries to the people of God.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in your love for all these men, and all men who have taken Holy Orders.  Mother Mary, you our mother, who love all the priests who are Alter Christus for your Divine Son here on earth, surround them with your mantle of protection and frustrate the powers of Satan in their lives and in the lives of their loved ones. 

St. Michael and their guardian angels, come defend them in battle against the wickedness and snares of the devil.  May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou Oh prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God,  cast into hell Satan and all the evil ones who roam through the earth seeking the ruin of their souls.

The Latest From "These Stone Walls"

Father Gordon MacRae

For those who have been following my postings, I have written often about our faithful Catholic priests, men who I respect greatly for their love of Holy Mother Church. 

One such priest of whom I have written is Father Gordon MacRae.  We don't hear about Father Gordon in "polite circles", because Father Gordon was convicted of being a pedophile, although there was no evidence against him, even though incredible fictitious evidence was manufactured.  He was caught up in the sexual abuse scandal at its peak, when squeamish bishops rushed to pay off those who would "bring scandal to the Church" on the mere receipt of a letter from some contingency lawyer, claiming his client was a victim of abuse. 

With the rush to dole out cash to assuage the guilt from hiding the real abuses of the past, which of itself was a precipitous action, our bishops left priests accused of abuse on their own, in a "Where there is smoke there is fire" type of response.  Often, all too often, there was a fire burning, though it had smoldered with the stench of burning flesh for many years right under their noses, and they somehow had chosen to ignore it for fear of bringing scandal to the Church.

Today's scandal in the Church is not the abuse of children, though it may always exist.  No, it is the refusal of bishops and law enforcement agencies, to give priests accused of wrong doing, the rights that we all have before the law, to confront our accusers, to defend ourselves when charges are brought against us

Father Gordon is writing a three part series currently from his current home in the state prison in New Hampshire, about "When Priests are Falsely Accused".  This is the second part and links to the first part are embedded in the article linked above.

As I have defended his cause, I have been able to have some contact with Father Gordon.  I have written about him, and his blog master has read either my posting or my email to him, because you see, as a prisoner, he is not allowed the types of contact with the outside world that we take for granted.  He has no Internet or even a device that would support it.  He uses an old electric typewriter with some memory in it to write his poignant articles.  Father Gordon has then responded to me by telling his blog master what he wants her to convey in an email to me.

16 years he has been incarcerated.  The chilling thing is that he has refused ever to admit guilt for the charges that were brought against him, and had he pled guilty, he would be outside in the free world today, and would have been for many years.  Only a very foolish person would pass up an opportunity to plead guilty to charges he committed, thereby reducing his time in prison.  But, a man of courage and high moral fibre would never submit to a lie merely to save his butt.

Father Gordon is a man of courage and high moral fibre, and so he sits.  On Tuesdays, the same day as this latest posting by Father Gordon, we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries, when we say our daily rosary.  On my iPod, I have an application with the rosary on it, and with the mysteries with the scripture verse that forms the basis of the particular mystery and with the "Fruit of the Mystery" for which we are to pray.

The fruit of the 3rd Sorrowful Mystery, the Crowning with Thorns, is Courage.  The fruit of the 4th Mystery, the Carrying of the Cross is Patience, and the fruit of the 5th Sorrowful Mystery is Perseverance.

We are called to see each other as Christ with skin on, and so as I ponder these mysteries, I call to mind Father Gordon and all our faithful priests, who embody in an earthly sense these mysteries.  Father Gordon's embodiment of these mysteries just happens to be a bit more hard hitting.

Each morning when I pray the liturgy of the hours, I offer an additional prayer somewhat as follows: "Father, I pray for priests, deacons and religious, those in formation and those discerning a vocation to religious life, that you would guide them and guard them from all evil, that you would send our Holy Mother to surround them with her mantle of protection and frustrate the powers of Satan, that you would send Michael and their guardian angels to defend them in battles against Satan and the powers and forces of darkness, and to minister to their needs, and intercede for them at your right hand."

I particularly pray for Father Gordon MacRae and Father Mark Gruber whose earthly sufferings are joined to those of Our Dear Saviour on the Cross in a redemptive way, uniting them to Him.

Father Mark Gruber - The Plot Thickens (or sickens)

At Least Somebody Is Doing Some Investigation

Father Mark Gruber is one of the "wrongly accused" priests whose case I have been following lately, the other being Father Gordon MacRae.  As a Catholic Christian, I have a deep love of our priests, who are for us "alter christus".  Some of them have sinned seriously.  All have sinned.  But, they need out love and support, and those who have been wrongly accused must be supported even more.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has an article this morning by Ann Rodgers about Father Mark's case here.  In essence there is strong evidence to support that Father Mark was protecting the seal of confession in the somewhat specious answers he gave from time to time to direct questions of him.  That his abbot is blind to this is strange.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

The dramatic case of the monk who filed a defamation suit against St. Vincent College for removing him from ministry after pornography was discovered on his computer has an even more dramatic subplot.


A former student of the Rev. Mark Gruber has told both state police and canonical investigators that he downloaded pornography on the priest's computer. He says that Father Gruber knew that, but couldn't say so because he had sacramentally confessed that sin to the priest before the pornography was discovered. Priests are forbidden to reveal the contents of a confession under any circumstance.

The seal of confession is very important to our faithful priests.  Without it, so many would not come to that wonderful sacrament.  Theresa McKernan, a commenter to the facebook page for Friends of Father Mark had this to say about his witness:

I was teaching my catechism students about the sacrament of confession this Sunday. They understand the seal of the confessional, but many shared they secretly believe that if the confession was "bad enough", the priest would find some way... to tell someone. I think this fear is one of the reasons many teens fall away from the sacrament, never sure if their sins might be "bad enough" for a priest to find a way to tell their parents or teacher.



There are many stories of martyrs and saints, but being able to tell them that I actually met a priest, a friend of my sister, who has been removed from his teaching job, suspended from his priestly duties, was accused and publicly lambasted for the most horrible of accusations, and had to have a serious fear of prosecution for a crime he didn't commit, rather than reveal something confessed to him, made quite an impact on them.


There is no great tragedy without some small good, and at least here in Michigan, Father Mark's tragedy may have the small good of inspiring a small classroom of teens to make their confession with a little more confidence and a little more faith.

Every dark cloud has a silver lining, and this may be it for our beleaguered priests.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we trust in Your Love for Father Mark.

Our Lady of Sorrows

Today We Celebrate This Marian Feast

Not known by many is the Feast we celebrate today, as we remember the Sorrows of Our Blessed Mother.  There are 7 of them that we commemorate, and they all relate to her son Jesus.  Here they are:

1.The Prophecy of Simeon over the Infant Jesus. (Gospel of Luke 2:34)

2.The Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family. (Gospel of Matthew 2:13)
3.The Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days. (Luke 2:43)
4.The Meeting of Jesus and Mary along the Way of the Cross. (Luke 23:26)
5.The Crucifixion, where Mary stands at the foot of the cross. (Gospel of John 19:25)
6.The Descent from the Cross, where Mary receives the dead body of Jesus in her arms. (Matthew 27:57)
7.The Burial of Jesus. (John 19:40)

I think too that Our Blessed Mother takes on as any mother does, the sorrows of all her children, and not just her first born.  When Jesus hung on the cross dying, he commended her motherhood to John for us all, and the Catholic Church has adopted her as a special mother of the Church and therefor of us all.

As a good mother, I am certain that she weeps and intercedes for us in our trials and tribulations.

One of the antiphons today in the Lauds, said along with the Canticle from Daniel 3: 57-88, 56 is "Let us rejoice that we have been made sharers in Christ's passion."  That is a difficult line to say and to mean.  We are not like Christians of older days who would mortify their flesh with painful practices.  But, we do share in Christ's passion as we offer up to him all that we are and all that we have.

Some of us, of course, are invited to offer more, like Father's Gruber and MacRae, where they have been imprisoned, either in an actual prison as Father MacRae, or hidden away in a monastery, and kept from those things he loves, in the case of Father Gruber.

As Catholics, we believe that Mother Mary has a special love for her priests, and they, in turn have a special love for her.  So many of them are devoted to the Rosary, and to living a life of holiness as she did on earth, in service to God.

From the intercessions for this morning's Liturgy of the Hours, which were taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the response was "May your mother intercede for us, Lord."

One of the set prayers for which the above was the response, said: "Saviour of mankind, Your Mother stood at the foot of Your Cross, grant, through her intercession, that we might rejoice to share in Your Passion."

Both of these priests are sharing in His Passion, as they, like Him, were unjustly accused and lied about, and shunned after the lies.

Father Gruber had a profound statement that I put in a posting the other day from John Allen, as he said to John: "No man is just, except Jesus our Savior, and while I’m certainly not guilty of this crime, we all deserve any sufferings short of the fires of hell, simply for being a sinner on this earth.”

We do deserve any sufferings short of the fires of hell, but these sufferings unite us with Christ our Saviour into His Passion and Death.  For without the passion and death, there could be no resurrection, and though His sacrifice was sufficient for us all, we are called still to join Him in his suffering, and Our Mother in her sorrows.

Lord, may Your Mother intercede for these two men of God, and for us all.

An Online Document from a Supporter of Father Mark Gruber

John Allen

John Allen is a 2009 grad of St, Vincent College in Latrobe PA, and a supporter of Father Mark Gruber, in the insanity that has surrounded him.

He has written a heart felt reflection, and not just heart felt, but the reflection of a man of deep faith, and trust in Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  He spoke of words that Father Mark said to him personally, and which though repeated below, are so profound that I am repeating them here to set the stage for the reflection that follows.

“No man is just, except Jesus our Savior,” Father Mark spoke to me several months ago, “and while I’m certainly not guilty of this crime, we all deserve any sufferings short of the fires of hell, simply for being a sinner on this earth.”

What a grace filled statement by a man who in the midst of this terrible trial still trusts the God who died to save him and us all, and in His Divine Mercy.  John was clearly touched by Father's faith even in the midst of this awful trial:

I would like to offer a reflection on the events recently disclosed but have long been present in the hearts of those involved for more than a year. Often I am inspired to write for the cause, but my words fall short of expression, my heart loses hope of affecting real change, my mind becomes embittered by the never-ending struggle and persistent evil. My greatest trial has been to contemplate God’s role in this disaster, in this crucifixion of a man. It is but empty words to say reassuringly that God will bring about a greater good from all this pain. The God of our faith is not compelled to right all wrongs, though in His Providence, good will inevitably triumph over evil, this is not necessarily true in our own lives. God is free to test us as Abraham was tested, “to the end of his strength.” For us there are some tests that we cannot suffer, some burdens we do not bear as gallantly as Christ our Savior. The saints and martyrs that follow our Savior, and have gone before us, never saw in this life the resurrection of their cause. Only our faith, which by the grace of God may remain unshaken, reveals to us a future longing where “every tear shall be wiped away.”



As Father Mark’s case begins to swing toward resolution, yet while victory is still uncertain, we should do well to contemplate the martyrdom that has taken place and the trials on the road ahead, and ask ourselves where we are going. I am certain that neither Father Mark nor any of his closest community would be as arrogant as to say we deserve or demand justice. Certainly we hope to empower justice, we long for it, we hope for its coming, and we pray that Father Mark’s justice in this case be revealed. But we dare not presume it in our own lives. “No man is just, except Jesus our Savior,” Father Mark spoke to me several months ago, “and while I’m certainly not guilty of this crime, we all deserve any sufferings short of the fires of hell, simply for being a sinner on this earth.” I was so emotionally struck, and still am, by his blunt and humble acceptance of the cross which was forced upon him that it serves to truly renew my faith. Not my faith in the Church, in the world, in Abbots or monasteries, in priests or bishops, in laypeople or colleges, but in God’s presence among us. Surely, if the message of Christ could come to the lost and forsaken of the world in such a real and life conforming way, perhaps Christ could come to me.


For anyone who might have questions as to the suitability of Father Mark proceeding legal restitution, please be assured of my utmost conviction of his holiest intentions. For his own sake he might suffer, but for the sake of those who hold his name and reputation in so high regard, Father Mark will continue to work to bring about the truth. No man is compelled to suffer the agony of defamation, especially when it is so integrally tied to those whom he has ministered and mentored. It is entirely natural, just, and appropriate that Father Mark bring his case against defendants who consistently have resisted all other avenues of resolution. Until that resolution is final may we pray that the martyrdom of our friend Father Mark bear fruitful change to the world so corrupted and void of Christ. May through your prayers and support, the faith and hope of all involved in this legal effort will be rejuvenated, and our encounters with Christ in each other will be blessed.

I am reminded in what Father Mark said, and in John's reflection of a vision that came to me one night.  As the individual in the vision stood on a rock in a lake, a terrible storm swirled all about.  There was thunder, lightning, and rain, and waves were crashing all around, but the person standing on the rock was unharmed by it all, and lifted his eyes and his hands to heaven and prayed for God to save him.  Father Mark has effectively done this in this trial.
 
Let us continue to intercede for him.
 
 

Father Mark Gruber and Father Gordon MacRae Update

Free Will Sucks Often

As I continue to think about the cases of Father Mark Gruber and Father Gordon MacRae, I have received some comments from those who are supporters of both of these men.


Dr. Ken Minarik, a childhood and long time friend of Father Mark made this comment the other day:

Thanks for your interest in justice for my dear friend Mark Gruber.


His complaint reads like a bad b-movie script that never ends.


I would point out especially paragraphs 123 and 129, which point out that Towey and Nowicki showed binders of unedited, unpixelated pornographic images to a variety of people who had nothing to do with the legal community or law enforcement. Fr Mark's attorney believes that since they possessed images that they purported to be of underage persons, they are themselves guilty of felonious criminal behavior. Such would have to be proven in court. Such alleged behavior is obviously vulgar, violent, and morally heinous in any case.

As well, I heard from Ryan MacDonald who has been a faithful supporter of justice for Father Gordon MacRae:

As someone who has researched and written extensively on the case of Fr. Gordon MacRae, I want to thank and commend you for what you have written to date about not only his situation but Fr. Gruber's as well. At this juncture, I must believe that God has something in mind for the case of Fr. MacRae. Though none of us can know God's mind, I hope that that something will be not just an exoneration, but a demonstration of how easy it is to set up and destroy a priest in the current climate of accusation and fear that has permeated our Church.


I happen to know that there are some accomplished investigators and a legal team hard at work on exposing the truth behind the claims against Fr. MacRae. I also happen to know that this team is itself convinced from the newest evidence that this priest was set up for the purpose of extorting money from the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, the Church has been all too eager to be a party to that extortion as our bishops "reach out" to victims with lucrative settlements and few questions asked. It seems to me that what has happened to Fr. MacRae has been complicated by the fact that he has refused to play along with such an agenda, has named his false accusers, and has forbidden his Diocese to settle. It did so anyway, and simply cut him out of the equation. I know that Fr. MacRae is now forced into fighting his case, and splitting his meager resources against two fronts. He is trying to overturn an unjust conviction while simultaneously trying to prevent his administrative laicization. Let's keep up some due vigilance. Thank you for your interest and support.

This indicates to me that people of faith are actively working on helping out these two men of God.

The most telling comment to my recent article on the Thorn in the Flesh came on the FaceBook site for Father Mark came form Peg Skurka Waldmann:

I have some difficulty with that whole concept, even the permissive part-- I always have--God gave man free will to choose to do right from wrong. The abbot chose "wrong" and that is not God's work nor his will--it is true evil.

Peg says what so many of us do not have the courage to speak out loud about free will, and its operation in our world.  
   
But, to imply that God does not have his hand in what is going on, or in every part of what is going on here, is to limit God's abilities to actually be God for us, in times of trial, as well as when "right' choices are made.

God will bring good out of these terrible situations, because those in the situation Father's Gruber and MacRae trust in Him.  However, God will not trample on the free will of those who have perpetrated evil in the lives of these two faith filled priests.  His plan is bigger than that.

That in no way reduces the disgust and sorrow that the supporters of Father Gruber must be feeling at this time, particularly if they read the document that Dr. Minarik put up, being the claim filed on Father Gruber's behalf.

In the mean time, as Ryan MacDonald states above, there are people on the ground trying to unravel the false allegations against Father Gordon MacRae.

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  But absolute power occurs often in the Church, where a local Bishop or Abbot has power over individuals in their charge.   That power is a burden for them, and yet many of them work very hard and take their responsibilities very seriously.  But, they all seem to come aflutter when sexual abuse is mentioned even remotely. 

Father MacRae was railroaded over unsubstantiated lies, and no one would come to his aid, as the Church reeled from the sex abuse scandal that was being unveiled at the time.

Father Gruber's case is different.  Here, using the guise of sexual abuse, which is totally unfounded in this case as well, Father Gruber has been railroaded because he had previously stood up for his fellow faculty members, and for others against an oppressive regime at St. Vincent's College.

Those who have allowed two fine priests to be falsely imprisoned should be ashamed of their actions, and should seek forgiveness for their abandonment of the Christian principles of our faith.

It is bad when non-Christians malign faithful Christians.  It is worse when those claiming to be Christians, of the more fundamentalist persuasion, routinely speak in derogatory fashion of the Catholic Church and Catholics in general.  But, it is far worse when those in Church hierarchy abandon their principles of filial love, to perpetuate lies and deceptions against faithful priests.

Neither of these situations look to be coming to a healthy conclusion soon, and so we must pray for both of these men, and for their persecutors, and those who have been instruments of their imprisonment.

On this feast of St. John Chrysostum, a priest of the 4th century, who was himself persecuted for speaking the truth, let us invoke his patronage for Father Mark Gruber and Father Gordon MacRae, and invite him to intercede on their behalf.

Saint John, we beg you to pray intercession for these our brothers, Father Mark Gruber and Father Gordon MacRae, that they may have the peace that you had during persecution, and that they will remain in the truth.  Please also pray that these false accusations that have been levelled against them will be shown to be false and be repudiated, and that they will be free once more to perform fully their priestly ministries.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, we trust in your love for Father Mark and Father Gordon. Sacred Heart of Jesus, we trust in your love for all those who have been involved in their persecution.  Sacred Heart of Jesus fill them all with Your Blood.

A Thorn in the Flesh

Pondering the Situations of Father Mark Gruber and Father Gordon MacRae

As I continue to ponder the situations of Father Mark Gruber and Father Gordon MacRae, which I touched on yesterday here, which also contains links to other posts on them both, what I mostly realise is that God's ways are greater than ours, and though we are to pray and to act upon what we believe God is calling us to do in both of their cases, we do not for one second know the true mind of God, and the wonderful plans he has for both of them.

This morning in the Lauds - Liturgy of the Hours, there is the profound reading from 2 Corinthians Chapter 12, about the thorn in the flesh, that was given to St. Paul.  The verses from V7-10 are from the New American Bible Version:

As to the extraordinary revelations, in order that I might not become conceited I was given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to beat me and keep me from getting proud.  Three times I begged the Lord that this might leave me.  He said to me, "My grace is enough for you, for in weakness power reaches perfection."  And so I willingly boast of my weaknesses instead, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefor I am content with weaknesses, with mistreatment, with distress, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ; for when I am powerless, it is then that I am strong.

Both Father Gruber and Father MacRae have been imprisoned either officially in Father MacRae's case, and by his abbot within the walls of the abbey in the case of Father Gruber.  The shame of the false accusations against them and the excessive mistreatment that is unwarranted from their own behaviours is for them a thorn in the flesh.

To be treated as a child molester when guilty would be difficult.  To be treated this way and be innocent of the charges would be much harder.  God never promised us that we would be treated fairly, but the Church has swung the pendulum so far from the days when sexual abuse was buried, in the interest of transparency.

The Dallas Charter produced and revised by the USCCB in the last decade provides protection for children, but does so at the expense of our priests.  Gone is innocent until proven guilty, which many years ago, was "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil," but now is "guilty, guilty, guilty."  The Catholic Church has become the safest place in the world for children, but the most dangerous place in the world for our priests.

It is my hope that some balance may be restored in the dealings with sexual abuse, so that the rights of priests will be protected, as appropriate, while honouring the rights of the laity, especially our young.

In the mean time, both of these priests, Father MacRae who has been stripped of all his dignity through the trial process and over 16 years in the New Hampshire state prison, and Father Gruber, who has been shamed in front of his students, and his community, are dealing with a thorn in their flesh.

I have witnessed how My Dear Wife, who has undergone over 8 years of illness, has been softened and had her faith increased by the thorns in her flesh, and so I am certain that God will bring good out of both of these sets of circumstance, because "all things turn to good for those who trust in the Lord."

Father MacRae, though he would not wish to take credit, had been instrumental in bringing others to the Lord, which is really what he was ordained for, and if he cannot do it in a New Hampshire parish, then he will do it in prison.  He has had over 16 years to hope for exoneration and release, but has adapted to the situation he is in, and has chosen to make good of it, including with the help of others, preaching the Good News through his blog "These Stone Walls".

Father Gruber is in a period of isolation, and ostracism, and so his situation is more specifically like Padre Pio, who was similarly put aside for a period, because there was such skepticism about the stigmata on his body.  The situation he is in will shape his life of faith for all years to come.  Father Gruber though also has a community of former students and friends who have rallied to his aid, and who are being touched by him, who have formed a FaceBook group on his behalf.

May God in his infinite wisdom draw these two priests, and all those who are touched by their lives into deeper communion with Himself, to deeper prayer and trust that He is on His Throne, and that "All will be well."

The Best Way to Help Father Mark Gruber

Pray, Pray, Pray

The curious case of Father Mark Gruber, a well known Catholic Benedictine author, retreat master, and teacher at St. Vincent College in Latrobe PA, has caught the attention of many outside of Latrobe.

I wrote about the lawsuit that he has brought against various parties who have injured him here.  I have also added another post here about the role of a Father, thinking of his spiritual fathers, and those of Father Gordon MacRae as well.

After the latter posting, I received comments from members of a FaceBook group dedicated to Father Mark Gruber's freedom.

In thinking of Father Mark Gruber, and also Father Gordon MacRae, two men who are almost indubitably falsely charged, another priest who was falsely charged comes to mind.  That would be Saint Pio.  An interesting biographical sketch about him exists over at the EWTN site here.

After he had received the stigmata, many people tried to discredit him, and for a number of years, he was kept apart from others and only allowed to say mass by himself.  I wonder if he contemplated suing his abbott, or the local bishop for his false imprisonment.  I wonder if he felt the pain of the false accusations against him.  Did he accept what was done to him as merely God's will for his own sanctification?

I do not know the answers to these questions, nor do I pretend to know what is the right thing in Father Gruber's case, whether he should be suing his abbott and bishop and others for falsely accusing him.  It is not for me to judge.

I do not know if the supporters of Father Mark on Face Book are following the lead of the Holy Spirit in seeking his freedom, and do not wish to pass judgement on them or their efforts.

The only thing I do know is that this is a serious situation, as the one was for Padre Pio, and also is for Father Gordon MacRae, and serious situations require prayer for wisdom and understanding.  That is what I primarily offer for those involved in both of these situations.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in your love for both of these priests, and all those of their spiritual families.  Guide their hearts and minds as they seek to do your will relative to our brothers.  Sacred Heart of Jesus, fill all concerned with your blood, that Your Will and Your Will alone be accomplished.

What Is a Father to Do?

A Father Always Loves

There is no simple manual for fatherhood.  Our physical and our spiritual children are different one from the other, and so on a day to day basis, fatherhood is one sense adaptive.

But, fatherhood has a number of principles that are important to remember.  In our sad society that is so out of touch with reality, fatherhood often refers to the contribution of sperm to fertilize an egg, and ends there.  but, it is so much more than that.  In a nuclear family, the father has the responsibility to love and encourage his bride above all, and then to provide love and guidance to his children along the paths of their formative years.  He is the shepherd of his flock.

In the Catholic Church, we call our priests Father, as a sign of respect and also as described from this short treatise on the subject here:

The spiritual fatherhood of the priest is intended to be a sign of the depth of intimacy and relationship which those in the life of the Church have with their leaders, a relationship based on the priest's role in our second birth, our birth in the Gospel - our baptism. Just as our biological father has an important role in our birth and continuing nurture, so the priest - as the one who baptizes us - has an important role in our second birth, our birth "from above…of water and the Spirit" (John 3:3-5).

But, they too are shepherds of their flock.  When a child goes astray, as children often do, it is the father's responsibility to go out as a shepherd and try to bring the child back to the fold.  When others criticise their child, it is the father's responsibility to stick up for his child, as is appropriate in the circumstances.  Above all, the father, in imitation of our Heavenly Father is to love his child, no matter how far his child strays from the flock. 

Recently, I have written about two fathers who themselves are children, and are in need of their spiritual fathers, and their brothers and sisters in the faith to draw alongside them and to show them love.

In the Catholic Church, we are all too familiar with the "sex abuse scandal."  It has garnered a lot of press, and the sex abuse of minors is disgusting.  The Catholic Church has been the epicenter of a scandal that has far more to do with a society gone wrong than the Catholic Church.  The statistics do not support the rampage against the Church.  Nor do they warrant some of the response from the Church to this situation.

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been paid out to families of victims (and alleged victims) by dioceses around North America; many times with little to prove the efficacy of the charges presented against priests and religious.  The Catholic Church has turned turtle in North America.

The USCCB issued the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People", which can be found here on their site.  Whereas the Church pretended for the longest time that there was no scandalous behaviour going on anywhere, by hiding it, now priests are guilty until, or even if proven innocent, and while children's rights are protected as they should have always been, the rights of priests have gone by the boards, and a difficult vocation is made even more so, by the very people who are their own spiritual fathers.

Father Gordon MacRae, who I wrote about here, the priest behind  the "These Stone Walls" blog, who by the way has never seen his own blog, and at this point does not seem likely to, is a resident of the state prison in New Hampshire, because of a terrible miscarriage of justice perpetrated on him over 16 years ago.

Meanwhile, over in Latrobe PA, Father Mark Gruber, who I wrote about the other day, is a prisoner essentially in the Archabbey of St.Vincent, for a crime that was not committed by anyone.  He has been forbidden to have contact with the students that he taught for so many years, and to exercise his faculties as a priest and member of his religious community.

I get that a father needs to send his kids to their rooms, or another room for timeout purposes, so they can collect their thoughts and come back to the community/family.  What I do not understand is the father, who ostracises his child, and essentially abuses his beloved child by turning his back on him, refusing to listen to his side of whatever the story might be, and who then does not try to heal the wounds of the child, and guide the child to heal whatever wounds, if any, the child might have caused to others along the way.

I have no idea what could possess a bishop, or an abbot, to turn their back on their own children, but I am a father, and I know that that is not right, on any level. 

Sexual abuse is one significant form of abuse, but emotional abuse is very hard to overcome for those abused.  Father's MacRae and Gruber are being abused by their spiritual fathers, who have cast them aside as unworthy children.

What is surprising is that their brothers and sisters are not creating such a hue and cry that these two brothers of ours are not surrounded with love, and compassion.

Many of the young of St.Vincent College have spoken up for Father Gruber, to little avail so far, but there is only a small coterie standing up for Father MacRae.

"I was in prison and you visited me." Mt 25:36b.

These two men are not the only ones who have been wrongly accused, and abandoned by those who would claim to be filled with the love of Jesus Christ.

Who among us will stand up for them?

The Cost of Discipleship

Railroaded Priest Fights Back as Father Mark Gruber Sues For Libel

What does discipleship cost?  That was a good question on the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary time this year, as we hear from the Gospel about the need to "hate" our loved ones, in order to commit ourselves fully to the Gospel. 

Once again, the story of a conversation that St. Theresa had with Jesus comes to mind:

Sometimes, however, she couldn't avoid complaining to her closest Friend about the hostility and gossip that surrounded her. When Jesus told her, "Teresa, that's how I treat my friends" Teresa responded, "No wonder you have so few friends." But since Christ has so few friends, she felt they should be good ones. And that's why she decided to reform her Carmelite order.

Father Mark Gruber is a well known Benedictine monk.  He teaches or at least he taught anthropology until recently, at St.Vincent College in Latrobe PA.  He is a well known author and retreat master.  He provided guidance and instruction to students in a common room that also contained the computer that he used for his own purposes, and which was available to all who entered the room.  It was not secured in any way.  Someone viewed homosexual pornographic images from the computer and someone had installed software to remove traces of browsing, though apparently did not remove the last images from the computer.  The police were called and investigated, and laid no charges since none of the images were of youth, and were therfor not illegal, even if they were disgusting.

Yet, Father Gruber was effectively removed from all but the most basics of life.  Here is a newspaper article about the suit that Father Mark Gruber has filed against various parties involved in kicking him to the curb at St. Vincent College in Latrobe PA.  To give better context to the suit here also is an earlier article when the manure and fan blades converged originally.

It certainly appears that Father Gruber has been wrongly accused, and the below letter from a student John J. Allen, supports Father Gruber.  In the letter, some of the detail of the original non-case against Fr. Gruber is told.  I have reproduced the letter because in its original location, it was difficult to read, as the html code was showing, which removed all formatting in the document.

On behalf of the Saint Vincent Community at large and friends and associates of Father Mark Gruber in particular, I address this letter to you with great urgency. As you may have been informed, the case against Father Mark Gruber O.S.B. PhD and turned professor of Anthropology at Saint Vincent College has reached a new intensity. After being stripped of his priestly faculties and removed from his position in the college under allegations of child pornography, Father Gruber has now been publicly humiliated by the unprofessional and improper leaking of lies and half-truths to the local media. Since these latest actions originating from the Archabbot and President of my college I feel it my duty, as a student, friend, and spiritual directee of Father Mark, to affirm the utter falsity of the allegations against him, to attest to his spiritual character, and to offer an inside testimony to the case itself.

I am a senior anthropology major at Saint Vincent College, and while these events certainly influence me as a student, they have even more so affected me on a personal and spiritual level. I came to Saint Vincent College as an English Education major but after one night at Fr. Mark’s “Midnight Clearing House” I asked to speak with this most inspiring and captivating orator in private. That meeting began what was to become a friendship which would last for the next three years. I soon adopted Father Mark as my spiritual director and began seeing him almost weekly for direction regarding my newfound priestly vocation. It was the following year that I switched majors to anthropology to better suit both my academic and religious education at Saint Vincent College. I cannot more strongly emphasize the academic excellence, professionalism, and quality insight with which Father Mark teaches all of his classes. I can honestly say that I have learned more from his class lectures and our spiritual and philosophical dialogues than I have in all of my other classes combined. As a professor and teacher, Father Mark is unmatched at Saint Vincent College in his first rate reputation, which is almost unanimously felt throughout campus. This fact is evidenced through the widespread support and outrage amongst the Saint Vincent community, including over a thousand members on the facebook group “Friends of Father Mark” which rose to this membership just a few days after its conception.

The popularity of Father Mark Gruber is also evident in his “Midnight Clearing House” lecture series for which I have become the organizer and advertiser. Each week at 11:00 pm on Tuesday nights the students gather in Father Mark’s classroom to ask questions regarding religion and contemporary world problems, especially as they relate to the Catholic Church. Father Gruber begins with a thirty minute lecture on the previously suggested topic for the night and ends with an open forum in which people voice their plaguing questions and opinions on various subjects. Father Mark began the group due to student interest and has expressed that the main impetus was to offer an apologetic defense of the faith so that students might not feel obliged to lose their religion in college. I have personally recorded and transcribed many of his lectures and can confirm the staunch orthodoxy and persuasive defense he gives for our Catholic faith. On average there have been thirty of more students coming to these forums weekly, with upwards of fifty to sixty depending on the topic or particular night. I have also helped to engineer a new Bible study that Father Mark provides for students at a separate time and which also has become very successful. All these events have taken place much in opposition to the current administration which removed Father Mark from retreat master of the college with the entrance of Mr. Jim Towey, for the sake of centralizing everything in campus ministry (which in my opinion has been a massive failure). It is clear to me that Father Mark, above any other administrator or professor at Saint Vincent College, has earned the trust and admiration of the students whom he has personally helped and directed on this campus for so long. 

In addition, I have been a work study in Father Mark’s office for the last two years which requires me to be there on a daily basis, correcting tests, making coffee, and cleaning the office. Although I am there for part of my job, I return and linger for the sake of intellectual conversation and fruitful companionship. Father Mark calls his office “a living place because he has a coffee machine.” This certainly is true; professors, students, and friends constantly enter for coffee and discussion throughout the day. This great seminar room where he often holds classes is always open to whoever wishes. I have a key for the room but it is rarely locked unless Father Mark is out of town. The door is always open, even when he is not there, and I have been there alone numerous times with other students waiting hours for his return. This room I have just described is the room in which the computer of interest is located. I have personally used his computer countless times and have witnessed others do the same, without password or supervision. The wisdom of such a room I will not debate, but Father Mark in his naiveté and old fashioned understanding of computers never thought for once that he was in any danger. I can also confirm Father Mark’s complete ineptitude with computer technology. He constantly employs me and others for the completion of simple everyday tasks on his computer since he is oblivious to computer glitches, email logins, and rebooting techniques. It is highly unlikely, as it has been suggested, that Father Mark was capable of downloading and implementing software or hardware to hide and cover pornographic material. I have spoken with others who regularly assist his computer navigational skills and they have concurred on this account and on the fact that in a combined eight or more years of our experience we have never found anything out of the ordinary on his computer. It is also my personal conviction that Father Mark may be protecting the seal of confession through his somewhat evasive answers and the request to have the Archabbot present upon interrogation. This is not something which can easily be proved by someone in my position but you I am sure have ways of determining this prospect. I recommend that you consult the Inside Higher Education article online which contains the police report link. The report explains that all investigation has ceased since the original accusation of child pornography was unfounded, and attests that the computer was accessed by many others.

Over the years I have met with Father Mark numerous times alone in his office for spiritual direction, as he does with a sometimes oppressive number of spiritual seekers. His renown as a director of the spiritual life, as a preacher, and as a famous retreat master stretches across the nation. Father Mark’s schedule is constantly full not weeks but months and sometimes years in advance. I have been lucky enough to have accompanied him personally on many of these trips to parishes, retreats, and conferences. I have been his driver and also am the new managing editor for his non-profit Saint Vincent Spirituality Publications. It is my job to sell, ship, order, and stock the transcribed retreat talks made into spiritual reading books. I will not elaborate further on the professional achievements of Father Mark as a writer, a priest and a doctor of anthropology since they are too numerous to mention here. I will say that in my many travels with him, one in particular to Canada for a priest retreat, I have never felt more spiritually and emotionally inspired in my faith. His homilies and retreat conferences have changed my life, moved many to tears, and have restored many lost sheep to the fold. Perhaps the most compelling element of his preaching and apologetic discourse is the clear conviction he has in what he preaches. Never have I seen such faith or devotion in any other priest I have ever known.

He and I have been to dinner with many of his friends, relatives, associates and benefactors, which have become mine as well. Those travels and experiences I now treasure as being the most inspirational and memorable of my college career. In addition, it is because of Father Mark that I have had the opportunity to study abroad in Rome this past semester, but unfortunately due to these unforeseen circumstances he was barred from coming as instructor. The lives of those affected by the power play from the Abbot and President, who continue to spread lies through propaganda and media outlets, is more far reaching and monumental than anyone can realize. The fact that everyone is speaking out with such strong assurance on the virtuousness of Father Mark is an indication that such inconsistency in his own moral life is unlikely.

In my letter I have attested to the great influence and inspiration that Father Mark has instilled in my soul and my vocation. I speak on behalf of the lives and souls of countless others for whom I know he has been a spiritual master and educational mentor, when I say that Father Mark is indeed innocent and undeserving of this malice. I sometimes see and read the countless letters he receives from well wishers and religious sisters, always thanking and praising his outstanding ministry and work as a priest and monk of the Saint Vincent community. These facts alone do not confirm the innocence of Father Mark Gruber, but I hope that they provide an additional context in which you can come to behold the same faith in the moral uprightness of this great man.

For me personally, the friendship and guidance I have received from Father Mark is what has sustained my priestly vocation and had inspired me to enter Saint Vincent Archabbey upon graduation. Although this next semester I had made plans to live as a postulant in the monastery while completing my degree, just before my entrance the Archabbot went back on his confirmation due to my sympathies for Father Mark. My plan, my vocation, while seriously being challenged and shaken by all this, has not altogether disintegrated. As a priest, my hope had been to restore purity and holiness to the Catholic Church. While I feel that our generation is still capable of producing such rejuvenation and correction in the Church, this is a drastic step in the wrong direction. Such frequency of false accusations, often employed by members of the Church for political reasons is disheartening and discouraging to a future priest. I hope to still find in the ecclesial body of the Bride of Christ something analogous to the simple scriptural words of spiritual enlightenment and joy I have found in listening to Father Mark Gruber. You have my prayers and encouragement to restore the priestly faculties of Father Mark for the benefit of his flock, to reinstate him as a professor among the students who need his wisdom, and to restore his reputation as a great man for the sake of those who love him.

In the Peace of Christ,

John J. Allen

I wrote to Mr. Allen, to see what developments, aside from the obvious lawsuit were occurring.  Hoping that things were not as bad as appears when one engages in legal action, I was shocked to receive his reply, below today:

I thank you greatly for your email, most especially during these times of trial for Father Mark. Your initiative and good intention is inspiring to me and our small but ever growing community of friends and supporters. I would be most honored if you would include my letter in your article and happy to provide any additional information. I am sure you have access to the latest news articles from the Tribune Review and Pittsburgh Post Gazette; these would be helpful.

Also, relating to your theme of imprisonment, one interesting fact in the midst of all this turmoil is that Father Mark is not allowed to leave the Abbey except to see his parents occasionally and to work on his case with his lawyers. He is not allowed to be present on the college campus or associate with students, so many of whom he has mentored. Additionally, it has been documented that intrusive monitoring of him and his actions has occurred including secret opening and previewing of his mail and other insidious surveillance.

Both a doctor/psychologist and Father Mark's spiritual director in the monastery recommended a spiritual retreat to a Cistercian Monastery in New York to get away from the stress and politics of the Abbey. This request was denied by the Archabbot. Father Mark is thereby forced to endure solitude and discrimination from his supposed "brothers" in Christ, and he is to suffer the label of pedophile by members of the college and local community; despite the fact that the police report, which was written months ago, had cleared him of any such allegation. Even monks are discouraged from speaking with him and even his allies.

My friend in the monastery was told by the Abbot that it was unwise to spend time or talk with me, especially because of the "nasty letter he wrote" (the same one you have mentioned). These kinds of bullying tactics occur daily on the campus and in the monastery. Only now is his story beginning to be made public, even so, it pains Father Mark to see his name return to the papers as a priest suing "the Church". If this could have been resolved in any other manner he would have preferred to settle for that, however the Abbot has stonewalled all other alternatives forcing Father Mark to resolve this situation by legal action himself. 

Father Gruber's case seems to be similar to that of Father Gordon MacRae on whom I wrote the other day in an article subtitled "Priest in Exile."

It seems to me in both cases that the operative motto is "guilty, even if proven innocent."  It is one thing for "society" in the case of Father MacRae to take a run at a Catholic priest.  It is another thing altogether to have the perpetrators of your exile to be those of your own faith, and order, those who you should be able to trust.

The Catholic Church does not seem to be doing well by either of these priests, and I realise that this statement is an understatement.

Father Gruber has a legal recourse, which he is taking to try and get his life back.  Sadly, Father MacRae has no recourse.

You could see from these cases where Saint Theresa would come to the conclusion that Our Lord has fewer friends than He might, with the way that He treats them.  But, God is good, and He loves us all, though His methods sure seem strange.

May Father's Gruber and MacRae be exonerated, and returned to service.  We cannot afford to lose priests who love serving the Lord, because of the political correctness of some of our leaders.

I am amazed at how easily the truth can be suppressed, even by those who believe that it shall set us free.

God Bless You Father Mark, and Father Gordon.  May those who are working for your release from your situations be successful.