www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Update on Holy Trinity in Bridgeport, CT

Does anyone know if there were attempts to get the BC parishes in the area to merge before Holy Trinity was shut down?

Dan L

I know for a fact that Fr. Malitz did not want that. I actually got into an argument with him 6 years ago. It would have made alot of sense to combine the 2 parishes but he wanted no part of it. His plan is to close Trumbull and New Britan and just have Danbury remaining as the only church in New England. It is a shame and unchristian.

Property value in the millions?! That's the reason, but they should have sold the church and built these people a new one at least. This is nothing short of satanic greed... Get an attorney and take this to the press and courts.

I don't think legal action will do anything but make an attorney wealthy. In the Catholic system the bishop owns all properties in his diocese or eparchy. Further, every dime that hits a collection plate is his automatically. A further point to be made is that when the value of a property is really high, he must have approval from Rome to dispose of it.

So, if it's true that the properties are worth one million dollars or more, there has been approval at the highest levels for disposition. And that may be why there is no reaction from petitions from Rome.

That having been said, how about a positive strategy for the parishioners?

If I were advising these brothers and sisters, I'd tell them to put their money into forming a non-profit corporation under the laws of their state. With that in hand, they might bid on the parish hall. I say parish hall before the church itself because with the hall--a money maker--they could begin to put together the wherewithal to purchase their old church back in the future OR to build themselves a new one in the future.

In the meantime, it might be in their best interest to approach another Byzantine Catholic jurisdiction for spiritual support. Someone mentioned Bishop John Botean of the Romanians. His eparchy is nationwide. They might ask him to support them in mission status for the time being.

My point(s) is that there is no reason to stew in negativity. What's done is done. Walk away!! If this parish is really meant to be, then it will arise from the ashes.

If the Lord is with them, nothing can stop them. If He is not, they labor in vain who attempt to build.

In Christ,

BOB

I would find it hard to walk away from a legacy of one hundred years myself...I think that the Carpatho Russians would be best consulted and most qualified to address the needs of this aggrieved faith community. Moreover, taking this to the press could indeed raise indignation and prompt some sort of reparation.

My sense is that there could be no amount of public pressure on Bishop Pataki that would help. He has run things his way for so long, a few bad news stories (which have already hit the papers) will have little effect.

I am inclined to agree. Approach Bishop John Michael. At this phase of our history in relationship to some jurisdictions, he appears to have become a point of refuge for many (ala Denver and Holy Resurrection in California, which has been discussed here at length), although I doubt he would favor such a designated role. He strikes me as being a humble shepherd with a heart for his apostolic mission to be fully Eastern and fully Catholic. God bless him for it, though. We certainly need more bishops like him, Bishop John Kudrick and Archbishop Cyril of the Melkites. (I am sorry - I am not as familiar with the Ukrainian hierarchs!) Our mission as a Byzantine Church - whatever our jurisdiction - will be best served when everyone can act and speak with one voice and one heart. For now, there appears to be a growing divide among the hierarchs in terms of approach. I pray that the Holy Spirit will help and guide them all to unite and create a truly apostolic and missionary force in North America.

Otherwise, we risk continuing to fiddle while Rome (North America) burns down spiritually all around us.

Gordo
"Unite the clans! Unite them!"
William Wallace to Robert the Bruce in "Braveheart"

OK, I'll bite.

What happened in Denver?

+T+
Michael

I too am curious of what you are referring to when you speak of Denver.

That explains why surveyors have been looking around the property of St. John the Baptist in Trumbull for months now without any real action.

Basil...sometimes I feel like you are me speaking...I had a discussion with Malitz very much along the same lines back in 1999 myself...When I returned home from college and the few years I had teaching out of state I had actually joined St. John the Baptist in Trumbull...It was very understandable with the priest shortage that this was probably the way the Eparchy would ultimately go...when Malitz came in 1999, knowing that I was a former Candidate to the priesthood for Passaic he "confided" in me the plans for one parish in CT and that parish would be up in Danbury...I told him...HT still has $$$ St. John's has land...merge the parishes into 1 build a church and call this new merged community something different so neither HT nor St. Johns feels like they are 2nd class it could be done...He wanted no part of it and went back to only having 1 parish in CT...I told him, as administrator of HT and my "pastor" at St. John's to remove me from the books in Trumbull and put me on the register of HT...This was immoral, and I will not stand by and allow those good people in Bridgeport to get fleeced without some type of fight. The rest is history...

Also, I'll bite as well...what happened in Denver?

St. Elizabeth of Hungary and Father Chrysostom Frank's new Russian Byzantine Catholic parish. Originally he was assigned to the Ruthenians after he left the OCA. When the situation with the Ruthenian parish became difficult, as I understand it Father Chrysostom started a Russian-rite parish under Chaput. Even though the Russian Catholics fall under the local Latin ordinary, Chaput has invited Bishop John to take on a more prominent role in the spiritual care of the parish. From what I hear it is working well.

Gordo

Thanks for the info. Gordo!!!

Job,
Isn't Trumball the newer of the three parishes as far as buildings go?
I believe it is only right, if there is some type of 'master plan', to share it in advance with the people whose lives are directly affected. Any and all of our parishes can be subjected to the same fate with no warning by a shepherd and his cronies who don't seem to see us as anything more than our envelopes. We are invested spiritually, physically and emotionally in our parishes. Should we all start making alternate plans now, as we sit and wait for the axe to fall?

Many church properties are in older areas that are now being rehabbed. Many properties are going to be worth bigger $$$ in the near future due to surrounding development. Is this how the parishes are being chosen for supression?

Don't we have a right to know?

Sam

I would expect Bishop Andrew Pataki not to confer Rome. I bet he thinks he doesn't have to. Seams like the way he thinks.What do you think?????

A few years ago the Archdiocese of Philadelphia had a property transaction that was reported to be in the neighborhood of $1 million. The same article noted that the transaction awaited Roman approval before it could be final.

When a Catholic bishop makes his 5-year "ad limina" visit to Rome, he takes along his books. No one gets away without an audit. My guess is that His Grace is carefully "coloring within the lines."

BOB

I understand the attachment that people can have for a church building. It can be the scene of baptisms, weddings, funerals, and lots of other milestones and memories.

But the church is the People of God on pilgrimage. My current parish has had three buildings in 75 years. The first was a little wooden one that we outgrew. Then we worshipped in the school hall--converted for worship--for a number of years. Now we're in the 9th year in an ultra-modern physical plant. Some people aren't thrilled at the fact that the new church building is very plain.

But the people I rub elbows with each year--people who have seen my family and me through some rough spots and who we have helped through some rough spots--are still plodding along. We're a family; we stick together; we do what it takes to stay together.

My point is that these brothers and sisters should take the same attitude. Find a way to keep the family together. Don't give up on the Lord just because your corner of the Vineyard is having a drought. Remember that old maxim: pray as if everything depended on God; work as if everything depended on you.

Some years ago I helped an organization keep its independence when outsiders tried to take it over. Today it's essentially as I outlined above. The corporation stands independently and can finance anything it wants. It contributes to 5 area churches, yet no church can force it to do anything nor can any one or the diocese touch the property.

Maybe this situation should be looked at like the situation with Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The parish plant is gone but the people are still alive and well. So what's the next step? Start over like your ancestors did. Meet in someone's home and organize for the next step. Get a consensus about what the parish should do.

So your bishop doesn't want the parish community to function or doesn't think its' viable. So what!?! You can make it happen if you want to do so. It seems to me to be similar to so many situations in Church history. If someone doesn't want your family to survive, do you roll over and dig your own grave? No, you hunker down together and do what it takes to survive as a family.

History can be a two edged sword. It can give us roots to let us know where we came from and give us inspiration and courage to face the future. OR it can be a ball and chain that drags us down and prevents us from living. Which is yours?

My ancestors left everything and came to this country with nothing. Four times they faced bank failures and lost everything. Each time they picked up, dug in, and went on. I've started over in my career twice due to circumstances beyond my control--once through disability. The Hand of Providence has always been there to open doors where I didn't think there was anything but blank walls. I learned that you can lose everything in this life but two things--those two things you have to allow people to take from you: your faith and your good name. Everything else can be replaced; everything else can be both tools and baggage. When tools become baggage, you toss them away and get new tools.

So much for me tonight,

BOB