www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Smithtown Church & Fr. Daniel Bitsko

Sam you definitely have a way with words. That whole situation definitely confirmed for me how much the parish administrator (Malitz) of 6 1/2 years had no clue about the parishioners. It's simply because he didn't care about us. Our Church was nothing more than "a bother" to him. Out of disgust we all began walking out during the reading of the closure letter. It was simply another insult to us. And I think a previous poster was correct that that was a way to un-consecrate the building.

I would have done the same. It is interesting that they took up a collection on that particular Sunday. So no one saw it coming?
How could you accept offerings for a church you knew wouldn't be there next week?


On a (hopefully) positive note- how is everyone doing this week in Connecticut? Are they sticking together?
How are Westbury and Smithtown doing?

Sam

On a positive note...we had a moleben to the theotokos and meeting at a members home this past week...18 people were in attendance...we also, agreed to hold a prayer service and St. Nicholas day potluck supper Sunday Dec. 4th to attempt to continue to hold the community together...A person who was present asked if we could get the use again of the local RC church we had used back on 11-9 for our paraklisis service and fellowship and wanted to see if we could use their facility for something more formal every month...there was also discussion to see if we could get a priest in the local RC Diocese to have a Byzantine Liturgy every week at one of their churches...we do not yet know how to go about it...

That is good news!
Keep it up!
As for the Byzantine Liturgy- wouldn't that be wonderful? Do you have to find a priest who has bi-ritual faculties? Do you have a Melkite or other Eastern Catholic church in your area? I'm sure if you ask around you'll find someone.
Hang tight!
Sam

How did the parishes in Smithtown and Westbury celebrate Our Lord's Birth.

With only a part time administrator are they parishioners still keeping up all the activities that father Dan had ongoing. Or is Hospodar to busy.

Does anyone know who replaced Father Bitsko as pastor?

In regard to taking weapons into church. Soldiers do present arms in Church during mass at the consecration. Presenting arms is the highest honour that can be bestowed by a soldier. My Dad is a retired Army officer and often talks of the Guard of Honour forming up in front of the santuary with all the stomping and commands being given to present arms.
If someone uses a weapon in church to harm someone to vandalise the place thats a different story. It's like if someone kills them selves in church it has to be re consercrated. Churches have also of course history of being places where people would take refuge in times of trouble. So being armed in a Church is not the norm.

I feel very sad for the parish whose people are expereincing so much frustration and sadness. If they feel so badly done by they can always make an appeal to the Cardinal Prefect of the Oriental Congregation HB Cardinal Ignace Moses II Daoud in Rome. HB was not so long ago in the USA as well as he sorted out HRM issues.

ICXC
NIKA

Pavel,
The very notion of allowing armed persons on the altar and being there as a visible threat that has the ability to use deadly force to evict parishoners from their church is beyond comprehension.

Where did you get that? I thought it was to protect the priest from potential violence?

djs, they hardly needed firearms then. Who protected the parishoners? Spiritual needs are just as important as physical needs.
And if they believed they needed armed men to guard the priest, what do you think that says the administration thought about the people? If they thought the priest's life was going to be in that much danger they would have had On-Duty Police Officers there.
I think it is highly offensive all around. There could have been more respectful ways in telling the people their parish was being closed. A public meeting would have been a safe place and showed dignity and respect for both parties.
I should stop now, because I don't mean to offend. I still get upset thinking about what happened to my brethren at this parish. I pray that they may keep their faith and that God watches over them.

Sounds to me like the bit I posted re seeking redress via the Cardinal Prefect may be the way to sort this mess out.

I missed the bit about the priest conducting the D.Lit. with armed guards present. Thats what happens reading from the back and going forward. Makes me wonder why anyone bothers when matters get to this stage.

ICXC
NIKA

Pyrohy:
I was a St. Macrina's in San Mateo on the day that its closure was announced after the final of liturgy there. This specific manner of closure - announcement immediately after the final liturgy - may be standard. While no armed guards were there, the tension was enormous and the priest, I later found out, was in fear of an incident.
I was not in Bridgeport. And obviously don't know the whole story there.

So Let me get it right. The Parish On Long Island has had it's parish Priest resign. Why the priest wont say and the bishop also wont say. They have agreed on an official statement and both are sticking to it. So when did it become official that this particular parish is or has been closed down?

I have tried reading the posting from the start but seem to have lost something in the process.

ICXC
NIKA

Pavel,
This thread was launched at about the same time as a thread on the closure of Holy Trinity in Bridgeport, CT. That topic became intermingled with assignments at the Smithtown church already in the third post of this thread. It's confusing, but references to closure are to the Bridgeport parish.

Anthony,

I don't know the priest's name who is now in Smithtown, but he was pulled out of a parish near Philadelphia PA to go to NY, leaving the PA parish without a permanent pastor. I think he is biritual from NJ.

Sam