My World of Religion, Politics, Entertainment and Social Issues

Dear Blog Visitors: I continue to enjoy the welcoming environment at Spiritus Christi Church in Rochester. For example, I can now receive the Eucharist, minus any controversy over whether or not I should be permitted in the Communion line. Because of my ordination as a married priest, there was an ongoing debate in the Rochester Diocese as to whether or not I excommunicated myself via my ordination at the hands of a married archbishop. Not wishing to place Bishop Matthew Clark in an uncomfortable position, I elected to join Spiritus Christi. I continue to pray that the Vatican will come to a realization that marriage should not be a scandal for a priest, but rather be celebrated as a response to God's will. As much as I love the inclusivity at Spiritus Christi, there are times I find myself longing for the traditional music of the Roman Catholic Church. As you probably know, I was trained/educated in classical music prior to studying theology. As a student at the Eastman Schoo...

Dear Blog Visitors: For the past few weeks, we have been saturated with news about Michael Jackson.  Like many around the world, I mourned his passing and I extend my sympathies to all the family members, friends and fans he left behind. While I was not a big fan of Michael Jackson, I did in fact recognize the fact that he was a musical genious.  I recall from my days as a part-time disk jockey at a nightclub in the late senveties and early eighties, that patrons would often request tunes by Michael Jackson, and I was more than happy to honor their requests.As controversies surrounding Mr. Jackson continue to infiltrate the news, I hope in the final analysis, he will be remembered for his talent.  Being a genious can often have tragic consequences, and we saw that with Michael.  He was not alone.  The gift of creativity can be both a blessing and a curse.  As a person who favors classical music, my heroes include persons who were indeed geniouses, but at the same time, had experienced ...

Dear Blog Visitors: From time to time, I have appeared in television and radio interviews to discuss the corresponding topics of priestly celibacy and married priests. I obviously prefer opportunities that allow me to address these topics thoroughly, such as the utilization of historical, theological, scriptural and practical perspectives. However, as we know all too well, most talk shows are designed today with either quick sound bites or debates that are characterized by one speaker interrupting another, resulting in very little substance getting through before allotted time-slots are complete. I was recently asked to appear on the Larry King Show to discuss priestly celibacy. However, when I was informed I would be debating Bill Donohue of the Catholic League, I declined. It is not that I am afraid to debate Bill Donohue. However, it has been my experience to witness him behaving in a rude manner, whereby he raises his voice in anger to get his points across and often interrupt...

Dear Blog Visitors: As Brenda and I prepare to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary on August 6, I want to take this opportunity to extend greetings to the approximately 120,000 married priests throughout the world. The picture above was taken at my wedding 15 years ago. From the left are Fr. Paul D'Souza (good friend who now lives in India), Sister Joan Sobala (now pastoral administrator at two Rochester parishes), Brenda, myself, and Fr. James Lawlor (now in active retirement). Our wedding took place at St. Mary's Church on August 6, 1994. It continues to be my prayer that the Vatican comes to realize that the sacraments of Holy Orders and Marriage are indeed compatible, just as the two sacraments were compatible during the first half of the Roman Catholic Church's history. Since the policy of mandatory celibacy for priests was enforced in 1139, we have been witnesses to numerous problems that are verifiable in the Vatican archives. Let us pray that all who are calle...

Dear Blog Visitors: I returned a few days ago from a CORPUS (national association for an inclusive priesthood) conference in Dallas. Two attendees asked me if I still stay in touch with Fr. Joseph P. Brennan. For those who don't know, Fr. Brennan died on September 22, 2008, following a lengthy illness. He was a good friend to Brenda and me, and I continue to miss him greatly. Fr. Joe was rector of St. Bernard's Seminary for several years, and then went on to become head of the University of Rochester's Interfaith Chapel for ten years. He further distinquished himself as a leader and facilitator of Jewish-Christian dialogue in the Rochester area, and he also was an assistant priest for many years at St. Mary's Church in downtown Rochester. Pictured above is yours truly with Fr. Brennan. It was taken at a dinner following my graduation from St. Bernard's in 2001. My thanks to Joe Brennan for his sense of humor, compassion and friendship. He was an inspiration to ...

Dear Blog Visitors: Considering all the tension that has existed in the Middle East for over 5,000 years, I continue to be an optimist and feel that peace is entirely possible. I will never forget how inspired I was during my trip to Middle Eastern countries a few years ago, which was highlighted by visits to Israel, Jordan and Egypt. While tensions could certainly be felt in the process of crossing borders, I also enjoyed the experience of interacting with persons of varying cultures, whether they were Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian or Egyptian. I am sharing with you a photo that was taken at the top of Mt. Sinai (a 2-1/2 hour climb). Pictured are yours truly, my wife Brenda, and Fr. Sebastian Falcone (former dean at St. Bernard's seminary, former president of St. Bernard's Institute and professor of biblical studies at St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry). Let us all pray that true peace can finally be realized in the Middle East.

Dear Blog Visitors: I try to stay away from blogs of critics (mostly persons committed to maintaining a status quo in the Roman Catholic Church). However, if someone should call my attention to particular postings that make false charges against me, I will occasionaly feel obligated to respond. It seems that a few bloggers feel my becoming a married priest was in response to a personal desire, as opposed to being called forth by a community. I want to assure critics that my priesthood discernment lasted almost twenty years, beginning with my name being submitted to the Rochester Diocese in 1989 as a potential priest by members of the community of St. Mary's Church in downtown Rochester. This was followed by personal interviews, an extensive background analysis, and enrollment in a discernment group for men over the age of 40. This included weekly meetings at Becket Hall (residence for potential seminarians) for almost two years. Others discerning the priesthood at that time we...