Concerned Roman Catholics of America & Bishop Tod Brown

Concerned Roman Catholics of America have written a memorandum sent to the parish council of St. Mary's by the Sea parish and Bishop Tod Brown asking, among other things, that the parish administrator of St. Mary's by the Sea parish, Fr. Martin Tran, be replaced. The memo details financial difficulties facing the parish, articulates the sources of these difficulties, explains that there may be some illegalities involved, and makes it known that CRCOA is investigating the parish's financial situation to determine what is really going on with parish finances.

It is a good memo. It's long, but eye-opening and enlightening.

A Roman Catholic Blog reader has sent me the following details:

Well, here’s the most recent chapter in the St. Mary’s by the Sea biography.

Concerned Roman Catholics of America (CRCOA) headed by Ken Fisher has served notice to the parish council, Fr. Martin Tran and Bishop Brown, that Fr. Martin Tran has been so spiritually and canonically and morally WRONG in so many instances, that they are requesting his removal. (Click here to read: CRCOA's Letter To Bishop Brown)

The document lists in detail the offenses by Fr. Martin Tran including: 1. His support for the ordination of women priests (a heresy – documents quoted) 2. The mortal sin of kneeling (a lie) 3. The lies from the pulpit including his statement (read by the lector) that “there was an error in sending it” when, in fact, the bulletins were found in the dumpster (this bulletin “asked” parishioners to “leave the parish and the diocese” if they were to continue their “dissident” actions, like kneeling) 4. Telling Fr. Mackin (80 year old assistant priest) that he had to be out of the building by Sept 6, 2006 (after reducing his pay to $400 per month) (sin of not paying a proper wage and lack of decent charity) 5. Canceling one daily Mass and daily confessions for no reason, and 6. Asking for St. Vincent de Paul donations (donations given by parishioners specifically for the hungry and homeless) to be given to the parish funds.

The parish donations are down from $10,000-$11,000 per week (in spring of 2004) to $3,000 -$4,000 per week currently (down by 70%). And Fr. Martin Tran and Bishop Tod Brown are adamant about continuing the destruction, refusing ANY and ALL requests and recommendations by parishioners at a recent meeting with the bishop. (See: California bishop responds to lay group and Bishop Brown's Empire Strikes Back: No Tridentine For You!)

The disaster that exists at St. Mary’s by the Sea is a direct result of Fr. Martin Tran’s actions (administrator (not pastor) – with no authority; who takes ALL direction from Bishop Tod Brown) and continues as a direct result of Bishop Tod Brown.

The final chapter is coming soon. It truly appears that Fr. Martin Tran and Bishop Tod Brown do not want to “turn this around”. Both attendance AND donations have declined steadily over the past 2 years. Attendance has gone from ‘standing room only” (360) at the 9 am Sunday to about 120 (down by 66%)– from 300 at the noon Sunday to about 50 (down by 80%). In St. Mary’s bulletin of July 23, 2006, Fr. Martin Tran states that donations are down considerably and, “you should increase your weekly offering from 1% … to 10% of your yearly income… Furthermore, we need to accept the fact that we have no “indult” to have the Tridentine Mass celebrated in our parish anymore. Therefore, we need to find other ways to increase our income…”

Fr. Martin Tran is stating clearly that they KNOW that returning the Tridentine Mass to St. Mary’s would keep the parish funds at a level that would keep the parish running. They believe that’s the solution and THEY WILL NOT ALLOW IT!! But the 9 am Sunday Mass, with a decrease of 66% over the last 2 years is a NOVUS ORDO!! – please explain THAT!

My sense is that Bishop Brown wants to be able to say, “St. Mary’s can’t support itself – we’ll have to sell it (and be rid of them all for good!)”

Question is, ”Why?”

And they just won’t answer that one. Publicly.

This is an interesting development. We'll see what comes of it.

What are your thoughts?

Comments

[JMC]

I've seen this before, in the Diocese of Brooklyn (NY) in the 1970s, and the Tridentine Mass wasn't even involved. In the section of Brooklyn where I lived, there were three parishes, all within a few blocks of each other. My parish was the "odd man out," in the fact that its priests were Franciscans, as opposed to whatever order served the other two parishes. (I have never known; I only knew that they weren't Franciscans.)
/
Construction of this parish was completed in 1911. The entire project was funded SOLELY by donations from the immigrant parishioners who built it WITH THEIR OWN HANDS. This church also had a school. Over a period of seven or eight years, beginning in 1970, the chancery was imposing stricter and stricter construction standards (our parish school was the only one of the three that hadn't had a renovation - it didn't need one) and stricter and stricter educational standards. Oddly enough, this school was the only one to pass inspections on both counts! However, as the years went on, first there was the "cluster" - some of you know what that is. For the rest, it's two or more parishes that, administratively at least, are one unit. Functionally, they continue to operate as separate facilities. This outraged parishioners from all three parishes, since each lost its "official" identity. Then, finally, came the blow that we all know had been coming all along: Our parish school was closed. (The church was permitted to remain open.)
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As a collector of old schoolbooks, many years later, I discovered something that may have been the reason behind it. The other two parishes, before being thrown into the cluster, had both used the same textbooks. Mine had used a different set. All textbooks from my school contained the "nihil obstat" and the "imprimatur." None of the textbooks from the other schools did. The reason? Except for our math books, all our textbooks contained religious teaching, as well. Our grammar series had sentences in the exercises that clearly and unabashedly spoke of Our Lord, Our Lady, and the saints and angels. Our readers contained stories that featured Catholic practices and values. Even our history books were written from the Catholic perspective. (No revisionism there!)
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In later research, I also learned that the bishop at that time (I no longer remember his name) was a dissident.
/
You do the math.

[Mark]

Bishop Tod Brown's new Pastoral Letter on Social Action is inconsistent with the treatment of Catholics who have been traditionally spiritual, helping the poor, frequent reception of the sacraments, evangelizing other Chritian denominations about the Catholic Faith, marrying in the Church and so on. Social Justice and actions will never replace and strengthen the decline that Bishop Brown is lamenting. Is Bishop Brown concerned about the salvation of every soul in the Diocese? A few years ago he told a couple that he was not responsible for every soul in this Diocese. His actions are displaying that pronouncement. There was a recent article about the decline in the liberal Protestant denominatons. They too are suffering poor attendance due to the elimination of truths from scripture, truths about the evil of abortion and the truth that "acting out" homosexually is sinful. The bells and whistles approach of social action has no foundation to grow upon, if the basic teachings and truths of the faith are not adhered to and blatantly disobeyed. It is like lipstick on a pig!
They went for the popular theology of the day now they are paying the price. Low attendance in the pews. Low attendance means less money coming in from the faithful. History is repeating itself in the Diocese of Orange. You'd think that they would learn! Bishop Brown is probably putting two and two together and now sees the handwriting on the wall. Remember that old slogan..."No Doctrine, No Attendance and No Dollars"!

[Susan Westberg]

The thing I don't understand is Where is the oversight. How long will the Vatican and Cardinal Arinze wait before Bishop Brown is corrected or asked to resign? I have never seen and read of such flagrant abuse of power and even worse, liturgical and possible financial irregularities in my life. Pray for the restoration of the Diocese of Orange. This is beyond rediculoius.

[Michael Teissere]

Yes, Mark! Bishop Tod Brown told us he is not responsible for souls in the Diocese and he added, "he is not responsible for his priests in the diocese after 5pm!" Yes Bishop said all of this and then some back in 2002 to me and my wife! Bishop Brown could give a rats you know what about The Catholic faith! he hires my cousin Fr. or ex Fr. Rod Stephens to work in the Diocese of Orange at the cost to the laity of $300.00 per hour for liturgical consultations! My cousin ex Fr. Stephens was publically announced in a San Diego newspaper at a "puedo mas" with a woman priestess! My aostate cousin has destroyed the faith of my father, mother brothers and sister and their children! Now Fr. Rod continues to destroy the faith of the laity in the diocese all with the approval of his Excellency Bishop Tod Brown! So when I hear of things like what is happening at St. Mary's it dosen't surprise me! This is Bishop Tod Browns agenda and the agenda of all those under him in postions of power! Wake up Laity!!!!

[glorybe]

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this is only the tip of the iceberg. There is a chance that St. Mary's by the Sea will be the sacrificial lamb. The Laity all around the County must wake up and clear the smoke from their eyes to see the wolf in lamb's clothing. The amount of stench has not been totally exposed. Only with the successful exposure of the evil that is happening at St. Mary's will other dreadful and sinful sins be exposed. This Shepherd has sold out his flock for personal gain. We must pray for him, but we must not allow him to continue to destroy our faith.

[Vincent Frattaruolo]

I thought Vatican II was suppose to make the clergy more pastoral, and they were supposed to consider the concerns of laymen. I guess Bishop Todd is not in the spirit of Vatican II.

[Kris]

Quick question: where is the Vatican in all of this. Has Rome taken any action? Sounds like this Bishop has really gone off the deep...is the hammer gonna fall on this nut any time soon?

[jeffersonranch]

Vatican, telling American bishops what to do. They laugh at the Vatican. Turn out the lights and close the door it is over. Ask to define Catholic and you will have a thousand different responses.

[James]

Alas, the place of my Catholic conversion baptism, first communion, and confirmation eight years ago--the greatest moment of my life--seems to be in full meltdown. I would be very sad to hear of it being sold, but I don't see any way around it. I've had a general feeling of foreboding for quite some time anytime I read about it here on RomanCatholicBlog. I pray for clearer vision, patience, and grace to turn things around. Maybe I can get my marriage done there...it would be complete the sacrament quad-fecta.

[Central Valley Catholic]

Orange county is not alone. The same thing is happening at the San Clemente Mission in Bakersfield. The Latin Mass is moved, mass attendance is down, collections are a 1/4 of what they were. A visiting missionary gets more in the second collection that the administrator gets in the weekly collection. The response from the bishop of Fresno......Silence.

[Gary]

A Bishop's Plan to Destroy a Parish:

1) Cancel the Tridentine Mass which flourished for years and drew about 300 people a week, even though several priests are willing to offer it, and 1,200 people signed a petition requesting it.

2) Torment the parishioners, most of whom have been very traditional for many years, by instituting sudden and drastic changes in liturgical practices. Insist upon absolute obedience to your will, even though the Vatican has said a rigid uniformity in these matters should not be imposed on people.

3) Expel the non-conforming parishioners en masse from the parish. Humiliate them by naming them publicly.

4) Continue to cram a liberal agenda down the throats of the remaining parishioners.

5) Watch as the formerly flourishing parish empties out.

6) Close the parish, due to "an unfortunate decline in the parish enrollment." Tell the few remaining holdouts to go somewhere else.

7) Sell the valuable church property for a very high price.

8) Take the 8-10 million dollars proceeds and deposit it in your Cathedral Fund.

9) Look around and survey your beautiful liberal diocese and rejoice that the one remaining traditional parish is no more.

10) Stay on the lookout in other parishes for any more signs of traditional Catholic faith and devotion
that might need stamping out.

[Donald]

Gary, you have watched St. Mary's VERY attentively and summed up the post-Father Daniel Johnson era...one additional point, tell a traditional priest, in his 80s that he is no longer needed and must move out...however, he may stay if he can "fork up" $1,400 a month for room and board, but, you must start "conforming" to the Bishop's liturgical implementations...obediently...

[c.a. Marks]

The "sin of kneeling"????? Wha??!

[John]

If Catholics wonder why millions have left the Church since the "spring" of the church called vatican 2, look no further than living and deceased prelates and other clerics and their coterie of diocesan and parish liturical cronies like Roger Mahoney, Tod Brown, Weakland, Suenen,Kasper,Lustiger @ Daneel in Belgium. Millions especially youth are demanding an end to the protestantized liturgical experiments that can be summed up as novus ordo missae. Again, millions of Latin Rite Catholics worldwide are begging, demanding and praying for the return of the 1700 hundred yr old classic (Tridentine) liturgy. The Supreme Pontiffs both JP2 & Pope Benedict realized this and finally --possible there will be a Motu Proprio from Rome setting these apostate/schismatic left/liberal bishops like Brown, Daneel and Mahoney straight A REMINDER no indult is necessary for any Latin rite priest in the world to say/sing the Classic Tridentine liturgy, it is protected in perpetuity by the Papal Bull "Quo Primum". Actually it is rumoured the DA in Los Angelas will set things straight quite soon without help from the Vatican vis a vis mahoney regarding pedophilia and those clerics that enabled and protected it, particularly since Vatican 2. Mahoneys track record go's back years. Possibly with the advent of Our New Holy Father the saccarin-sweet dancy liturgical farces, holloween masses, cookie masses, folk masses,pizza masses etc. etc. etc will be exposed for the heretical mimickry of the Sacred Mass that they are and the prelates that allowed them excommunicated by their own actions Shalom/Pacem

[John]

ADDENDUM And worst of the worst Apostates and Infidels, the deceased Freemason and inventor of the so-called new mass aka novus ordo missae Archbishop Annabale Bugnini of in famous memory.

[Johnannim]

WHEN WILL THE VATICAN IN GENERAL AND THE POPE IN PARTICULAR PUBLICKLY EXCOMMUNICATE AND DETHRONE APOSTATE PRELATES LIKE THE TEFLON BISHOPS OF CALIFORNIA IE--MAHONEY, BROWN ETC. ETC. WHEN WILL ROME EXPELL INFIDELS LIKE DANEEL AND HUNDREDS MORE JOHN PAUL TWO TYPE INFIDELS FROM POSITIONS OF POWER. MACHIVELLIAN SECRECY IN ROME NEEDS TO STOP AND STOP NOW. CHRIST RULES NOT ROGER MAHONEY.

[John]

When will the Vatican kick all the gay priests out of the CHurch!!!!

[jim]

I know why the Bishop would sell St. Mary’s by the Sea.
The answer is simple , he needs the money to build his Cathedral.
There is no money left after the lawsuits, and he retires in 500 days, the Cathedral funds are low and nothing has been done to build it as of 6-1-2010