St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Fr. Bede Wevita - Part 1

Fr. Bede Wevita, who was recently assigned to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in the wake of the scandal with Msgr. Kevin McAuliffe, has begun making changes at the parish.

This is the first of three blog posts in which I will be reviewing the following areas of concern:

1. The dimissal of Ed Graveline as head of the Apologetics ministry.
2. Instructing parishioners to cease kneeling for Holy Communion.
3. Calling into question the Real Presence of the Blood of Christ.

The first of these is the dismissal of Ed Graveline, a respected parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and leader of the Apologetics ministry there. Much to the shock of many people who know him, he has been terminated and can no longer be in a leadership role at St. Elizabeth's.

Mr. Graveline had asked Fr. Bede for permission to pass out National Right to Life flyers after Mass leading up to the November 6th election. Fr. Bede denied permission, and threatened Mr. Graveline with calling the police on him if he did indeed pass out these flyers. In compliance, Mr. Graveline left the church property and went to the public sidewalk, and passed out the flyers there after Mass.

Although he was on a public sidewalk, the flyers were compliant with the rules regarding 501(c)(3) tax exempt requirements. Nonprofits (in this case, the Church) cannot endorse any political candidates. The flyer compared what each political candidate's stance is on abortion, but did not endorse any specific candidate.

Here is a photo of the flyer.

The other "infraction" Mr. Graveline committed was to send out political e-mails from his own personal e-mail address to his personal contacts. He regularly sends out spiritual and sociopolitical commentary to his personal contacts, and in this case he did all the research on the various candidates and e-mailed out a "Voter Guide" detailing which political candidates most closely followed Church teaching.

Fr. Bede apparently received a couple of complaints about the e-mails (one wonders why the complainants would not either delete the unwanted e-mail, directly reply to Mr. Graveline and request removal from the list, or just hit the spam button).

In response to the complaints about Mr. Graveline's personal e-mails, Fr. Bede immediately called upon the Diocesan attorney, Judith Simon Kohl to excoriate Mr. Graveline and threaten him with a "cease and desist" letter.

In a subsequent meeting to discuss his future at St. Elizabeth's, Fr. Bede chose to completely revoke his permission for Mr. Graveline to continue teaching Apologetics and forbade him to henceforth lead any ministry whatsoever at the parish.

Call to Prayer:

Holy Spirit, we thank you for those in our parishes who give freely of their time and their talents to further the Kingdom of God. We ask your special protection over church volunteers as well as over our priests who have given their lives in service to You. As priests and church volunteers work together for you, O Lord, we entreat you to guide them all to better serve you, to treat all with a brotherly and Christian care, and to love one another as themselves. Amen.

$50,000 of Catholic Money Donated to the LVVISC

The Catholic church in Las Vegas is partially funding the Industrial Areas Foundation, a group whose local branch calls itself the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsoring Committee (LVVISC). The Industrial Areas Foundation is a politically active Alinskyian organization that promotes values in contradiction to Catholic teachings (see "Bishop Supports Questionable 'Interfaith' Group"). The financial support of our local church in funding this group is not rumor or an unfounded claim, but a fully verifiable fact.

This local IAF branch published a document stating that they are financially supported in part by local Catholic congregations (see document: Funding by local Catholic Congregations) as well as by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD).

While it is unknown at this time how much individual Las Vegas parishes have contributed to a cause that works against Holy Mother Church, we do know that according to the list of grants distributed by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) found on the USCCB website, $50, 000.00 has been donated to the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsoring Committee (LVVISC) for the 2011-2012 year. 

One might imagine that the CCHD funding is simply a national grant that has nothing to do with the Diocese of Las Vegas. But in fact, the CCHD money could not have been obtained without the help from Deacon Tim O'Callaghan, Fr. Bob Stoeckig and with approval by Bishop Pepe.

Here are the roles they each played in securing funding for this local branch of the Industrial Areas Foundation:

Deacon Tim O'Callaghan - Deacon Tim is the CCHD Diocesan Coordinator for the Las Vegas Diocese - Area E. (Source: USCCB Website). Deacon Tim is assigned to St. Andrew in Boulder City alongside Fr. Stoeckig. The Diocesan Coordinator is responsible for reviewing the organization's application, completing an evaluation, conducting site visits, making the recommendation to the Bishop, and submitting the Bishop's endorsement to the CCHD. Please explore Deacon Tim's social action website for more information.
 
Fr. Bob Stoeckig - Fr. Stoeckig was extremely vocal in his support for the LVVISC, organized a delegation of St. Andrew parishioners to attend the rally, spoke at the rally, and disclosed in the St. Andrew bulletin that he is actually a member of the LVVISC. Common sense tells us that he, as the Catholic delegate to the LVVISC, would have be the person who directed the LVVISC to apply for the $50,000 CCHD grant.

Bishop Joseph Pepe - Bishop Pepe is responsible for reviewing the grant application, the recommendation of the Diocesan Director, and for giving final endorsement and approval for awarding the grant.

A description of the process and timeline for awarding grants can be found on the USCCB website link for the grant process.

For a more complete treatise on why the Industrial Areas Foundation is not consistent with Catholic teaching and for insight into the CCHD's historic role in funding the IAF, please review this article by CatholicCulture.org.

Among the reasons cited at the link above for questioning Catholic funding and support for the IAF are as follows:

"1. The principles of Saul Alinsky render any organization so grounded unfit for receipt of Catholic charitable money. As the IAF proceeds upon the principles of Saul Alinsky, the IAF should no longer receive CCHD grants.

2. The IAF is an institutional-based organization. Community organizing by religious institution, rather than by individual, is unjust and robs the dissenting individual of his dignity and right of conscience. As the IAF is an institutional-based organization, the IAF should no longer receive CCHD grants.

3. The IAF has a demonstrable relationship with the dissident organization Call to Action. Many points in the Call to Action agenda contradict Catholic teaching. This relationship between the IAF and Call to Action creates an example of material cooperation between a CCHD-funded organization and an organization, which is not in accord with Catholic teaching. Continued funding of the IAF, therefore, violates the 1998 Draft of Moral Guidelines for Funding by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development which states that "CCHD funds will not be used to support any project which is sponsored or promoted by an organization whose primary or substantial thrust is contrary to Catholic teaching, even if the project itself is in accord with Catholic teaching." Therefore, the IAF should no longer receive CCHD grants.

4. IAF activities in the area of education reform contradict Catholic teaching. IAF activities in the area of welfare reform also contradict Catholic teaching and subvert the work of its member parishes. Again, continued funding of the IAF violates the 1998 Draft of Moral Guidelines for Funding by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, which states that, "CCHD funds will be used to support only projects that conform to Catholic teaching." Therefore, the IAF should no longer receive CCHD grants.

5. The IAF is engaged in partisan political activities. The use of churches by outside organizations, such as the IAF, to promote their own "progressive issues" is inimical to the dignity of the individual within the church who opposes that progressive agenda, and is inimical to his rights of conscience. Therefore, continued CCHD funding to the IAF is inappropriate.

6. The IAF has introduced theological distortions into a number of Catholic communities. Cessation of CCHD grants to the IAF would clarify that the IAF's theology is different from Catholic theology, is inappropriate for promulgation in Catholic communities, and disqualifies the IAF for such funding."

Call to Prayer:

Oh Holy Spirit, You are the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. You are the Spirit of truth, love and holiness, proceeding from the Father and the Son, and equal to Them in all things. We adore You and love You with all our heart. Teach us to know and to seek God, by whom and for whom we were created. Fill our hearts with a holy fear and a great love for Him. Help us to be prudent stewards of the blessings you have seen fit to bestow upon us. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Bishop Says "No" to Nuns

A new Catholic grade school is opening in the 2012-2013 school year. St. Gabriel Catholic School will be starting with Kindergarten through 3rd grade. Fr. Marcus Gomori, Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Byzantine Catholic Church, had been planning on bringing in Roman Catholic nuns in full habit (the Dominican Sisters of Nashville) to teach the children and potentially establish a Mother House near the school.

But because they are Roman Catholic Sisters and not Eastern Rite Sisters under the authority of the Eparchy, Bishop Pepe's permission is necessary in order for them to function in Las Vegas.

Two trustworthy and credible sources have independently confirmed that Bishop Pepe refuses to give his permission for the Sisters to come to Las Vegas to teach. What has not been verified independently is the reason for his refusal, so at the moment it would be speculation to say why he won't give permission.

Unable to secure permission, Fr. Marcus will instead be contracting the Sisters of Saint Basil under the authority of the Eparchy of Van Nuys (independent from our local Bishop). It is hoped that in turn, the sisters themselves will eventually be able to hire the Dominican Sisters of Nashville - under the authority of the same Eparchy instead of the Bishop.

Interestingly, the Bishop's call for financial support of Catholic schools on the Diocesan home page this week makes reference to seven Catholic elementary schools (St. Gabriel would not be included in that number) and makes reference to the fact that students are no longer taught by Sisters. He states:

"Those of us, who have been afforded the opportunity of a Catholic elementary school education, are also aware of the changes that have occurred.  In the past most Catholic schools were the beneficiaries of very dedicated Sisters, Brothers, and Priests who regularly staffed both teaching and administrative positions, often with very limited compensation.  Today we gratefully depend upon the many professional people who devote their vocations as teachers and administrators to the needs of students and parents who still seek this excellent educational opportunity."

It bears mentioning that although it may be of a different Rite, St. Gabriel is also a Catholic school, fully in line with and under the authority of the Holy See.

Call to Prayer:

Eternal Father,
we praise you for sending your Son
to be one of us and to save us.
Look upon your people with mercy,
for we are divided in so many ways,
and give us the Spirit of Jesus to make us one in love.

We ask this gift, loving Father,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Audit Results Never Released for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

The parishioners of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (SEAS) are still waiting to see the results of the financial audit that was conducted on behalf of the Diocese of Las Vegas following the ongoing theft by Msgr. McAuliffe over the course of several years. The audit was conducted during 2011, after Msgr. McAuliffe's removal.

The Diocese allowed the SEAS parish council to very briefly see the audit results, but they were first required to sign a non-disclosure agreement about the findings. Furthermore, no one seems to know the name of the firm used to audit the parish.

Particularly in a situation of financial impropriety such as this one, the parishioners who donated their hard-earned money to the parish should be allowed to see the results in black and white. Not only did SEAS avoid audit for nearly 10 years, but now that an audit has been conducted in the face of scandal, the results are being withheld.

This would be the most appropriate time to institute the sort of transparency that would help parishioners regain their trust in the administration of the parish.


Call to Prayer:

God our loving Father, you are the One in whom we may always trust above all things. Help us to be confident in your divine providence. Help our Shepherds to not be fearful of the judgements that come with human failings, but to courageously start anew in a spirit of right judgement. Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us. Amen.

Video of the Interfaith Rally

Here is a video of the rally put on by the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsoring Committee  (now known as Nevadans for the Common Good) and the Industrial Areas Foundation.

Special appearances by Bishop Pepe and Fr. Bob Stoeckig.

Video: Nevadans for the Common Good

Incidentally, please explore this website for the Southwest Region of the IAF.

Bishop Supports Questionable "Interfaith" Group

Some news was brought to my attention by a concerned parishioner which will be of interest to all Las Vegas Catholics. 



Many of the Catholic faithful in Las Vegas will be familiar by now with the Las Vegas Valley Community Convention for the Common Good at the UNLV Student Union Ballroom which took place on May 22, 2012. This convention was put on by a group called the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsoring Committee (LVVISC), also known as Nevadans for the Common Good. We are all aware of this event because Bishop Pepe, via the Diocese web site and in parish bulletins across our Diocese, strongly voiced his support for and encouraged all to attend the Las Vegas Valley Community Convention for the Common Good. 


The Bishop and our Vicar General Fr. Bob Stoeckig have thrown the weight of the Diocese of Las Vegas behind them in full support through a strongly worded letter from the Bishop and through the work of Fr. Stoeckig and Deacon Tim O’Callaghan. In fact, Fr. Stoeckig himself is a member of the LVVISC (see bulletin). 


The problem with supporting this interfaith rally for the “Common Good”, and with supporting the LVVISC in general, is that the LVVISC is not an independent and legitimate interfaith organization established by actual faith organizations. They are, in fact, a mere affiliate of a national political network called the Industrial Areas Foundation. The LVVISC is not only backed by the secular Industrial Areas Foundation, it is also run by Industrial Areas Foundation staff members. 


The Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) is a national network for community organizing and activism established by political radical and author of “Rules for Radicals”, Saul Alinsky, for the purpose of attaining power (as stated on their website). While the IAF’s local affiliates (such as the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsorship Committee-see supporting documents below) purport to be concerned with Las Vegas’ social issues such as the trafficking of minors, local work for the common good is typically shelved before long and national political issues are soon given the priority and the funding.


The Bishop’s support for the interfaith efforts of the LVVISC is tantamount to support for the national political efforts of the AIF. Why should you care whether the Bishop and Fr. Stoeckig support the IAF? Because the Bishop’s endorsement gives the LVVISC/IAF credibility among Catholic parishioners and puts the resources of the Diocese at the disposal of the IAF by not just providing money (see supporting documents below), but also the very valuable time of our priests and deacons. The IAF will then in turn use the works of our priests and the donated money to further their aims and coordinate their own national political works in contradiction to Church teaching. Support for the good works of Las Vegas Catholics who are already working to improve Vegas itself are thereby diminished.

The text of the Bishop’s letter to parishioners is as follows:


Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,



On Tuesday, May 22, 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the UNLV Student Union Ballroom something quite remarkable will occur. Faith leaders and community members from all over the Las Vegas Valley will come together to focus on issues impacting families and to build an organizational response that offers great promise over time. 


I encourage you to join me in attending this event. In addition to me, the Lutheran, Methodist and Episcopal bishops will be present with leaders from 65 churches, synagogues, mosques, schools and non-profits.


Many of our priests and parishes in the Diocese of Las Vegas are already encouraging or directly involved in this ground - breaking effort. This growing list includes: St. Christopher, Christ the King, St Andrew, Holy Family, St Peter, St John Neumann, St Thomas Aquinas Newman Center, and St Joseph, Husband of Mary. To those who aren’t, permit me to express my encouragement in the strongest possible terms that you send a delegation to discover what this work is all about. Please consider getting directly involved in this vital effort.


In these challenging times we hear the drumbeat of growing human needs in the Las Vegas Valley. Issues from human trafficking, particularly of minors, neighborhood crime and blight, the isolation of vulnerable elderly, immigrant integration and education require a deeply collaborative response.


The First Las Vegas Valley Community Convention for the Common Good on May 22 is just such a response.


I encourage you to take this opportunity to step forward with others in a prayerful and constructive manner to help make our Valley a better place for children, for families, for the vulnerable, for all of us.



Sincerely yours in Christ, Bishop Joseph A Pepe

Interestingly enough, not all these words are the Bishop’s own writing. It seems someone from the LVVISC/IAF has given him and other faith leaders a form letter that they can use to announce the event. You can also see the exact words our Bishop used in a letter from Christ the Servant Christian Church’s pastor, seen in the last paragraph of the May 2012 address.  Like Bishop Pepe’s letter, this letter also goes on to describe how lots of other faith groups will also be supporting the effort. One may presume that since everyone else is doing it, then so should the Diocese of Las Vegas.


The information I am posting here regarding the IAF is simply the tip of the iceberg. Anyone wishing to fully understand the link between the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsorship Committee and the IAF can simply start searching online to find a plethora of connections between the two. Furthermore, the deeper one delves into the organizing tactics of the IAF, the more apparent it becomes that the establishment of the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsoring Committee is perfectly in line with the typical organizing efforts of the IAF, which is to use faith-based influence to improve their success. A list of IAF affiliates reveals a long list of localized “interfaith” organizations from Albuquerque, AZ to Washington, DC.  


Further investigation into the Industrial Areas Foundation and its founder, Saul Alinksy, will also yield a lot of insight into the motives and belief system of the current group, which is diametrically opposed to the Catholic faith. Executive Co-Director of the IAF for the Southwest regions, Ernesto Cortes, Jr., has been integral to developing the “interfaith” organizing tactics among other organizing strategies that are employed by the IAF nationwide.
 

Rather than putting our time, talent and treasure into this “local interfaith” effort, why not support Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, Living Grace Homes, First Choice Pregnancy Center, or another local Catholic charity? Anything else scatters our time, talent and treasure. Las Vegas Catholics are already putting forth tremendous amounts of human and fiscal resources to combat the ills in our town. If we Catholics put forth effort to benefit the questionable ethics and goals of the LVVISC/IAF, those are resources that will be siphoned off from valuable social work that upholds Catholic teaching and that builds up the Kingdom of God.


For a thorough analysis of the AIF from a Catholic perspective, please see this treatise from CatholicCulture.org: A Commentary on the Industrial Areas Foundation


Supporting Documentation:

LVVISC statement of Affiliation with the IAF
Funding by local Catholic Congregations 
This letter from the LVVISC to New Song Anthem Church requests financial contributions. It is likely that the Diocese has received similar requests for financial support.
The Blaze article on the link between Obama and the IAF


Call to Prayer:

God, eternal shepherd, you tend your Church in many ways and rule us with love. You have chosen your servant, Bishop Pepe, to be a shepherd of your flock. Give him a spirit of courage and right judgment, a spirit of knowledge and love. By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care, may he build your Church as a sign of salvation for the world. Amen.

From A Catholic Prayer Book

Msgr. McAuliffe Listed as Treasurer of Our Lady of Wisdom

This past Friday Msgr. Kevin McAuliffe was sentenced to 3 years in prison for the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

But yet another unanswered question surfaces in relation to Msgr. Kevin McAuliffe.

Why is Msgr. McAuliffe listed as the Treasurer of Our Lady of Wisdom Byzantine Church (OLOW)?


Msgr. McAuliffe and Fr. Francis Vivona of OLOW are (or at least were) roommates supported by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. Why does OLOW not have corporate board members that are officials of the Byzantine church hierarchy or who are parishioners of OLOW?

Perhaps an audit of OLOW is in order.

Call to Prayer:

O Mary,
Mother of Jesus Christ and Mother of priests,
accept this title which we bestow on you
to celebrate your motherhood
and to contemplate with you the priesthood
of, your Son and of your sons,
O holy Mother of God.

O Mother of Christ,
to the Messiah-priest you gave a body of flesh
through the anointing of the Holy Spirit
for the salvation of the poor and the contrite of heart;
guard priests in your heart and in the Church,
O Mother of the Savior.
O Mother of Faith, you accompanied to the Temple the Son of Man,
the fulfillment of the promises given to the fathers;
give to the Father for his glory
the priests of your Son,
O Ark of the Covenant.

O Mother of the Church,
in the midst of the disciples in the upper room
you prayed to the Spirit
for the new people and their shepherds;
obtain for the Order of Presbyters
a full measure of gifts,
O Queen of the Apostles.

O Mother of Jesus Christ,
you were with him at the beginning
of his life and mission,
you sought the Master among the crowd,
you stood beside him when he was lifted up from the earth
consumed as the one eternal sacrifice,
and you had John, your son, near at hand;
accept from the beginning those who have been called,
protect their growth,
in their life ministry accompany your sons,
O Mother of Priests.
Amen.

~ Prayer to theVirgin Mary for Priests by Blessed John Paul II