Pastor Invites Parish Families to Leave the Diocese

So says the May 2006 Los Angeles Lay Catholic Mission. Father Martin Tran’s form letter to the 37 (55?) families was not printed, but his dismissals of a parish pastoral council member and of the altar servers coordinator were:

Dear B—,

I would like to inform you, according to the criteria of the parish pastoral council: "consultative" role to the Administrator/pastor, from now on, you are dismissed (no personal offense please!) from being a member of the St. Mary's by the Sea. For you cannot help me to implement the current liturgical norms of the diocese (you chose to kneel at the Final Blessing).

Thanks a lot for all your past contribution to the council. God bless!

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

Fr. Martin Tran

Dear D—,

Since you hold a very significant role in the service for the parish as Coordinator of the altar servers, you are supposed to be a role model for the altar servers and for the whole parish in following to the liturgical norms of the Diocese of Orange. Three times you did not follow these norms during Sunday Masses (1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd Sunday of Advent)(you knelt down after the Lamb of God right in front of the people). For our first meeting, I said very clear that you would be the the Altar Servers Coordinator with the condition that you should follow the liturical norms of the diocese. And you promised that. Now, you broke it. Therefore, you disqualify yourself being the Coordinator for altar servers. As Administrator of the parish, in obedience to the Bishop, I decided to terminate you as Coordinator of the Altar Servers immediately, effective today Dec 14, 2005. And you are not welcome in the sacristy or in the sanctuary to serve any Mass. Fr. Mackin agreed to this! Fr. Lake will be noticed about this also! And if you are holding any keys of the parish, please return them to the rectory immediately. Thanks for your cooperation!

From now on, I and I— L— will take care of the altar servers. Thanks a lot for your service. May God reward you with all God's blessings! Please continue to pray for one another. God bless!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Martin Tran

St. Mary’s by the Sea is in the Diocese of Orange. Meanwhile, in the Diocese of Los Angeles, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in North Hollywood is about to be renovated. First to blog about this was Karen Hall in Some Have Hats. See:

Thing of Beauty is a Joy For . . . about fifty years

Are you with me, or are you with the terrorists?