Many critics of “All Things New” (“ATN”) have rightly pointed out not only the lack of transparency and open/public dialogue, but a clear preference to end traditions. Some believe that an “attack” on “Tradition” itself, with a capital “T”, is at the very heart of ATN. Today we mark another major milestone in the destruction of our Catholic Heritage and tradition(s).
July 26, 2023 will mark the END of a 97-year tradition in our Archdiocese.
It is the final day, of what is reported to be the final Novena, to St. Ann at St. Nicholas parish in the City of St. Louis. This parish houses a “St. Ann Shrine,” and began its 9-day Novena tradition to the mother of the Virgin Mary, in 1926. Through disease and depression, conflict and a World War, this Novena has been a part of Catholic Tradition (and prayer and protection), here in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, every single year for almost a century. Despite being older than any of our native-son Archdiocesan clergy leaders themselves, it will not survive them, nor their zeal for closure and elimination of tradition.
It seems that anything “new” or closed, is preferred to anything traditional. Let us keep in mind that even before any of us knew what “All Things New” really was, the powerful Vicar for Priests Fr. Ken Brown was “re-imaging” something new, how they would close parishes and crush tradition, to create a “surplus of priests” (Fr. Ken Brown summary email from the January 2021 Priest Personnel Board). Is there any other way to create a “surplus” of existing priests, other than to close lots of parishes unnecessarily?
It is precisely for these reasons that we continue to seek any open dialogue or Q&A with Archdiocesan leaders, which they continue to steadfastly refuse. It is precisely why we continue to seek only transparency, and Truth.
It is why many of us will attend a “gun violence” Archdiocesan program on July 29, put on by our Archdiocesan pro-life committee. Questions swirl about why our “pro-life” committee refuses to support actual “pro-life” activities to stop abortions or educate the public, while allying itself with pro-Planned Parenthood politics, and must continue to be asked. Even in the midst of so much closure and destruction of tradition, certain Archdiocesan leaders are eager to divert your donations to their “new” and pet political projects. Please pray for our Archdiocesan leadership, and join in any public Rosary seeking Our Blessed Mother’s protection, and guidance for them, even as they end a Novena to her earthly mother, St. Ann.
Please also look for additional investigation into how they are spending and prioritizing your donations, as they race to wrap up closures of schools, etc., often citing a lack of financial resources. We continue to try to get answers in regard to the $1mm “ecumenical” housing donation, rather than partnering with existing St. Vincent de Paul chapters. As we have reported, the original recipient of this donation was not provided. It was later identified as “FT Holdings” (a brand-new non-profit in Atlanta, GA.). After our inquiries, they proudly stated that they had shifted the donation to a local group, the Robert Fulton Foundation. The Robert Fulton Foundation appears to be affiliated solely with the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church. Please note the “FT” in “Friendly Temple,” and see if you can get an answer about its affiliations. Your $1mm patrimony of the Archdiocese of St. Louis seems now to be converted to eight $125,000 grants, most or all affiliated with “FT” or “Friendly Temple” organizations or donors, and without any transparency or accountability as to exactly what those grants will fund, and whether any actual “housing” will be a part of it. Why won’t the Archdiocese be transparent about its finances, and about your donations? Why would a donation like this, clearly not being accounted for, be preferential to keeping Catholic schools open?
Two Archdiocesan high schools were announced as early victims of All Things New, and had to find their own independent resources for survival. Two Catholic grade schools have been closed this year, even after they accepted registrations for the upcoming school year, and even though their parishes will remain open in the All Things New initiative. Why is that? One such alleged deficit in school funding was $100,000 or less. Why is a questionable $1mm donation preferable to keeping open a long-serving Catholic grade school? Is that just? St. Bruno rightly tells us “no act is charitable, if it is not just.”
You should absolutely ask our Chief Financial Officer for the Archdiocese, Mr. Cory Nardoni at corynardoni@archstl.org. Mr. Brian Niebrugge has a blocked or unpublished email, as he seeks your “new” donations for the Annual Catholic Appeal, so that they can possibly divert them to any “new” pet-project they choose. But you can send an email inquiry to acaoffice@archstl.org. IF you get any actual reply or dialogue from these Archdiocesan financial leaders, we would welcome knowing it, or publishing it for all donors to see. Under Canon 212 and Matthew 18, if we are wrong in any of our facts, we would love to be corrected, but only if an Archdiocesan leader is willing to put their name, and signature, on such a correction (including the full transparency on pro-life or ACA donations, and the complete accounting for the $1mm “ecumenical” housing donation). Surely Archbishop Fulton Sheen was right when he said it would be the laity who must save The Church, and we must do so by asking honest, “Show-Me State” Catholic questions of our leadership, here in the “Rome of the West.”
See also a growing, national effort by a new coalition of faithful Catholics, seeking nothing more than transparency and truth on these very same types of issues.
https://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/spro-defund-the-bishops
Please recall that it was the gentle Doctor of The Church, St. Francis De Sales, who wrote, “It is a work of charity to shout: ‘Here is the wolf!’ when it enters the flock”
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