A sad day
Yesterday was a sad day for the church I was baptized in 2003, Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Newton. Father Walter Cuenin (Pastor) suddenly resigned. He was the one who baptized me, and he also baptized our son. But more and more I read about this, it gets crazier. Both Boston.com and Boston Herald has the story, and Archdiocese allegedly asked him to resign for “financial improprieties” but it is so painfully clear to us that is not the reason. Walter was an outspoken critic of Cardinal Law, and was even featured in the New Yorker magazine in September 2002 for a story called A Priest’s Battle for a More Open Church. There is a even documentary film about him and the church called Our Lady’s (which I have not seen yet). It is really really too bad, and I am more sad than angry…
UPDATE: From September 27, 2005 Brian McGrory’s column
The Catholic Church is facing a severe shortage of priests. Sunday Mass is so empty… So what does Archbishop Sean P. O’Malley do? …He fires the popular pastor at one of the most successful parishes in the entire state, a rare church constantly filled with communicants, bustling with weddings, brimming with christenings, welcoming to people of all types. A priest who should be held up as an example is cut down in shame.
