OPEN LETTER from Rochester Priests . As of 1/28/04 Democrat and Chronicle newspaper documents 30 signatures News and Views documents the following as it was received by most priests of the diocese and "catholics" of the Gay and Lesbian Family Ministry. "Open Letter Regarding Pastoral Care 01/03/2004 - [for widest distribution - as of the morning of 1/4/04, seven Rochester priests had agreed to publicly endorse this open letter] Dear fellow priests serving the Diocese of Rochester: As members of the Catholic Gay & Lesbian Family Ministry (CG&LFM), we invite you to add your names to ours, endorsing the attached open letter issued by 23 priests in the Chicago Archdiocese. Our names and hopefully yours, express our agreement with the pastoral concerns raised in the letter. We believe this is the least we can do to publicly acknowledge the pain suffered by many of our gay and lesbian Catholics and their families through pastoral insensitivity, and to express our pastoral support for them. CG&LFM will send the letter, with the names affixed, to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, with a copy to Bishop Clark. We'll also publish the letter and names to our local newsletter. Please reply to this email by January 31 to have your name added to our list. Tell us how you would like your name listed, and the way in which you want to be identified -- the name of the faith community you serve, that you are retired, etc. With continued prayers for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and their families, and for the pastoral support they deserve. Fr. Bob Kennedy, Blessed Sacrament parish Fr. Joe Marcoux, Sacred Heart Cathedral Fr. Gary Tyman, Holy Rosary and Most Precious Blood parishes cc: RochVersionOfChicagoLtr.doc [in plain text] AN OPEN LETTER TO THE HIERARCHY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH REGARDING THE PASTORAL CARE OF GAY AND LESBIAN PERSONS (originally issued by 23 priests of the Chicago Archdiocese, December 19, 2003) As Catholic pastors, we have become increasingly disturbed by the tone and, in some cases, content of documents and statements from the Vatican, bishops' conferences and individual bishops on issues categorized under the heading of "homosexual" or "gay/lesbian." We respect the teaching authority of the Church. Because of this, we find particularly troubling the increase in the use of violent and abusive language directed at any human person. Such language is inappropriate. This is especially so when addressing members of the community of the faithful. These divisive and exclusionary statements from the Church are contrary to sound pastoral practice. The Life journey in faith is unique and sacred, including the personal integration of sexuality and spirituality. Condemnations levelled at sincere Catholics attempting to make sense out of their journey are inappropriate and pastorally destructive. As priests and pastors we are speaking out to make clear that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters are all members of God's family, brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus and deserving of the same dignity and respect owed any human being. Recognition of the inalienable dignity of the human person is the only path toward justice and reconciliation. We affirm the goodness of all homosexual persons. We root ourselves in the U.S. Bishops statement "Always Our Children." Additionally we re-affirm the understanding of the goodness of the human person as put forth throughout the papacy of Pope John Paul II. Further, we want to state clearly that ministering to and with our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters is mutually beneficial, as is all ministerial activity. Pre-judging where any believer's journey will take them is inappropriate. Walking with them, as we do with our heterosexual brothers and sisters is the appropriate Christian response. In the recent past, individual bishops, bishops' conferences and the Vatican have assumed a tone of such violence and abusiveness toward these sons and daughters of the Church, we can no longer remain silent. Has any other group of people within the Body of Christ been so assaulted and violated by such mean-spirited language? Examples from the most recent Vatican document show all too clearly the demonization of these children of God, referring to homosexuality as a "troubling moral and social phenomenon," "a serious depravity," "the spread of the phenomenon," "approval or legalization of evil," "grave detriment to the common good," "harmful to the proper development of human society," "intrinsically disordered." Does anyone consider this vile and toxic language invitational? For many gay and lesbian Catholics, this most recent series of attacks has forced them, out of self-respect and self-love, to withdraw from active participation in the Church and question how they can remain members of a Church they experience as abusive. It is not possible to minister to and with the needs of our homosexual brothers and sisters with language of this tone as a foundation. The Catholic Church is most catholic when it is inclusive and embracing, and least reflective of the gospel of Jesus when it is exclusive and rigid. For this reason, we also want to affirm the many pastoral and positive statements by certain bishops and bishops' conferences (e.g. "Always Our Children"). The Church's theology, including her moral teaching, is always in dialogue with the broader lived experience of her members, which shapes and rearticulates the ancient deposit of faith. We encourage a new atmosphere of openness to dialogue which includes the lived experience of many Catholic members. We recognize the blessings of countless homosexuals in a variety of relationships. We believe their experiences must be listened to respectfully. While we do not know the reasons for the increasingly violent and abusive language, we deplore it as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ and ask that it stop immediately. Furthermore, we request that all those in official positions of teaching authority in the Church refrain from any more statements directed AT the gay and lesbian members of the Body of Christ, and instead begin an earnest dialogue WITH those same members of the Body of Christ. For our part, we pledge to treat all who seek to continue their faith journey with us with respect and dignity, regardless of their sexual orientation. We join the countless men and women, heterosexual and homosexual, who seek justice, mercy and compassion in and through the Catholic Church. We extend an invitation to all who share our concern to duplicate this letter, sign it, and send it to their pastor, local bishop, National Bishop's Conference or the Vatican. (Parish names are listed for identification purposes only.) Fr. Bob Kennedy, Blessed Sacrament parish Fr. Joe Marcoux, Sacred Heart Cathedral Fr. Gary Tyman, Holy Rosary and Most Precious Blood parishes " {end of letter as sent to persons in Rochester diocese, and if one reads the last paragraph. it has already been sent to other folks throughout the nation.} Comment: Once again, the root cause of pederasty raises its pastoral, invitational, inclusive, divisive while heretical head for the destabilization of Church and Culture. Our young are the benefactors of this seduction, while the medical community covers up the price in disease and pain. How many priests are circulating their version of the Chicago letter in your diocese? Michael F. Brennan Coalition in Defense of Church Teaching PO BOX 15743 Rochester, New York (585) 467-1745 ---------------------------------------------- UPDATE: Directly related to pressure from American Bishops and Catholic laity, the Vatican brought pressure on the authors of Always Our Children. The current rewrite is more appropiate, respectful of parental rights/responsibilities, and acknowledges the parents fear of disease afflicting their loved children. http://www.usccb.org/laity/always.htm is the web address for the current Always Our Children document, which remains not approved by the body of Bishops. The Catholic Catechism contains the Teaching of the Catholic Church.

Democrat and Chronicle reports the "Irking" of 35 Rochester priests by the Vatican. They circulated [on internet] and signed "Open Letter to Hierarchy." ROCHESTER PRIESTS "IRKED" - The Rochester 35 join the Chicago 23. We have the 35 names of these Rochester priests who are under the protection of Matthew H. Clark, Bishop. The D&C newspaper article that follows does not name them. The Rochester Diocese and Catholic Gay and Lesbian Family Ministry refuses to release the identities of those who signed this "open letter." Names of priests and assignments follows: Robert S. Bourcy - St. Patricks, Macedon James Boyle - St. John of Rochester, Fairport Peter C. Clifford - St. Michael's, Newark Otto Vogt - St. Thomas More, Rochester Doug Della Pietra - Church of Good Shepherd, Henrietta Richard T. Farrell - St. Mary's, Elmira Raymond H. Fleming - Emanuel Church of the Deaf, Rochester Robert Gaudio - Catholic Community of St. Anne & St. Gregory, Palmyra Msgr. William H Shannon - Nazareth College Richard Shatzel - St. Mary's, Bath Dennis Shaw - Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Holy Redeemer and St. Fancis Xavier, Rochester Roy Kiggins - Roman Catholic Community, Geneva Don McCarthy, C.S.B. - Basilian Community, Fairport Road (previously assigned to Rochester H.S.) Daniel McMullen - St. Mary's Geneseo Tim Niven - Our Lady of the Lakes, Penn Yan John J. Phillips - St. John of Rochester, Fairport Paul J. Ryan - St. Elizabeth Seton, Hamlin NY William V. Spilly - St. John the Evangelist, Rochester Larry Tracy - Holy Redeemer, Rochester Robert Werth - R.C. Community of the 19th Ward at St. Monica's, St. Augustine, Our Lady of Good Counsel Michael Bausch - Transfiguration, Pittsford Alexander Bradshaw - Mother of Sorrows, Rochester Lee Chase - St. Thomas More, Rochester Patrick Connor - St. Peter and Paul, Elmira Brian Cool - Newman Center at University of Rochester Stan Kacprzak - St. Paul's, Webster Jim Lawlor - St. Catherine of Sienna, Mendon Francis McNamara, S.J. - McQuaid Jesuit H.S. William Mihatek - Holy Trinity, Webster Ed Polumbos - Assumption, Fairport James Schwartz - St. Louis, Pittsford John T. Walsh - Our Lady Queen of Peace, Brighton Gary Tyman - Holy Rosary & Precious Blood, Rochester Robert Kennedy - Blessed Sacrament, Rochester Joseph Marcoux - Sacred Heart Cathedral, Rochester Subject: Bishop Clark upset with "gays" and Open Letter becomes "internal communication." http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/0206CH36LSR_news.shtml http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/0206CH36LSR_news.shtml Letter on Gays Upsets Clark Marketta Gregory Staff Writer (February 6, 2004) Local priests involved in the Catholic Gay and Lesbian Family Ministry and others who recently signed a letter protesting church language were chastised Thursday by Bishop Matthew Clark for not approaching him first. The priests' letter had complained about what they called violent language toward homosexuals in a Vatican document that discourages same-sex marriage and instructs Catholic lawmakers to vote against proposals that would allow the marriages. In response to the 35 signatories, Clark wrote: "I am more than a little surprised that this ministry has circulated this letter on behalf of the diocese without ever seeking my input. I am sure it will take greater care to do so in the future." The Rev. Francis McNamara said Thursday that he stood behind the letter he and the other priests signed, but he also agreed that Clark should have been informed. "I did not know when I got it that (the gay and lesbian ministry) did not clear it with the bishop," said McNamara, the alumni director at McQuaid Jesuit High School. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, including the Catholic Gay and Lesbian Family Ministry, is not releasing a copy of the priests' letter or a list of those who signed it. The Rev. Robert J. Kennedy, a signatory, said he did not feel he could identify others because he hadn't asked their permission. "It was more of an internal communication" to open dialogue about church language, said Kennedy, who serves at Blessed Sacrament Church. The Rochester priests joined 23 priests from the Archdiocese of Chicago who signed a similar letter in December. The Chicago letter criticized a recent Vatican document as displaying "the demonization of these children of God, referring to homosexuality as a 'troubling moral and social phenomenon,' 'a serious depravity.' ... Does anyone consider this vile and toxic language invitational?" Clark, in noting that the Rochester priests followed the Chicago priests, wrote, "I think it appropriate for me to respond with the letter that Cardinal Francis George (of Chicago) sent to its original drafters. He expresses well my own sentiments in this matter." George told the priests he agreed that language can make it difficult to welcome people. He said he was willing to discuss the issue with the priests, and he thanked them for loving the people they minister to. Then he added, "If, however, you cannot resolve that tension between welcoming people as they are and still calling them to leave their sinfulness and become saints, it would be all the more important for us to talk." Clark, like George, offered to meet with the protesting priests. MGREGORY@DemocratandChronicle.com Note that this subject "Open Letter" [which can be seen below following our Open Letter] was to be e-mailed to all members of Catholic Gay&Lesbian group with signatories. That was before the open letter became an "internal communication." Bishop Clark will continue to be requested to remove the LaPatta's, Marcoux, Kennedy and Tyman from leadership in this homosexual/lesbian agenda ridden "ministry." Everything they say and do has been against the Catholic Church. http://www.rochesterdandc.com/news/0128I43347P_news.shtml VATICAN PAPER IRKS 30 PRIESTS Marketta Gregory Staff Writer (January 28, 2004) Thirty local priests have signed a strongly worded letter protesting what they call violent language toward homosexuals in a Vatican document. The 12-page Vatican document discourages same-sex marriage and instructs Catholic lawmakers to vote against proposals that would allow the marriages. "Language can destroy or build up," said the Rev. Joe Marcoux, a signer of the letter who serves Sacred Heart Cathedral, Holy Rosary and Most Blessed Blood parishes in Rochester. "These people have value in our church. They have gifts that our church needs. Every person has an inherent dignity because he or she was created in God's image." The priests from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester join 23 priests from the Archdiocese of Chicago who signed a similar letter in December. Rochester priests have until Saturday to sign. Because they haven't yet reached the deadline, they are not releasing a copy of their letter. However, they say it is essentially the same as the Chicago letter. Marcoux and the other signers agree with the teachings of the church, which say that homosexual acts are not to be practiced, but disapprove of the tone and language in the Vatican document. For example, the document states that children in the households of same-sex marriages are deprived of either fatherhood or motherhood. "Allowing children to be adopted by persons living in such unions would actually mean doing violence to these children" because the environment "is not conducive to their full human development," the document reads. Marcoux countered: "That has not been our experience, that these children are put in a violent atmosphere." He works with a diocesan group that ministers to people who are gay or lesbian and their families. The Vatican document, which took two years to complete, does say people with homosexual tendencies "must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity." But that reference apparently isn't enough for signers in Chicago and Rochester, who say many references are alienating. Chicago's Cardinal Francis George quickly responded to the letter from his area priests and agreed with them that language can make it difficult to welcome people and offered to discuss the topic with them. He thanked them for loving the people they minister to, but wrote, "If, however, you cannot resolve that tension between welcoming people as they are and still calling them to leave their sinfulness and become saints … it would be all the more important for us to talk." Doug Mandelaro, a spokesman for the Rochester diocese, said it was premature to give a detailed comment on the local letter, which has not been sent to Bishop Matthew Clark. "My understanding is that this is a heartfelt effort on the part of some people, including local priests, who feel strongly about this highly complex, highly charged issue of language and perception," Mandelaro said. "For his part, Bishop Clark has always supported the teaching of the church on homosexuality, which includes the need to reach out with sensitivity and compassion to gay and lesbian people as our brothers and sisters in Christ. He always has taught us to look for our commonality as children of God and to avoid divisiveness. My sense is that the Vatican would not disagree with that approach." Michael F. Brennan, a local member of the Coalition in Defense of Church Teaching, said he's amazed at the underlying courage and conviction of the priests "but it's a conviction that's non-Christian and non-Catholic." In a letter to Clark and other church leaders, Brennan wrote that the priests' letter was an affront to church leaders' authority, adding, "Frankly, many of our priests and too many of our bishops should join the Episcopal Church if they want to follow their conscience." It was a reference to the controversy over the Episcopalians' ordination of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire. Marcoux knows that the letter challenges church hierarchy. "It's not that we don't believe in them but that we want them to be more prudent," he said. "For me, because of my experience ministering to gay and lesbian people and helping them understand the church teaching, I have to sign this document — risk or no risk. It's a matter of conscience." MGREGORY@DemocratandChronicle.com To see the full text of the Vatican document, "Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons" from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith go to: www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20030731_homosexual-unions_en.html To read the full letter from the priests in the Chicago area, go to: www.natcath.org/mainpage/chicagoletter.htm   Copyright 2004 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. -------------------------------------------------------- Diocese of Rochester News and Views OPEN LETTER TO BISHOP MATTHEW H. CLARK, Ordinary of Rochester New York Most Rev. Matthew H. Clark Bishop of Rochester President, Catholic Courier 1136 Buffalo Road P.O. Box 24379 Rochester, NY 14624 cc: His Eminence, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger Prefect, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith His Eminence, Francis Cardinal Arinze Prefect, Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments The Most Reverend Gabriel Montalvo Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the United States of America Most Reverend Francesco Pio Tamburrino, O.S.B., Secretary, and Monsignor Mario Marini, Undersecretary Congregatio de Cultu Divino et Disciplina Sacramentorum Most Reverend Joseph L. Imesch Bishop of Joliet, IL January 17, 2004 (revised January 22, 2004) Your Excellency; Using a document named "Always Our Children," priests of Chicago, Rochester, and their GLBT [gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered] allies throughout the nation, have attempted to demonize two thousand years of explicit Church Teaching on the tragedy of homosexual/lesbian tendencies and relationships. As your excellency knows, Always Our Children is not a product of the body of the USCCB. It was created by a bureaucratic committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [USCCB]. The document had to be revised in June/98 after its sudden appearance in Oct/97 related to its core misinformation, and tone of GLBT and Dignity organizational activism. Among other problems, the committee document known as Always Our Children of Oct/97 advised parents to take "wait and see" attitudes when their children had questionable friendships. It did not encourage parental rights and responsibilities. Its current revision also has not been voted on by the body of bishops, because it would require more revision for approval, and has no ecclesiastical authority or magisterial weight. The revised document can be viewed at http://www.usccb.org/laity/always.htm A document related to pastoral teaching on homosexual and lesbian relationships that was voted affirmatively by the American Roman Catholic body of Bishops is at http://www.usccb.org/laity/manandwoman.htm A recent news item in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle notes that the City government of Rochester appears to favor "gay marriage." Your Eminence could use this document "Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers About Marriage and Same Sex-Unions" to explain to the Rochester City Council why homosexual and lesbian marriage/unions endangers American families and culture, as well as the sacramental marriage bond you protect. In addition, as the closing paragraphs of this letter documents, Magisterial Teaching authority are opposed by the Reverends Marcoux, Kennedy and Tyman of the Rochester Diocese, who are leaders in the Catholic Gay & Lesbian Family Ministry (CG&LFM) of Rochester, and have authored an endorsement of the "Chicago attack" by 23 priests of that diocese. This attack on clear Catholic Magisterial Teaching, which you are consecrated to protect, endorse and teach is an affront to your authority. Their endorsement is circulating throughout our diocese, requesting signatures as an "OPEN LETTER TO THE HIERARCHY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH REGARDING THE PASTORAL CARE OF GAY AND LESBIAN PERSONS." I was made aware of this by a female member of CG&LFM [who believes "real Catholicism" is what Frs. Marcoux, Tyman and Kennedy tell her.] Our group sent it to the editor of the Catholic Courier, Karen M. Franz, whose office is next to your office of President. It is also documented on the website: http://community-1.webtv.net/mfb2 Diocese of Rochester News and Views Please remind your priests and laity of the clear, compassionate teaching of the Roman Catholic Church in order that confusing signals and rhetoric stop. Examples of clear, compassionate, authentic Catholic Teaching are as follows: Catholic Catechism on Homosexuality from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (English edition 1994) 2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity [1], tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered [2]." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstance can they be approved. 2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. [They do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them it is a trial.] This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition. (Note: The bracketed text above was removed on 8 September 1997 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Ex-homosexuals and lesbians, as well as their families, played a part in that correction.) 2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection. cf. Congregation on the Doctrine of the Faith: Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics, VIII "At the present time there are those who, basing themselves on observations in the psychological order, have begun to judge indulgently, and even to excuse completely, homosexual relations between certain people. This they do in opposition to the constant teaching of the Magisterium and to the moral sense of the Christian people. A distinction is drawn, and it seems with some reason, between homosexuals whose tendency comes from a false education, from a lack of normal sexual development, from habit, from bad example, or from other similar causes, and is transitory or at least not incurable; and homosexuals who are definitively such because of some kind of innate instinct or a pathological constitution judged to be incurable. In regard to this second category of subjects, some people conclude that their tendency is so natural that it justifies in their case homosexual relations within a sincere communion of life and love analogous to marriage, in so far as such homosexuals feel incapable of enduring a solitary life. In the pastoral field, these homosexuals must certainly be treated with understanding and sustained in the hope of overcoming their personal difficulties and their inability to fit into society. Their culpability will be judged with prudence. BUT NO PASTORAL METHOD can be employed which would give moral justification to these acts on the grounds that they would be consonant with the condition of such people. For according to the objective moral order, homosexual relations are acts which lack an essential and indispensable finality. In Sacred Scripture they are condemned as a serious depravity and even presented as the sad consequence of rejecting God. This judgment of Scripture does not of course permit us to conclude that all those who suffer from this anomaly are personally responsible for it, but it does attest to the fact that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered and can in no case be approved of." Michael F. Brennan Coalition in Defense of Church Teaching Diocese of Rochester News and Views P.O. Box 15743 Rochester, New York 14615 585-530-0179 http://community-1.webtv.net/mfb2 Michael Macaluso Citizens for a Decent Community 7 Harwood Lane East Rochester, New York 14445 585-248-9094 Karl Mauer,Vice President, Treasurer, Web Editor - Catholic Citizens of Illinois 106 Calendar Court, PMB 122 Lagrange, IL 60525 http://www.catholiccitizens.org Mary Ann Kreitzer Les Femmes 1216 Mill Rd Woodstock, VA In the Diocese of Arlington, VA http://www.lesfemmes-thetruth.org Jeanine Notter Allyson Smith Supporters in affiliation, Les Femmes Betty L. Gudat Defenders of the Magisterium San Antonio, Texas Barbara Kralis Jesus Through Mary Foundation Avemaria@earthlink.net phone: 903-532-5555 fax: 903-532-6544 919 Harrell Road Howe, Tx. 75459 J. Hallett, Ed. http://www.supportourdiocese.com Oakland, California Jim Fritz Defenders of the Faith Inc. PO Box 1000 Berkeley Springs, WV 25411 Domus Dei http://www.domusdei.com Springfield, MA. Cecilia H. Martin, Ed. The Catholic Advocate Diocese of St. Augustine, FL Mrs. Katherine A. Parker The Women at the Cross Birmingham, Alabama 35242 Fred Paschall, Ed. The Defender Wheeling-Charleston Diocese, WV http://www.thedefender.org Georgene Sorenson, President Romans in the Desert Laurie Balbach Taylor "Called to Conversion" newsetter Hope of Saint Monica, Inc. Milford, Ohio U.S.A. (Archdiocese of Cincinnati) Carolyn Wendell V.O.C.A.L. Voice of Catholics Advocating Life Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon Tim Ehlen Petoskey, Michigan Valerie Lubitz, President Los Pequenos de Cristo P.O Box 16117 Albuquerque, NM 87191-6117 The Orlando Truth P.O. Box 495 Tangerine, FL 32777 Michael and Donna Marek Ogdensburg, NY Peter M. Palumbo, Chairman Friends of Holy Redeemer Kissimee, Florida Scott Whitcomb Diocese of Rochester Susan Button (Mother & Writer) 2155 Ketchner Rd. Wellsville, NY 14895

Sacred Heart Cathedral

A Gothic Cathedral in the "English-Gothic" tradition. The "vosko-plan" calls for connecting additions and an atrium to spoil its classical architecture. We will no longer go to Church, but will go to the "campus complex" as it is called.

Cathedral Denied Landmark status Comment to following newspaper article: Unfortunately, the 7,000 signed petition with address and phone numbers [includes probably 1,800 non Catholics] is not mentioned. However the following Democrat and Chronicle article is a concise, informed and balanced report. Unfortunately, diocesan claims of "overwhelming support" has never been documented. Sacred Heart's Pastor refuses to release their survey of parishioners to public exposure. They did the count and brag about their results. "It is not who votes, it is who counts the votes." (Joseph Stalin, 1926) Many on the Preservation Committee want to appeal. We had a very strong case. I believe Judge Lunn of NYS Supreme Court Civil Part found it "a bridge too far" and did not want to go there a second time. I think peripheral realities obscured his decision-making process. Intrusion into a Municipal decision, and Church matters might have seemed risky business for the Court. However, if Sacred Heart Cathedral is not an historic and architectural landmark, Rochester can not claim to have landmarks. The Environmental Impact process continues, which temporarily protects the stain glass windows, and delays exterior plans for atrium and attached buildings. Final Environmental Impact approval is not expected till OCT/NOV. Contractors are seven months behind schedule. Permits for Interior decimation of the cathedral was granted on August 16, 2003 by the City of Rochester. Mayor Johnson's alliance with Bishop Clark is another example of the "leftist coalition" alliance to transform Roman Catholicism into a social institution. Update: The Zoning Board approved 5 of 8 variances in Nov 2003, which authorizes continued construction. Architectural plans point to a 20 million "campus complex." Public admissions stated 4 then 6 and most recently 9 million. http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/forprint/0829P91LA9V_cathedral29_news.shtml Sacred Heart Ruling is Upheld Rick Armon Staff writer (August 29, 2003) The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester and the city won a legal battle Thursday in state Supreme Court that keeps Sacred Heart Cathedral from becoming a city landmark. Justice Robert Lunn ruled that the city Planning Commission acted properly when it decided in June that the church should not be given landmark status. That designation had been opposed by the diocese, which is spending about $9 million on a renovation and expansion project at the church. Supporters of the landmark status said they are debating whether to appeal. The diocese has said that landmark status could impede the renovation project and lead to a new cathedral being built outside the city. " We"re obviously delighted," said Douglas Mandelaro, a spokesman for the diocese. " The decision is good for the diocese, good for area Catholics and good for the city." Sacred Heart, located in northwest Rochester, is the central church in the 12-county, 350,000-member diocese. But the building desperately needs to be renovated, church officials have said. They also are planning to remodel the interior, build an addition onto the cathedral and add a large parking lot that will require tearing down many neighboring houses. Some of that work still requires city approval. The diocese already has started repairing the roof and has auctioned off some items. The Sacred Heart Preservation Committee, a group of Catholics who favor the landmark designation and oppose some of the changes, had appealed the Planning Commission's June decision — the second time the board had rejected landmark status for the church. Lunn had ordered the commission to reconsider the issue after he found fault with the board's earlier decision-making. One of his main complaints was that the board focused on the effect the landmark status would have on the diocese instead of on the city. On Thursday, Lunn, who previously had read a transcript and watched a video of the commission hearing, said he was satisfied that the board properly studied that matter before making its latest determination. However, attorney Alan Knauf, who represented the Preservation Committee, disagreed. He said the group now will consider an appeal. " There's overwhelming evidence that this building is worthy of designation," he said. Supporters of the landmark status have pointed to the building's gothic architecture and former Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's career at the church as reasons for landmark status. Sheen, the television evangelist and author who was bishop of Rochester from 1966 to 1969, is being considered for sainthood. The cathedral also was determined to be eligible for the State and National Registers of Historic Places in 1992. Mary Giorgi, a parishioner at the church who filed the original application last year to make the cathedral a landmark, said she was disappointed in Lunn's ruling and favors an appeal. The vast majority of Catholics support the project, Mandelaro said. One of the more interesting moments during the hearing was when city attorney Johanna Brennan said the diocese had selected a site to build a new cathedral outside the city if the church was declared a landmark. But Knauf called that threat " a ruse" that helped sway city officials to the diocese's side. Mandelaro said that Bishop Matthew Clark had indeed picked an alternative site. He said he didn't know the location, adding that " it would serve no purpose to disclose the site because we have a cathedral on Flower City Park." RARMON@DemocratandChronicle.com Sacred Heart Items up for Sale Joy Davia Staff Writer (August 24, 2003) The four women wanted six pews. So before Saturday's auction at Becker's Moving and Storage Warehouse, the four longtime Sacred Heart Cathedral parishioners kept guard over several 12-foot pews that didn't have scratches or missing legs. " I just thought it would be nice to have a pew," shrugged Rosemary Hahn of Perinton as she wandered down a row. She pointed to a prayer book holder on the back of a pew. " My husband, years ago, worked hard to border and put those in." The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester's plans for a $6 million to $8 million renovation of Sacred Heart has sparked controversy. The church says the expansion will allow them to update the facility to better serve the diocese's 350,000 Catholics, but some parishioners have said the changes will cost too much and ruin the church's history. As part of the renovation, hundreds of pews, four confessionals, wooden doors, carved tables from the 1800s and other items were to be auctioned off Saturday and at 1 p.m. today at 1523 Mt. Read Blvd. Also for sale were antiques, furniture and other items from the Sisters of St. Joseph's former motherhouse, Nazareth College and Colgate Rochester Divinity School. But aside from several pews — which sold for $20 to $40 — most of the Sacred Heart items will be sold today. " It doesn't seem right," said Sue Stehling of Victor, Ontario County, as she passed a stack of confessional doors. " You're raised to think that religious antiques shouldn't be sold, and look what's happening here." The parishioners at Saturday's auction mainly agreed that the church needed some work. But they would prefer updates such as an extra coat of paint rather than replacing the traditional pews with chairs, for example. Hahn planned to use the pew as a bench on the porch of her Keuka Lake cottage. Fellow parishioner Pat Russell wanted to give a pew to a daughter in Syracuse. " And it will be nice to have a little piece of the church," added Hahn, a parishioner of 47 years. JDAVIA@DemocratandChronicle.com [for photo of auction (worth a thousand words) go to www.democratandchronicle.com - Advanced Search. Type in davia for reporter, date=aug 24, 2003 and title=Sacred Heart items up for sale.]

"The Plan" for Sacred Heart Cathedral as presented for one day on Oct. 6, 2002, but not seen since. Demolition to start "in the Spring," as told to DOR News&Views by the Tennesee architects. Also doors to be locked for nine months (open April 2004). However, CURRENT SITUATIONS POINT TO AN EXTENDED DELAY BEFORE OPENING. CONTRACTORS HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS as of Jan 2004.

Looking from the apse [the apse is defined as the far end of the building which is a semicircular extension of a church building; this cathedal apse serves as the back of the sanctuary, which is the back wall] and coming towards the jacuzzi baptismal structure, we find this computer enhanced photo shows:

1. New organ in the apse where baldachinno covers Sacred Heart statue, tabernacle and marble high altar are now.
2. Choir in a "bleachers arrangement" in front of the organ.
3. Archbishop Sheen's "sawed in half" pulpit where free standing marble altar is now.
4. The free standing marble altar vanishes to be replaced by an "enhancing" square wood table on a wood platform in the current middle aisle of the nave. (What is the reason for replacing the current marble standing altar?)
5. The classic traditional pews would be replaced with Penny's or Sears finest card chairs. The jacuzzi baptismal font exhibits the mentality of "expert" liturgical designers.

This gothic sanctuary will be exterminated. Mission accomplished a la "voskospeak" (Richard Vosko, premier Liturgical Design Consultant with "forked tongue".)

We cannot help but comment that these relatively cheap interior furnishings will require constant replacements and repair with use. The "musical chairs" arrangement similar to St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee requires more laborers as I have witnessed in Milwaukee. The Church will be hard pressed to explain to future generations what it has allowed to be done to Herself.
Frankly, the Pope and Landmark Societies across the world should be outraged at the destruction of this classical gothic interior.

Cathedral Project Draws Questions http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/forprint/07030EI1BST2_cathedral30_news.shtml Small Park Part of Cathedral Project Rick Armon Staff writer (July 30, 2003) The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester may build a small park at the corner of Primrose Street and Ridgeway Avenue as part of its renovation and expansion project at Sacred Heart Cathedral. The park is one of the alternatives the diocese may consider to ease the concerns of some neighbors and city officials who have questioned plans to tear down 11 houses and build a 114-space parking lot around the church. The park would gobble up some land the diocese has set aside for parking. " We want this project to be good for the diocese, Sacred Heart community, surrounding neighborhood and everyone involved," said Michael Tedesco, a diocesan spokesman. The park proposal is noted in the diocese's draft environmental impact statement, which was delivered to the city last week. The document — a required step in the process of receiving city approval — details the expansion project, includes multiple maps and police reports, and states that the renovation and expansion will have a positive effect on both the church and neighborhood. The parking lot, despite its large size, is needed to reduce on-street parking, according to the diocese. Church-goers now park along the street or in a church-owned lot across the street. The city will hold a public hearing on the draft environmental impact statement at 7 p.m. Aug. 7 in council chambers at City Hall, 30 Church St. Written comments also will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Aug. 22. A decision, which will follow a final report and Board of Zoning hearing, isn't expected until at least October. The cathedral, built between 1925 and 1927, needs extensive interior and exterior repairs to remain the " mother church" in the 12-county Rochester diocese, according to the diocese. The diocese wants to build additions that would include a new main entranceway, an atrium and office space, and the large, landscaped parking lot. The additions would add about 9,215 square feet. The diocese also plans to reconfigure the interior of the cathedral, including moving the altar, but city approval is needed only for the addition, exterior work and parking lot. The church already has been closed because workers are repairing the roof. The project has faced severe criticism from two groups of Catholics: the Sacred Heart Preservation Committee and Quarterbacks for Jesus. They argue that the project is too costly and will damage the integrity of the cathedral. They also worry that the renovations will diminish former Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's relationship with the church. Sheen, the television evangelist and author who was bishop of Rochester from 1966 to 1969, is being considered for sainthood. Despite the diocese's claim, the project will create " a lot of adverse impacts to the neighborhood," said Theresa West, a member of Quarterbacks for Jesus who regularly attended Mass at the church. She said it will result in increased traffic and damage the residential character and property values in the neighborhood by tearing down houses. The parking lot also will be a potential magnet for crime, she said. In addition to the park proposal, the 74-page document says the alternatives for the diocese are: not proceeding with the project, saving some of the housing or using parking lots at John Marshall High School. Those alternatives are not favored in the report. If the project does not proceed, the diocese will consider reverting the cathedral to a parish church, according to the document, meaning that the diocese would look to either renovate another church into a cathedral or build a new one. The document also contains several other facts about the project: The estimated cost is $9 million. The diocese previously has said the project would cost between $6 million and $8 million. The narthex — being built between the church and the existing rectory — will serve as the main entranceway into the cathedral. The narthex also will be a much-needed gathering place, the document says. The lower third of six of the seven stained glass windows on the east side of the cathedral will be removed because they will be obscured by the construction of the narthex. The 2.85-acre site would be exempt from county and city taxes. The county and city collect $4,460 and $12,303 a year in taxes, respectively, on the property now occupied by houses. RARMON@DemocratandChronicle.com

Justice is Served via Supreme Court Judge Robert Lunn   NOTE: City Councilman Stevenson is head usher and key figure on Sacred Heart Renovation Committee http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/forprint/0502story2_news.shtml Sacred Heart Fix-up On Hold James Goodman Democrat and Chronicle (May 2, 2003) A state Supreme Court justice Thursday put a hold on efforts to renovate the Sacred Heart Cathedral. Justice Robert Lunn annulled the city Planning Commission"s decision not to give landmark status to the cathedral. He said that the case should be sent back to the Planning Commission for a thorough review. No date was set. Lunn's ruling followed a hearing in which lawyers for both sides argued the case Thursday. "The question is, is this a landmark? I think it is," said Alan Knauf, who represented the Preservation Committee, a group of Catholics who brought the suit against the city Planning Commission. Knauf argued that the Planning Commission applied a standard that was too narrow and failed to adequately consider the exterior and interior of the church as separate entities. Linda Kingsley, who is the lawyer for the city, said that she'll review the judge's decision. "We'll decide whether we can and should appeal," she said. The diocese has a $6 million to $8 million plan to renovate the interior and exterior of Sacred Heart Cathedral -- the central church in the 12-county, 350,000-member Rochester diocese. Opponents say that the changes would ruin the integrity of the 75-year-old building, where 1,300 families belong. The diocese says that an addition would include a much needed gathering space that would be made of cast stone to match its limestone finish. The Rev. Joseph Hart, vicar general for the Catholic Diocese of Rochester, expressed disappointment at Lunn's ruling. "It delays our renovation," he said. If -- upon further review -- the Planning Commission determines that the church is a city landmark, the diocese would have to obtain a certificate of appropriateness from the city Preservation Board before starting renovations. The Rev. John Mulligan, pastor of Sacred Heart, said that the case involves procedural issues. "I hope we can quickly turn this around," he said. But members of the Preservation Committee hoped that the ruling would lead to a rethinking of the expansion plan. "Justice has been served," said Michael Brennan. The suit was filed against the Planning Commission last fall, after that panel voted 5-3 against landmark designation. Supporters of landmark status have pointed to the building's gothic architecture and former Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's career at the church as reasons for giving it historic designation. The Preservation Board recommended in October that the exterior and interior of the church be designated as landmarks. But when the city Planning Commission subsequently considered the issue, it rejected a proposal to designate Sacred Heart as a city landmark. Knauf, in his argument in court Thursday, faulted the commission's review. "The findings just weren't sufficient," he said. He also criticized City Councilman Robert Stevenson for talking to two members of the Planning Commission right before the commission deliberated on this case. Johanna Brennan, who represented the city in this lawsuit, said that the Planning Commission review shouldn't have to cover all the same issues as the Preservation Board. She is no relation to Michael Brennan. Johanna Brennan also said that Stevenson had done nothing wrong. Stevenson, who was not at Thursday's court proceeding, said that he was walking outside the commission meeting when he was approached by the two commissioners, but he didn't realize who they were. One of them, Stevenson said, wanted to talk about construction on Lake Avenue. "This is a lot about nothing," he said. But Lunn, while not suggesting that Stevenson in any way tried to influence the commissioners, said that such contacts have the appearance of impropriety that is of concern. E-mail address: jgoodman@DemocratandChronicle.com

Mayor William A. Johnson Jr. comes out of his hidden game plan. Political pot comes to a boil. MAYOR BACKS CATHEDRAL RENOVATIONS Rick Armon Democrat and Chronicle (May 3, 2003) Mayor William A. Johnson Jr. says he supports the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester's plans to renovate Sacred Heart Cathedral -- a controversial project that has pitted the church against some of its parishioners. "They have taken a very balanced approach to this renovation," Johnson said Friday. "My hope is they'll get most of what they want." The $6 million to $8 million project calls for renovating the interior, and building an addition and new parking lot. The cathedral -- the central church in the 12-county Rochester diocese -- is outdated, unable to handle the demands of the diocese's 350,000 Catholics and badly in need of repair, according to the diocese. But the plan has been the constant target of criticism by some parishioners since it was announced in 2000. They feel the renovation would damage the character of the cathedral and cost much more than the diocese estimates. Those opponents won a legal ruling Thursday when a state Supreme Court justice ordered the city Planning Commission to revisit the issue of whether the church is a city landmark. Such status could hinder the renovation. The city's zoning staff also is examining the proposal because it involves tearing down 11 houses around the cathedral. Johnson, who is not Catholic, said he doesn't understand the level of intensity shown by opponents, but respects their viewpoint. He also noted that numerous churches in Rochester have been renovated and many older churches may not meet the modern-day needs of their congregations. "I feel he's entitled to his opinion," said Mary Giorgi, a member of the Sacred Heart Preservation Committee. She added that her group doesn't oppose some restoration work planned, but interior changes such as moving the tabernacle and altar damages "what we feel is the sacred heart of our faith." "We're against the costly updates that aren't really necessary," she said. Barbara Fredericks, another member of the Preservation Committee, said the mayor may not understand how the cathedral could be a draw for Catholic pilgrims if former Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen becomes a saint. Sheen, the television evangelist and author who was bishop of Rochester from 1966 to 1969, is being considered for sainthood. "From a religious standpoint what they are doing is horrific," she said. Diocesan spokesman Michael Tedesco and Sacred Heart pastor the Rev. John Mulligan reiterated Friday that the diocese could consider building a cathedral somewhere else or renovating a different church if the delays continue. The project was supposed to be completed by spring 2004, but it hasn't started yet. "My hope is that there can be some amicable resolution because we would certainly hate to see the cathedral leave the city of Rochester," Johnson said. "We understand its importance not only to members of the faith but it's presence in the city is very, very important." Tedesco said the diocese will push forward with its current project. "We're not ready to pull the plug on the current plan by any means," he said. "We share the mayor's hope that the cathedral never leave the city." E-mail address: rarmon@DemocratandChronicle.com Copyright 2003 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service (updated 12/18/2002). re: Mayor supports cathedral renovation http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/0503story20_news.shtml Letter to the Editor and Mr. Armon, I have ordered a sign to be made: WHAT IS THE END GAME TO MAYOR JOHNSON'S SOCIALIST AGENDA? VOTE REPUBLICAN! The Mayor's intrusion into the cathedral project did not happen overnight. The Mayor and the Bishop are trying to cower the electorate as they proclaim an illicit marriage. The size, scope and sustainment realities of this "cathedral" project make evident that government monies will be needed to finance this ongoing $20,000,000 boondoggle. The Mayor backs the Bishop in the course of a project that will bankrupt diocesan financial resources in order to prevent the loss of the cathedral to the City of Rochester. The Mayor's statement is a "red herring." Rochester is the Seat of this Diocese. The cathedral ain't gonna move! Also, keeping the focus on the interior is a planned subterfuge. Mayor Johnson's claim is a ruse hiding hidden agendas. Johnson has a stake in the attached buildings to be built. Michael F. Brennan Save Sacred Heart Preservation Committee

Michael Rose [author of The Renovation Manipulation] made a presentation in Rochester NY 2/22/03 http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/forprint/0223story8_news.shtml CATHEDRAL RENOVATION CRITICIZED Dolores Orman Democrat and Chronicle (February 23, 2003) Author Michael Rose on Saturday blasted what he views as the secular direction in Catholic church renovation. The Cincinnati resident, who also holds a degree in architecture, was in Rochester to support the Sacred Heart Preservation Committee. The group is trying to block the planned renovation of Sacred Heart Cathedral, the 75-year-old Gothic-style mother church for the Diocese of Rochester, scheduled to begin in April. Diocese officials have said that the renovations are necessary to conform with current theological norms and that input from parishioners and diocesan members has been taken into account. But Rose said that, in many cases, parishioners are manipulated by clergy and so-called liturgical design consultants into accepting unwanted and most often unnecessary changes, sometimes involving unsubstantiated claims of Vatican support. Rose decried that a cathedral in San Antonio, Texas, was renamed "City Civic Center" after it was renovated into a multipurpose structure where Catholic worship was just one of its functions, Rose said. "I see it (the current renovation trend) as a secularization of Catholic worship," Rose told the audience of about 120 in the Gleason Auditorium of the Rochester Public Library. Rose cited a project at the cathedral in Covington, Ky., as an example of what petitions, pressure and press can do. Part of the original plan called for removing the 40-foot carved wooden canopy over the altar that featured 17 statues and a life-size crucifix. The architect revised the plan and the canopy was saved, Rose told the audience, triggering applause. "They didn't stop the renovation, but they effected a compromise," he said, suggesting that might work with Sacred Heart. Dee Dries of Henrietta said she supports the preservation committee. "We're behind the group 100 percent," she said. "We're going to fight to the bitter end to save Sacred Heart." E-mail address: dorman@DemocratandChronicle.com

An inciteful, but insightful View from the Left, "which defines the debate." One or two foundations/traditions? from City newspaper, "Rochester's alternative newsweekly." http://www.rochester-citynews.com/gbase/Gyrosite/Content?oid=oid%3A1790 MARCH 12, 2003 Sacred Architecture: The Church's One Foundation, or two BY JACK BRADIGAN SPULA Kurt Brownell Talk about retro.             When you read the religious tracts about planned renovations at Sacred Heart Cathedral --- the Bishop of Rochester's home church on Flower City Park --- you have to wrap your tongue around some Latin.             Like domus Dei and domus ecclesia, seemingly esoteric phrases that define the debate over Sacred Heart.             It comes down to one versus the other. (There's crossover, too, about which more later.) Will the cathedral be a house of God, where worshippers flock to receive transmissions from the deity? Or will it be a house of the people of God, where --- in a serious and sincere manner --- the worshippers talk back a little? Why all the fuss?             Well, some parts of the renovation plan --- like basic maintenance work on the 80-year-old building's roof and walls, and improved accessibility --- are uncontroversial. Likewise upgrades to the sound system, lighting, and restrooms. But some more novel elements of the plan --- like a new side entrance --- have prompted criticism. Then there's cost: Repairs and utility upgrades alone will run more than $2.5 million; critics peg the total cost at $6 to $8 million.             To see the sparks fly, though, you have to look at an interior focal point.             According to a backgrounder from the Diocese, the cathedral's half-century-old high altar and canopy will be removed. "A new altar will be designed," says the backgrounder, "and placed on a raised platform near the crossing of the transepts, or side seating areas." Why go to the trouble? "The altar should not be raised up, turned away and distant from us... The pulpit, rather than being high over our heads, as if the Word of God was not meant for us on Earth, should also be like Jesus Christ, standing in [our] midst..."             Bishop Matthew Clark's office did not return our call. But on the diocesan website (www.dor.org), Clark writes of a need to "restore Sacred Heart so that it conforms to the norms of our church as they apply to the structure, décor, and appointments of cathedral churches." Another document on the website talks of "helping an old building to fulfill its original purpose," that is, foster the best atmosphere for worship. "The Church in the Middle Ages understood itself in the maxim Ecclesia semper reformanda, the Church is always reforming. One of the things that the Second Vatican Council reformed was the Mass. 'In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy,' the Council taught, 'the full and active participation by all the people is the aim to considered before all else.'"             Phrases like "full and active participation" suggest a relocation of the spiritual center of gravity. The priest no longer celebrates the Mass mostly with his back to a nave of relatively passive worshippers. The worshippers themselves are something more than the "flock" they were.             All this is connected to the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, specifically its call for "liturgical renewal." You could call it democratic renewal, too. "The reason for the new focus on the assembly is derived precisely from the recovered role of the people of God during acts of worship." So said Father Richard Vosko in the National Catholic Reporter three years ago. The Albany-based Vosko has counseled the Rochester Diocese on its Sacred Heart plan, and his ideas have inspired dozens of Catholic church renovations in the US and Canada             Vosko's ideas have also set off conservative counterattacks in Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and other cities.             Enter Rochester's Sacred Heart Preservation Committee, which sees "massive destruction and desecration" ahead. "We are opposed to the plans of dismantling our beautiful, historic [cathedral] and reconfiguring this English Gothic masterpiece," says a committee statement. The statement adds that Sacred Heart is associated with the late Bishop Fulton J. Sheen --- "considered by many to be the most influential Catholic leader in America during the 20th century."             But Committee members aren't limiting themselves to giving advice. In recent months, they've been fighting the Rochester Planning Commission's denial of landmark status for the cathedral. (A lawsuit has been on hold since the original judge in the case recused himself.) And they've hired a canon lawyer, the Rome-based Alan Robert Kershaw, to take their ecclesiastical case straight to the Vatican.             Barbara Fredericks, a Dewey Avenue area resident, is one of the named plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the Planning Commission, along with her husband, Jan. The cathedral "has been part of our lives, and our children's lives, for 25 years," she says, adding she attends Mass there daily. And the suit, she says, "is a step to preserve the faith by preserving the integrity of the building."             Exactly how does this relate to matters of faith?             Essentially, Fredericks disputes the core of liturgical renewal. She believes the floor plan needs to reflect a division of power. "God is the center of the church; that church is His," she says. "The nave is where the people sit, and God is in the sanctuary. God is front and center, enthroned in the tabernacle... Some things are immutable. The body and blood of Christ will always be the same... How we act in church is fundamental to what we believe. We simply don't want to take God out of our [church]."             There are already enough "theaters" in town, she adds. Fredericks insists this isn't a left-versus-right disagreement. "The Church," she says, "is neither liberal nor conservative, but orthodox, centrally focused on Christ."             However, Fredericks herself has struck a conservative stance when addressing at least one other liturgical issue: Two years ago, she told Democrat and Chronicle writer Jim Memmott that non-ordained people lack the "sacramental privilege" to deliver sermons in church. (Under Bishop Clark, the diocese has shifted toward allowing non-ordained people --- including women --- to preach under certain guidelines. Clark has also drawn hot fire for other transgressions, like outreach to gays and lesbians.)             Yet the ideological lines are not crisply drawn here.             For example, radical Catholic Dr. Harry Murray, a Nazareth College sociology professor, says he opposes the renovations. The Diocese, he says, should do only the work necessary to preserve the cathedral's "structural integrity" and direct its resources toward fighting poverty.             Another Nazareth prof, medieval historian Timothy Thibodeau, acknowledges that "terrible things" have been done to some church interiors. "I'm thinking of things that happened in the 1970s," he says. "It's a no-win issue for both sides." Nor is it simply about nostalgia. "The question is, who owns the Church?"             These disputes go way back, says Thibodeau. In the beginning, he says, Christians altered the design of the Roman basilica. Around the year 800, he says, they "took the 'box' and made it cruciform." The new design --- the classic cathedral, whose floor plan represents the cross --- spread across Europe.             "The theology was always catching up with the architecture," says Thibodeau. Through the centuries, he says, iconoclasts (breakers of images) and traditionalists often battled each other. "In the Middle Ages, the educated referred to churches as 'books for the illiterate.'" That is, all the design elements, ornamentation, statuary, and other features conveyed something beyond words, something ineffable to make the spirit soar.             "We really have not had the fruit of the liturgical renewal we should have, in terms of architecture," says Father Charles Curran, a Rochester priest now teaching at Southern Methodist University. The point, says Curran, who's the bane of Church conservatives for his liberal views, is "to bring everybody actively into it."             What would Curran do? He confesses he hasn't been following the Sacred Heart story closely. Yet his prescription would be far-reaching: "If I had my way, I'd take all the pews out, for one thing." In the old days, he says, people stood during worship. MORE BY JACK BRADIGAN SPULA Lafayette, we aren't there yet [March 19, 2003] No war on our watch [March 19, 2003] Organics and the law: the purity pureed [March 5, 2003] More (37)... © Copyright 2003, City Newspaper

JUDGE RECUSES HIMSELF-

[photo by DOR News&Views- not published with this news article]

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/0221story22_news.shtml

JUDGE WON'T HEAR CATHEDRAL SUIT
Democrat and Chronicle Staff Reports
(February 21, 2003)
A state Supreme Court justice who had previously expressed his opinion regarding planned renovations at Sacred Heart Cathedral said Thursday he won't decide whether the alterations may be made.
"I think it's appropriate I recuse myself," Justice Harold Galloway said to a full courtroom. He said the decision would remove any question of impropriety in his decision-making process and would preserve the integrity of the court.
Galloway, who is Catholic, said he visited Sacred Heart a few months ago to attend a funeral and discussed the proposed renovations with someone in the rectory. Details were not made public.
"I would have difficulty acting impartially in this case," he said. "In view of the fact I have expressed my feelings publicly in some of these issues, it could be said that the judge's impartiality could be questioned."
Galloway said he will ask that the case be heard by another judge as soon as possible. Renovations are to begin in April at Sacred Heart, said Alan Knauf, a lawyer representing nine opponents of the renovations.
Others objecting to renovations -- calling themselves Quarterbacks for Jesus -- have supported the position taken by Knauf's clients.
They are suing Rochester's Planning Commission, which decided not to declare the building a city landmark, in contrast to a decision made by the city's Preservation Committee. That decision needed approval by the Planning Commission.

"How can anyone say this grand cathedral is not a landmark" Knauf said outside court.
Supporters of the landmark status cite the building's gothic architecture and former Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's career at the church as reasons for landmark status. Sheen, a television evangelist and author who was bishop of Rochester from 1966 to 1969. It has been suggested that he be canonized.
The cathedral was determined eligible for the State and National Registers of Historic Places in 1992. The diocese has opposed the landmark designation.

About the issue:
The controversial topic of Catholic church renovations will be discussed Saturday by Michael S. Rose, an author from Cincinnati.
Rose wrote The Renovation Manipulation and will talk about the issue of modernizing Catholic churches at 2 p.m. at the Rochester Central Library's Gleason Auditorium.
The topic is controversial in Rochester as well, as some parishioners of Sacred Hearth Cathedral are attempting to stop renovations of that church, citing religious and historic reasons.
The talk is free and public.

This article by Democrat and Chronicle "STAFF REPORTS"

Future interior of Sacred Heart Cathedral as presented on Oct 6, 2002 by Diocese of Rochester. Wrecking crew to begin April 2003.

"enhancement" by Richard Vosko, Liturgical Design Consultant and Williamson Pounders Architects of Memphis Tennessee. The jacuzzi baptismal pool is the main focus.

This "enhancement" may require signs to "keep your pennies out of the wishing well" and "no swimming allowed."
Pews are to be replaced with Wal-Marts finest card table chairs. (without kneelers) Current interior photos are shown to assist in pointing out the immense conversion of this gothic interior. Mary Kelley, the Renovation Committee Chairperson, continues to claim this is "enhancement" and considers her work an example of the "committees concern and respect for Sacred Heart Cathedral's heritage." [as stated to both the Preservation and Planning Committees of Rochester, New York.]

The 7,000 signatures of Catholics and Rochester voters opposed to this reckovation of our Cathedral are aghast at this "rendering" which has been foisted on the community by an oligarthy, i.e. the Renovation Core Committee, which claims to speak for the entire diocese. Our E-mail contact is mfb2@webtv.net

Current Gothic interior of Sacred Heart Cathedral

30 foot high baldachino with statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus covering the high altar which encases the tabernacle. The baldachino or canopy is ten feet across and extends out approximately 15 feet. One can also see the standing altar with white linen draped over it. These artifacts are part of the 40 ton sanctuary that had to be reinforced from under the floor when built. Note that the lighting is lowered after Mass. The cathedral could use increased lighting, which possibly could be solved with increased bulb wattage.

"The Other Church Scandal"-December 15, 2002 in front of Sacred Heart Cathedral

Requires Criminal Investigation. All five TV stations reported this protest, and the accusations made by the Save Sacred Heart Preservation Committee.

CATHEDRAL SCAFFOLDING PROTESTED ["This is not about renovation, it is about the destruction of a religion."] http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/1216story7_news.shtml Cathedral Scaffolding Protested-Sunday Heather Hare Democrat and Chronicle (December 16, 2002) Members of the Sacred Heart Preservation Committee were upset over "massive seven-story scaffolding" erected in the cathedral of the Rochester Diocese and protested outside Sunday. Michael F. Brennan stood with nine other members of the committee and said the scaffolding ruins the beauty of the cathedral during the Christmas season. Michael Tedesco, spokesman for the diocese, said the scaffolding is a temporary necessity to test sample paint colors on the cathedral ceiling. "It'll be down by Christmas," he said. Tedesco said any traditional Christmas decorations would be put up once the scaffolding is taken down. The preservation committee of about 100 Rochester Catholics and a 10-person executive board has collected 6,000 signatures protesting the renovations. "We believe this is not about renovation of our cathedral," Brennan said. "It is about the destruction of a religion." Tedesco said the renovations are necessary to conform with current theological norms. Since the mid-1960s the Roman Catholic Church has tried to emphasize the presence of Jesus as God in the midst of the people. Church leaders have said an altar distant from the people does not represent that ideal. Input from parishioners and diocesan members has been taken by representatives on the renovation committee. "There's both a voice from the parish and a voice from the diocese," Tedesco said. But Brennan said the planned renovations would destroy the history of the building. He said the cathedral could become a pilgrimage point if Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen achieves sainthood. Sheen was bishop of Rochester from 1966 to 1969. Martha Van Savage said she believes the renovation plans will take away what is Catholic about the cathedral, citing the moving of the tabernacle, the removal of a statue of Jesus Christ and the replacement of the altar. "It'll look like a social hall instead of a Roman Catholic Church," Van Savage said. "It won't be a Roman Catholic Church when they're done." E-mail address: metro@DemocratandChronicle.com

BISHOP CLARK MUST RESIGN

December 15, 2002 in front of Sacred Heart Cathedral

What is your view? Commentary and opinion will be welcomed. Send your letter to mfb2@webtv.net. Your email address will not be published. No message will be on website without approval or request. Please limit your comments to 100 words.

Archbishop Sheen's Pulpit-19th Century engraved artwork removed from the original Cathedral in 1937.

Liturgical Design Consultant Richard Vosko's plan calls for sawing this pulpt in half and placing in the area where the standing marble altar table is now.

Sign requests Criminal Investigation- - the bishop has no intention of stepping down.

"the diocese reported that the bishop has no intention of stepping down." as reported by the local Fox affiliate on the 10PM news broadcast of December 15, 2002.

Sacred Heart Cathedral bulletin insert stated on 12/1/02

"During the coming week scaffolding is going to be erected in the left front section of the cathedral... [they should have said the left side of the sanctuary.] Beginning the week of December 8th this 'sample' area will be redecorated and lighted from floor to ceiling by the national firm, Conrad Schmitt Studios. This proposed sample will afford the architect, the Renovation Committee, and parishioners an opportunity to react to the colors and the lighting. Rambusch Studios, which is responsible for the lighting, has provided some special fixtures to illuminate the sample area....We anticipate that this sample will be completed and the scaffolding removed before Christmas..."
Happy Advent!
Fr. John Mulligan, pastor

Our Lady of Knock side altar on left. St. John Fisher on right. Scaffolding in sanctuary.

Wednesday 12/11/02-It takes seven stories of scaffolding to reach outer area of ceiling

The completion of the scaffolding structure took a week's work. This video shot is on the third day of work for the Milwaukee painters from Conrad Schmidt Studios.

The question is

how will this angel and our classic artistically crafted red ceiling be "enhanced?"

12/11/02-On the walkway between the rectory and Sacred Heart Cathedral

The architectural team from Tennessee goes over the master plan for the "campus complex" and the glass atrium, which is planned to be built where they stand. The five major enterprises for this "renovation" come from out of state. These contractors were all "chosen" without bids. Largely due to the recommendations of Dr. Richard Vosko of Albany, NY. Dr. Vosko works throughout the nation with these contractors.

LAWSUIT INSISTS CATHEDRAL IS A LANDMARK   http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/forprint/1121story5_news.shtml Lawsuit Insists Cathedral Is a Landmark Rick Armon Democrat and Chronicle (November 21, 2002) Nine Catholics are suing the city Planning Commission, appealing its decision last month to not declare Sacred Heart Cathedral a city landmark. The Sacred Heart Preservation Committee -- which is not supported by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester -- is asking a Monroe County Court judge to annul the commission's decision and grant landmark status for the 75-year-old church. "We believe that there's no question that this building is a landmark structure," said attorney Alan Knauf, who is representing the group. "The question is why wasn't it legally designated" The people filed the suit last week in County Court. They are not seeking monetary damages. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester also is named in the suit but is not the target, Knauf said. The Planning Commission will be represented by the city's legal department. "The Planning Commission acted within their authority and we will support their decision," city Corporation Counsel Linda Kingsley said Wednesday. The Planning Commission voted 5 to 3 against the landmark proposal on Oct. 7, with many commission members saying they feared that the designation would impede the diocese's plans to renovate the cathedral and invest millions of dollars in the city's Maplewood neighborhood. The renovation plans, which would include redesigning the church's interior, have been an extremely contentious issue for some parishioners. Opponents have railed against the idea, saying the renovation will ruin the integrity of the building. The petition to declare the cathedral a landmark was brought in part to make it more difficult for the diocese to remodel the building. The designation would not prevent renovations, but any changes would have to be approved by the city Preservation Board first. Supporters of the landmark status have pointed to the building's gothic architecture and former Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's career at the church as reasons for landmark status. Sheen, the television evangelist and author who was Bishop of Rochester from 1966 to 1969, is being considered for sainthood. The cathedral also was determined eligible for the State and National Registers of Historic Places in 1992. The diocese has opposed the landmark designation. Diocesan officials could not be reached for comment about the suit. The people who filed the suit are Kathy Wyand, Patrick Donahue, Kathleen Donahue, Jan Fredericks, Barbara Fredericks, Dianne Dixon, Anthony Rizzo, Christie Rizzo and Michael Brennan. E-mail address: rarmon@DemocratandChronicle.com

October 22, 2002 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Legal Process reported by Democrat and Chronicle about Councilman Stevenson's unethical intervention http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/1022story7_news.shtml   (with photo of Stevenson) Complaints Target Rochester Councilman Stevenson accused of trying to sway Decision on Cathedral By Rick Armon Democrat and Chronicle Robert Stevenson [Day in Photos] (October 22, 2002) Two complaints have been filed with the city's law department against Councilman Robert Stevenson, claiming he unfairly influenced two members of the Planning Commission as they determined whether Sacred Heart Cathedral should be a city landmark. "I'm asking that the vote be voided and a new hearing be set," said attorney Mary Aramini, who filed a complaint along with parishioner Michael Brennan. "It's one thing if you lose because you weren't persuasive, but when you lose by unethical behavior ... that just stinks." Stevenson said Monday that Aramini and Brennan have a right to express their opinions, but he didn't tamper in the proceedings. The commission voted Oct. 7 against making the church a landmark -- a decision supported by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester but not by a group of Catholics opposed to plans to renovate the cathedral. They were seeking landmark status in an effort to hinder the renovation process. According to the complaints, Stevenson, a member of the church's renovation committee, chatted with commission members James Ely and Kara Hartway outside council chambers when they excused themselves from voting on another issue. The discussion took place after the commission had heard testimony in the cathedral issue, but before the commission voted. Aramini, who confronted the group the night of the hearing, called the discussion 'improper, unprofessional and unethical.' She said she plans to file a complaint against Stevenson with the city Board of Ethics. She also said Ely and Hartway should be disciplined. City Attorney Jeffrey Eichner said the law department is investigating the complaints. The city staff was aware of the issue the night of the vote, but "we do have initial information from the meeting which would indicate that ... there were not any violations," he said. Stevenson did not attend the Planning Commission hearing but was working in his office while it took place. His wife, Mary, did attend and spoke against the landmark designation. Stevenson said he left his office at one point and was stopped in the hallway by Ely. He said he didn't realize that Ely was a Planning Commission member. They chatted about other projects and then Stevenson said he mentioned that the roof and heating and air-conditioning system at Sacred Heart need to be replaced. At that point, Ely said they shouldn't talk about Sacred Heart, Stevenson said, and then he realized Ely was a commission member. Then, Aramini interrupted. 'It was done and over with so fast,' Stevenson said. He added that he didn't even know Hartway was present during the conversation. Aramini said she asked Ely and Hartway to excuse themselves from voting because of the conversation, which she said was more detailed than Stevenson's version. Both commission members voted against the landmark designation. Ely and Hartway declined to comment. E-mail address: rarmon@DemocratandChronicle.com COMMENTARY from DOR News and Views: Councilman Stevenson did not know at 11:30PM that Mr. Ely was on the Planning Commission Commttee, and one is suppose to believe they did not know why the both of them were there so late in a crowded hallway outside the Hearing Room of City Hall. Any fib will do when the councilman is in hot water. This writer saw Ms. Hartway standing in front of Mr. Stevenson with Mr. Ely. How could he say he did not know she was there? Although she was mostly listening, I saw her making a comment or question to Councilman Stevenson. Michael F. Brennan DOR News and Views Totus Tuus, Christi Fidelis

TEXT of Letter delivered to the Mayor of Rochester's Office and the Law Department follows: Rochester Department of Law City Hall, Room 400A 30 Church Street Rochester, New York 14614 October 11, 2002 RE: A letter and formal accusation related to Planning Commission Hearing of Monday, October 7, 2002. Specifically concerning the application regarding Sacred Heart Cathedral and the lobbying efforts of Rochester City Councilman Robert Stevenson, who as a leading member of the Renovation Committee, has worked for public approval of extensive changes to this Gothic Cathedral. The following is an accurate statement of an encounter and communication with Mr. Robert Stevenson, City Councilman, Rochester, New York. It also includes the observations stated within this complaint concerning Rochester Planning Commission Committee members and Attorney Mary Aramini. This statement is directly connected to the Mary Giorgi application for landmark status of the interior and exterior of Sacred Heart Cathedral. This notarized letter also contains background information that is crucial in understanding the context of this complaint. During the proceedings of the Planning Commission Committee Hearing of Oct. 7, 2002, I observed Rochester City Councilman Robert Stevenson in conversation with Planning Commission Committee members Kara Hartway and James Ely for about five minutes. Ms. Hartway appeared to be listening for most of the inter-action, while Mr. Ely was in conversation with Councilman Stevenson. Before approaching Councilman Stevenson, I was 40 to 50 feet away observing their conversation. This incident occurred outside the Hearing Room in the hallway corridor to the third floor of City Hall, Rochester, New York. The Planning Commission Committee was in session and working during this incident. These two committee members (Ely and Hartway) had recused themselves related to another application that was in deliberation. The relevant time frame was after the public hearing on the Mary Giorgi application concerning Sacred Heart Cathedral, but just prior to the committee's deliberations before the voting on the Mary Giorgi/Sacred Heart Landmark Status application. I believe the time was approximately 11:20PM. As I watched the three of them (Stevenson, Hartway and Ely), I noticed Attorney Mary Aramini approach them and start a dialogue. Mr. Ely and Ms. Hartway moved away as Mary Aramini continued to speak with Mr. Stevenson. I saw Mr. Stevenson had raised his hand and point his finger at Attorney Aramini. I had been thinking that Mr. Stevenson, as a City-Councilman and a volunteer public lobbyist for renovation plans, should not have been talking to the Planning Commission Committee members and suspected that Miss Aramini was telling him she thought it was something he should not be doing. I was walking the 25 steps to them as Attorney Mary Aramini drew away from Mr. Stevenson. I am not sure but believe Mary Aramini had backed away close to the area where Ms. Hartway and Mr. Ely had moved, which was a few feet away. Miss Aramini was passing by myself and Mr. Stevenson as I started conversing with Councilman Stevenson and stated to him: "Are you trying to influence these committee members?" Mary Aramini stated: "That is exactly what he is trying to do. That is exactly what he is doing." as she continued to pass-by. I believe Mary Aramini was in process of returning to the Hearing Room at that time, and do not know if she heard the rest of the conversation. After a few moments, Mr. Stevenson responded to my query with the following: "I am just concerned about the First Amendment, and the separation of Church and State." I understood this to be a self admission of an inappropriate conversation he was having with the Planning Committee members and stated: "we are not going to be intimidated, you should know this by now. We are not going to be intimidated!"   Mr. Stevenson stated: "I'm a Korean War Veteran." I noticed he did not seem to be self assured as I usually found him, and Mr. Stevenson appeared emotionally disturbed. I then stated some of my objections to the renovation plans at Sacred Heart by commenting: "What about the plan with an organ in the sanctuary and the jacuzzi in the back of the Church?" Mr. Stevenson stated: "I voted against that organ in the front. They do not have the money! Where is the money going to come from?" I stated: "They don't have the money?!! The diocese already put the plan out." Mr. Stevenson restated: "they don't have the money." As a Licensed Practical Nurse, it was my observation and assessment that Mr. Stevenson was starting to get moist around the eyes, and I was concerned that he was exhibiting behavior I had not seen from him before. He also mentioned that the repair of the roof was needed. Naturally, I had no arguement about needed repairs. My experience with Mr. Stevenson includes speaking with him in short conversations many times. I always found Mr. Stevenson a gentleman with extraordinary bearing and cool demeanor. His cool demeanor had evaporated, and I decided to cut off the conversation as I did not wish to cause him further emotional conflict. I placed my hand on his upper arm and left the hallway we were in. The hallway was outside one of the doors (one of the middle set of doors) to the Planning Commission Committee Hearing Room. I returned to the Hearing Room where deliberations on the Landmark Status of Sacred Heart had already started. I did not see Mr. Stevenson again that night, but observed Mr. Ely and Ms. Hartway return to their chairs on the dais of the Planning Commission Committee. Mr. Ely requested a review of the deliberations on the Mary Georgi application that had already started. Soon after Mr. Ely received the review (I also needed the review), Mr. Ely made comments opposing landmark status for Sacred Heart, and set the tone for the deliberations. My understanding is that both Mr. Ely and Ms. Hartway voted against Landmark Status for Sacred Heart Cathedral. It must be noted that during the period of the past two years that I have been handing out flyers after Sacred Heart Sunday Masses against the proposed changes to Sacred Heart Cathedral and during the presentations of Dr. Richard Vosko [Liturgical Design Consultant] in May of 2001, I have been aware that City Councilman Stevenson was an important member of the Renovation Committee to change the interior and exterior of Sacred Heart Cathedral. Councilman Stevenson has actively encouraged the proposed changes among the parishioners of Sacred Heart. He is the leading usher at Sacred Heart every Sunday as well as a well known influential member of the Renovation Committee. Normally I would applaud his commitment to Sacred Heart Cathedral these many years. He is often seen at Sacred Heart, unlike Barbara Kelley, who is the leading Renovation Committee Chairperson and public relations expert for the Bausch and Lomb Corp. In fact, in order to give context to the relevant facts, I must point out that all those who spoke against landmark status for Sacred Heart were from the Renovation "Core" Committee, or are ex-officio members of the Renovation Committee. Mrs. Stevenson spoke (Mr. Stevenson was not present) against landmark status at the Hearing. However, Nick Harding and David Miller of the Architectural sub-committee were not present. I noticed Mark Hare and Doug Mandalero of the Democrat and Chronicle were not present, although they are listed as the Communication Committee of the Renovation Committee. The other "core" members were present and everyone who spoke against landmark status (including priests) are Renovation Committee members to the best of my knowledge. Mr. Mandalero may have recently resigned. There have been many quiet resignations to the Renovation Committee, and their names and those who replaced them have not been made public. Rochester City Councilman Robert Stevenson, an elected and experienced official, was in blatant error to be lobbying his cause with the Planning Commission Committee members late at night on Oct 7, 2002.  I do not know if Mr. Ely and Ms. Hartway were aware of his prejudicial status related to the Councilman's lobbying efforts in the Catholic community, and the Rochester community at large. Certainly they knew Mr. Stevenson was a City Councilman. Although it has not reached media exposure, many in the public know this two-tier Preservation - Planning Committee process has already suffered recent resignations related to ethical violations. Councilman Stevenson is a prominent member of both the Renovation Committee for Sacred Heart and our elected city-wide community. He should not have been even seen during these hearings. It is important to note that he was in his office on the same floor most of the night of the proceedings, and never chose to claim his "First Amendment Rights" in front of the Planning Committee in the Hearing Room. Could this be because he was advised that it would be unethical for him to be there even if it is 'legal."? Witnesses have told me that a number of speakers against landmark status visited his office. This conflict of interest and embarrassment to our System of Justice for a "fair hearing with due process," which is fundamental to our American way of life, has been corrupted. The 6,000 signatures of Rochester voters opposed to extensive remodling of our Gothic Cathedral would expect a fair and equal hearing in this matter. Mrs. Mary Giorgi's application should be reconsidered without prejudiced lobbying masking as First Amendment Rights. On the night of Oct 7, 2002 and the following morning I took mental and written notes of this incident. Therefore, this is a true and accurate record to the best of my knowledge. Michael F. Brennan Rochester, New York 14621 (585) 467-1745 mfb7@webtv.net cc: 1. Office of the Mayor, City of Rochester New York 2. Mary Aramini, Attorney at Law, Rochester New York.

View from the choir loft.

CREMATORIUM Art-work from Dr. Vosko's slide-show.

Dr. Vosko, Liturgical Design Consultant for Sacred Heart Cathedral and Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Albany stated in the Albany Diocese on 2/28/02: "Cathedrals are also places to remind us of our social responsibilities. This is a Holocaust Memorial in (Episcopal) Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City."
Dr. Vosko often shows this slide in various cities, including Rochester, N.Y. in May 2001. It is of a gas chamber or crematorium with dead bodies on the floor. Although, sometimes masked in "transformation" rhetoric, one can intuit an odd affinity with death in his work from Los Angeles, to Toledo, to Milwaukee, to Rochester and Albany. Dr. Vosko refuses to recognize that Church Law requires that only art symbolizing Church Saints, Angels and God can be portrayed in Catholic Churches. His "social gospel" runs amok.
One of our CONCERNS for Sacred Heart Cathedral are his choices for artwork inside the Church.

On 2/28/02, at his Albany, N.Y. lecture series, "Voskospeak" disfigures Rome's St. Peters.

Dr. Vosko claims this slide affirms his "altar in the round" theorum. However note the artistically designed floor to remind us of the Grace emiting from the Liturgy celebrated on the altar.

"Voskospeak" uses this to promote an illusion.
"Smoke and mirrors" are his game.

St. Peters interior is in the shape of a cross. This "cruciform" architectural form has three rows of pews.

If one uses a well constricted aerial view during "high profile occasions," this seating appears to be connected related to extra seating up front for the Diplomatic Corps. Also Cardinals and Bishops, who may be needed for quick access to the Liturgy of the Mass, are seated close to the "Altar of Remembrance to the Lord's Sacrifice."

This actually forms a crescent arrangement up front conducive to SECURITY requirements, but when there are fewer Cardinals and Bishops then the seating is a continuation of the THREE sets of unanchored PEWS that help form the cross, which symbolizes active conscious/reflective participation of the "Body of Christ."

This "active participation" has been ongoing since the First Century A.D. at this site, and was built as the first St. Peters in the 4th century to last till the 17th century when the current Church was completed.

Fr. Vosko fails to point out the 100 ft. baldacino over the altar when he shows this slide. He is very dependent on the ignorance of his victims, as he pushes for a "new age" Catholicism in his designs. In fact, one of his continuous distortions is that baldacinos are not recommended.

A frequent visitor to St. Peter's writes:

"The only devastating thing about Vosko's misrepresentations is the inability of the faithful to respond adequately due to a lack of practical or theoretical knowledge. The liturgical design consultant takes advantage of this "ignorance" and puts his own twist on the reality."

It should be noted that the altar of St. Peter's Basilica was built over the martyred remains of St. Peter. St. Peter's Basilica was built over the place where many Christian martyrs were slaughtered.

The bones of "The Fisherman" were verified in the 1940's during archeological excavations under the altar. Among the evidence is that someone in the first century wrote "Petrus" etched out in stone where he was buried. Peter was crucified upside down at his own request in order that he would not be martyred like Christ. The "Quo Vadis" dialogue with his Lord was completed. You can see above how tourists can go down under the altar and visit his tomb.

St. Peters Basilica when the Sacrifice of the Mass is not being celebrated.

Many famous churches in Rome accomodate tourists by not having permanent pews. In fact much of the floor in this church is art-work.

Fr. Vosko uses this slide to affirm removing pews and instaling chairs to spice up medium size American cathedrals for night life entertainment. It's all "smoke and mirrors" a la voskospeak.
Fr. Vosko is careful not to comment on the four 100 ft. high spired baldachino because he does not recommend baldachinos over the altar.

Feb 10, 2002 Sacred Heart Cathedral Vigil

Clergy turned out the lights and told the laity to leave. They resisted the request and placed this sign in front of the altar. A quiet, subdued rage is evident in the Roman Catholic parishioner.

Sacred Heart Vigil photos are on PAGE TWO, which can be cursored and clicked a few items down.

"Reckovation" and protest photos of Milwaukee on this page.