Arrest triggers aid from Diocese

Sadness and grief. Anger and betrayal. Hope and support. Those feelings and more were present when members of St. John Vianney parish in Claverack attended Mass last weekend in the wake of the news that their pastor, Rev. Raymond Ethier, had been arrested May 29 on charges related to the possession of child pornography.

Offering support and worshiping alongside them were representatives from the Diocese of Albany: Theresa Rodrigues, diocesan coordinator of the Office of Victims/Survivors Assistance; Rev. Ronald Menty, diocesan Administrative Advocate for Priests; and Agnes Donlon, executive director of Catholic Charities of Columbia & Greene Counties.

Father Menty also read a letter from Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, detailing the Diocese's commitment to ongoing support of the parish.

Ecumenical touch

St. John Vianney is a recently merged parish community, created from churches in Philmont and West Taghkanic. While raising money to build a new church in Claverack, the parishioners worship at St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Churchtown.

Members of that community were also on hand over the weekend to serve as greeters and make sure Catholics knew they remained welcome there.

"I was really touched by the fact that the Lutheran church made a very special effort. They wanted the parishioners to know that they continue to be very welcome," said Ms. Rodrigues.

Bishop's letter

Bishop Hubbard's letter noted that the parish "will continue its vital mission as a spiritual community, for it is the people of this parish who constitute the Church.

"We are especially sensitive to the fact that this development comes at a time when your new parish is seeking to coalesce, and build strength, identity and a sense of community."

The Bishop encouraged the Catholics to move forward in their plans to build a new church and pledged the continued assistance of the diocesan Office of Stewardship in that matter, as well as continued counseling, listening and other assistance from Ms. Rodrigues, the Diocese and Catholic Charities.

Compassion

"As a Church, we are called to be the compassionate face of Christ," said Ms. Rodrigues. "Our Diocese reaches out on a day-to-day basis to people who are hurting and in need, and always makes a special effort when a community experiences trauma, whether it is Hurricane Katrina or, in this case, a pastor who was respected and cherished, and who has had some very serious charges made against him."

She wanted parishioners to know that the Diocese will "continue to take our lead from the needs that they express. Our hand is reached out to join with them in whatever needs they see. They are aware that this [weekend visit] was not a one-shot event, and we will continue to be there."

Concerns expressed

After each weekend Mass, diocesan representatives met with parishioners in a closed meeting where they were able to express their concerns for the future of the parish and over Father Ethier's arrest.

While parishioners felt intense grief, anger, betrayal and loss upon hearing of the charges, Father Menty said, there was also "a real concern for Father Ray, a sense of gratitude for what he has done and the way he has touched people's lives in the community.

"I believe that the parishioners coming together for the liturgy and remaining to support one another helped them to realize that it is okay to experience very mixed, and, at times, conflicting emotions."

Community

"People were shocked, people were in denial, people were angry, people were hurting, and some expressed it as experiencing a great loss," Ms. Rodrigues noted.

"What was impressive to me was the resilience and determination that many showed. They were able to say, 'This is a great tragedy, but our relationship is with God and Jesus Christ, and we will keep and cherish and get nourishment from that.'"

Father Menty said that he was very impressed with the "strong sense of community" he saw at St. John Vianney, noting that he witnessed a lot of "encouragement and support of parishioners for one another."

Children

Many parishioners were concerned about how to help children process and understand the situation. Ms. Rodrigues met with some young people and with parents who wondered how to talk to their children about the matter.

"The children, of course, were stunned and confused. They didn't know how to make sense of this, and that's a normal reaction," said Ms. Rodrigues.

She hopes to return to St. John Vianney to continue that discussion. She also is open to hearing any complaints from parishioners, noting that anyone with a grievance should contact her office (453-6646) and civil authorities.

Filling in

Father Menty said that priests will be made available for weekend Masses and the other sacramental needs of the parish.

"We will make every effort to ensure that the pastoral needs of your parish continue to be met," the Bishop said in his letter.

According to Ms. Rodrigues, the Diocese is also in the process of installing a monitoring program called "Safe Eyes" on parish-owned computers. The program "has the capability to monitor computer misuse," she said.

She added that the Diocese will also continue in its "strong commitment to maintaining a safe environment for children" by requiring VIRTUS training for all adults who work with children and conducting background checks of all people employed by Church agencies.

Listening

Ms. Donlon said that Catholic Charities will offer a listening ear to parishioners at their request.

"The whole situation is very new, and a number of parishioners are in shock," she explained. "We respect the fact that, at this point, parishioners are struggling. We would certainly like to provide any type of support that is needed."

Catholic Charities' counseling staff will be available for individual and group meetings, and the office will remain connected with the parish through calls, visits and deanery meetings.

(6/7/07)