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Thursday, August 30, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 30, 2012


The Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal sincerely apologizes for the comments made by Fr. Benedict Groeschel in an interview released yesterday by the National Catholic Register, online addition. In that interview, Fr. Benedict made comments that were inappropriate and untrue. A child is never responsible for abuse. Any abuser of a child is always responsible, especially a priest. Sexual abuse of a minor is a terrible crime and should always be treated as such. We are sorry for any pain his comments may have caused. Fr. Benedict has dedicated his life to helping others and these comments were completely out of character. He never intended to excuse abuse or implicate the victims. We hope that these unfortunate statements will not overshadow the great good Fr. Benedict has done in housing countless homeless people, feeding innumerable poor families, and bringing healing, peace and encouragement to so many.

Fr. Benedict helped found our community 25 years ago with the hope of bringing the healing peace of Jesus Christ to our wounded world. Our desire has always been to lift-up humanity and never to hurt. About seven years ago, Fr. Benedict was struck by a car and was in a coma for over a month. In recent months his health, memory and cognitive ability have been failing. He has been in and out of the hospital. Due to his declining health and inability to care for himself, Fr. Benedict had moved to a location where he could rest and be relieved of his responsibilities. Although these factors do not excuse his comments, they help us understand how such a compassionate man could have said something so wrong, so insensitive, and so out of character. Our prayers are with all those who have been hurt by his comments, especially victims of sexual abuse.

Personal Statement from Fr Benedict Groeschel:

I apologize for my comments. I did not intend to blame the victim. A priest (or anyone else) who abuses a minor is always wrong and is always responsible. My mind and my way of expressing myself are not as clear as they used to be. I have spent my life trying to help others the best that I could. I deeply regret any harm I have caused to anyone.

With questions please contact Fr. Glenn Sudano at 914-965-8143.
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Thursday, August 23, 2012

Letters of hope and consolation 11

Listening for God’s voice is perhaps the most exciting activity in this world, yet it is one not necessarily filled with exhilarating sounds, sights, or actions but one that is marked with patience, stillness and quiet.  God, who can speak to us quicker than a text message, often appears to take another approach, one that requires waiting and perseverance on our part.  When we ask God a question or hope to hear from him about something, instead of immediately texting a message back to us, he seems to take a more old fashioned approach of communication.  It is as if he stops and ponders what it is he wants to say, writes a letter by hand, and then puts the letter in a mailbox.  If we are lucky we will receive that letter a few days or weeks later.  How strange this form of communication appears to your modern sensibilities!

 Because of technology you have been raised in a world that expects immediate feedback.  Facebook and text messages provide almost instant communication with people all over the world.  Sometimes it is only a matter of seconds and you will receive a reply from somebody that could be thousands of miles away.  This, obliviously, possesses many benefits yet if we project this same expectation upon God every time we hope to hear from him we will be quickly disappointed.  The prophet Isaiah reminds us, “by waiting and calm you shall be saved, in quiet and in trust your strength lies,” (Is. 30:15) while God through the psalmist offers a similar command, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

 Why does God seem to take so long to answer us?  The answer, I believe, is in what God is revealing.  When God speaks to us he is not just revealing information, jokes, questions about directions, discussing his favorite movies or songs and various other things people post on Facebook.  God is revealing himself and ultimately he is greater than all our words can say about him.  That is something that takes time for us to receive, ponder and accept in a way that prohibits a merely superficial relationship from occurring.  In other words, when God speaks it is very serious and profound because he is very serious and profound, much greater than any text message could convey and certainly more enlightening than any message on Facebook.

 Unfortunately, this is a life long lesson for all of us.  Patience, trust and quiet do not come easy to anybody, especially those like you who have been raised in the midst of all this technological progress.  Yet it is here where the real adventure lies and where the greatest romance imaginable begins.
God bless you,
Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, NY

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TO FR. JEREMIAH - THANK YOU) 
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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Letters of hope and consolation #10

You are living in a world that is slowly losing hope.  A world that is confused, anxious, afraid and likely to believe that each one of us is essentially alone.  It is a world that has become more violent, more self- obsessed and less likely to believe that life really has any meaning.  These thoughts cannot help but to tempt you as well since it is in the very air that you breathe.  All around you humanity is screaming out for something else, yet many people don’t know what they are searching for.

In these days being a Christian is equivalent to being a prophet, that is, one who has a message from God for his people.  What is that message?  It is the bold proclamation that Jesus Christ is the answer of every human heart and that because of him I can proclaim to the whole world that none of us are alone, that peace is greater than violence, that self giving is more rewarding than self-obsession and that life is worth living. 

There has probably never been a time when prophets are more needed than now.  Will you take up this challenge and proclaim to the world the life giving and liberating power that is found in Jesus Christ?  Or will you simply be content with living a mediocre Christian life and wasting the grace God has given you to proclaim his message?  One thing is for sure; God is calling you to be a prophet.  How will you respond?

God bless you,
Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, NY

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(PLEASE DO NOT REPLY
AS THIS ACCOUNT IS NOT CONNECTED PERSONALLY
TO FR. JEREMIAH - THANK YOU)
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