As you know many media outlets and blogs have been covering Father’s story and how the church relieved him from his duties. I don’t know Cathal personally, as you know I’m a secularist (deist), so I have no stake in the outcome of his immigration proceedings. But it has got me thinking about how political churches have become over the past few years, especially the Catholic church in South Dakota. They seem to be telling people what and who to vote for from the pulpit. I even had one Catholic friend tell me that when Thune was running against Daschle there was a flyer handed out to parishioners during Mass that promoted Thune because he was pro-life. I personally disagree with churches being political. I think churches should strengthen people’s faith, not tell them what to do. One reason I don’t attend church is because of the money and political dealings and I find it to be very hypocritical of Christian doctrine.
Don’t get me wrong. Churches do great charitable work and should be commended for it. Especially the Catholic Church. That is what I find so bizarre about Father’s story. Why would the Catholic church provide help (in the form of food, housing, nationalization, etc.) to immigrants who are members of the congregation, but not to one of their own employees? Is it because one takes from the plate and the other puts into the plate?
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You be the judge.
Politics in church really bothers me, too… It something that should not be done, and something which can make a church lose it’s 501 c(3) status as a tax exempt institution. I wish this was enforced!
Being a Catholic, I’m ashamed that Bishop Swain hadn’t done more to keep Father Gallagher in DeSmet. Talking to some of the parishoners, it seems to me that Bishop Swain is more of a milquetoast, than that of a fighter like Bishop Carlson or even the late Bishop Dudley.
Fighter or not, what bothers me as a Sioux Falls resident is there is many apparent services to immigrant Catholics in SF provided by the church. So why not to Father?
Maybe because he doesn’t speak Spanish? (That was my Lou Dobbs punch of the day)
Admittedly, I’m not a Lou Dobbs fan. He’s self-assured about his opinions and intolerant of opposing viewpoints. I think Dobbs also is overly critical of Obama. However, I don’t find him to be racist. I think Dobbs makes a valid point on ILLEGAL immigration. Obviously, the USA is known as a melting pot, allowing immigrants an opportunity to pursue happiness, in addition to life and liberty. Owners of fast food joints and meat packing plants, for example, take advantage of illegal immigrants by offering them low-paying jobs with no benefits. I think Dobbs is saying that if these people were legal immigrants, they would receive the pay and benefits afforded to people like ourselves. Just my two cents.
Oh, I know Tim, I just like to joke around about Dobbs, because he talks about Mexican illegals all the time, but never mentions illegal immigrants that sneak in through Canada and fly planes into our buildings.
Tugaigà amach na greamáin sin, a cháirde! Is dóigh go bhfuil spás go leor dóibh ar doran na hArd-Eaglaise i Sioux Falls!
Pass out those stickers, folks! One would suppose that there is enough space for them on the Cathedral door in Sioux Falls!
Well, supposedly the churches reason for not helping him was that they thought he would be deported.
Let’s see if they do anything for him now.
BTW- Just to add to Tim’s post; There are two main reasons there is so many illegal immigrants in our country from the South, and they have nothing to do with border security:
1) The dismantling of houskeeping and farm hand UNIONS. People will do the jobs that illegals do, they just want to be paid a living wage to do them.
2) Companies hiring illegals. It seems we want to punish the illegals, when all they want is to make more then $3 a day and feed their family, so they come here where they know someone will hire them. I say close the doors of companies that hire illegals and put the CEO’s in Federal prison for 20 years. They’ll stop hiring them, and they will stop coming.
The Bishop should be ashamed of his actions…I worked with Tim and Jim to get fathers green card something the bishop said could not be done…well look what we did…The Bishop also knew early on in the year and yet he waited to tell father that he was being replace in May…when we get the legal papers in our hands we are going after the bishop, we will need everyone to help us with that also…I will get the word out….keep father in your prayers. Thanks to everyone for their help.
Ná fán go dtà na páipéir dlÃthiúla, a PhádraicÃn.
Cuir na cinn greamaitheacha ar doras na hArd-Eaglaise.
Don’t wait for the legal papers, Patti.
Put the sticky ones on the Cathedral door!
Yes, and instead of worthless and wasteful attempts at impeaching our beloved President Bush and fellow leaders for their recent protective acts of legislation, we need to help this loving immigrant and Irish priest stay in our state – can our wonderful Governor Rounds help us again? Since he has been helping our youth get better educated using functional laptop computers (which just recently stopped working, but my Uncle Rusty fixed it by kicking it around a little), I bet if someone asked him for help, I know that he would do so. My aunt Bertha says he is such a nice man (and good-looking, too – but don’t tell my Uncle that) – thank you.
Scéal as Lá Nua…
Story from Lá Nua…