Lexington, MA 02420

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May 31, 2004

Dear Archbishop O’Malley

This is the second letter I have written in 60 years to the church hierarchy. The first was in 1963 when, as a seminarian in the Congregation of Holy Cross, I petitioned to be released from temporary vows. Now I write as a member of Sacred Heart Parish Lexington.

Sacred Heart Lexington is a great parish. My family joined Sacred Heart in 1993 after spending more than 15 years as members of St. Brigid’s in Lexington. Sacred Heart provided the community and prayerful environment that we needed, and once had found but lost at St. Brigid, after the pastor discontinued the Family Mass of 20 years which welcomed all persons especially those with children. I was first attracted to Sacred Heart because of the prayerful liturgy and intimate worship space. At Sacred Heart we found many wonderful parishioners who were interested in spiritual growth and who felt nurtured to provide Christian service to the community within and well beyond the borders of the parish.

Sacred Heart has worked with its sister parish, St. John St. Hugh on cooperative efforts including food pantry donations, Family Aids Ministry support, shared choirs, liturgy, thanksgiving dinners, Christmas present exchanges and family picnics. The connections made with our brothers and sisters in the inner city greatly expanded my world and understanding of the people of God. The pastors Frs. Best and Osterman said the financial support from Sacred Heart was important to the continued existence of their inner city parish.

Sacred Heart provided the opportunity to become an active member of Habitat for Humanity Boston where we have helped build and finance two" Lexington” Houses in Roxbury. Along with other churches and temples in Lexington, more than 150 Sacred Heart parishioners have worked on building houses and many more have helped with prayers and donations to provide decent housing for some of Boston’s families in need.

Sacred Heart provided a base for sending groups of missionaries some as young as age 16 and some over 70 to Honduras. We visited orphanages, helped in schools, taught classes, helped with construction projects and delivered several medical clinics and supplies to poor Honduran villagers. The stories of the mission work and resources shared by members of the Sacred Heart Community are some of the proudest examples of connecting the People of God. Each mission worker believes they gained much more than they gave in their mission service. The parish continues to provide great support for this work.

Sacred Heart has been an important beacon in my faith journey and it is so very disappointing that the community is being disbanded. The liturgy, the homilies, the support from fellow parishioners and the spiritual strength shown by both staff and lay members of the parish has helped me to stay connected with the Gospel.

I have little hope that Sacred Heart Lexington will be allowed to continue, but I believe the message of Jesus will ultimately triumph, despite the very faltering efforts of clerical leaders. I cannot help but feel this action of the archdiocese is being taken because of money, the clergy abuse and failed leadership in dealing with this abuse. I don’t know how I can trust Church leadership in the future and understand why our young people are so put off by the “formal church”. I believe I can forgive passed wrongs as I hope God forgives my transgressions, but disappointments and insensitivity to many good and faithful people (particularly women and poor persons) continues from the Church hierarchy.

Sacred Heart Parish provided vision, encouragement and outreach for just social action in today’s world. The preoccupation of the Church hierarchy with its own self preservation has seemed at best very distant from the Gospel message of Jesus and contrary to trusting in His Spirit. If you hope to improve the Church in Boston, please get back to the Gospel of love, tolerance, understanding and service. Perhaps the Holy Spirit is calling for real involvement by lay men and women in leading the Church. At least more lay participation will help to share the burden weighing so heavily on church clergy and will likely better understand and serve the People of God.