My thoughts exactly. WTH is "Team Ministry?" Sounds like a some sort of born-again church thing. And why are there no pastors? Pastors create stability in a parish. Something that is very important. Does Jimenez want to perpetuate instability? Seems so.
A friend pointed out that "team ministry" is actually a new post-Vatican 2 concoction established to address the so-called priest shortage, wherein a group of priests, under a "moderator" "minister" to a parish or multiple parishes. The "team" thing is understandable in the context of multiple parishes, but hardly seems legit when it is just one parish - as the appointment in Dededo appears to be. In the Dededo case, it appears to be a move to maintain a division of power. If this is the model that Jimenez wants to promote, then why not at all the parishes? Why only Dededo? I know the answer, but I won't be saying it here. You can figure it out.
And what about this Krzysztof "study leave?" Where is he studying and why? Aren't we paying for it? If so, then we should know. Krzysztof is a neocat. He's the 3rd Neocat to have "study leave." The other two sucked up our money, got their advanced degrees, and then never came back to Guam.
The Neocats are probably paying Krzysztof's education, but that doesn't leave Jimenez off the hook. We paid tens of thousands of dollars to put him through the so-called seminary here in Guam. Krzysztof's first duty is to Guam.
And no word yet from Jimenez about all the missing priests still incardinated in this archdiocese: Msgr David C, Fr Julius, Fr Pedro, and Fr Luis Camacho?
What exactly is “Team Ministry” and “Team Moderator” supposed to mean? Throwing two strong priests into Dededo isn’t leadership, it’s just setting the stage for conflict. Meanwhile, plenty of parishes have been stuck with poorly trained Neo priests for years, yet they’re still being left to run parishes on their own.
Let’s be honest, Msgr. James has influence, and the Archbishop can’t handle it. This feels less like pastoral planning and more like a power move, his way of saying “I’m the boss.” And still no pastors being appointed. The Archbishop’s been assigned to Guam for a year now, but how much of that time has he actually spent here instead of hopping on flights?
It seems that the archbishop is deliberately not appointing pastors--only parochial administrators, who serve at the will and whim of the archbishop, unlike pastors who have canonical due process protection. His message: obey me blindly and be blindly loyal, or off you go. Fear is his main management tool.
Adding on the fact that a "parochial administrator's" term is only temporary, intended for whenever a pastor is part of a rotation of pastoral assignments or cannot exercise his function due to unforeseen circumstances. Sure, I totally understand that then-Fr. Romy did this in the previous reshuffling of priests "so as not to encumber the discretion of the incoming archbishop when he is so named," but as mentioned in previous comments, now that we already have one for a little more than a year now, what has Jimenez done about this so far??
A little more complex. Parish administrator is indeed a temporary position (usually about a year, could be longer or shorter) before being named as pastor) Not unlike the civilian 90 days period for new hires. As for Concovar he had ulterior motives for his reshuffling. I posted on this today
Jimenez's handling of the mysterious circumstances of Fr. Nino's untimely death, his silence to the NCW's workings here and complicity to the scandal at Bishop Baumgartner, and now a questionable reshuffling of parishes not listed in the previous aviso (honorable mention: a growing closeness with Fr. Harold). It is all starting to click now, I reckon.
There should be a Chamorro assigned to the cathedral and in the top position. Otherwise, it looks like our Church is becoming a branch of the Philippines.
Yes, it is rather strange to me that Msgr. Benavente is assigned to Dededo, of course, not knowing what team ministry is all about. Nothing against Fr. Will, a faithful priest, but Msgr. Benavente holds seniority at the Cathedral.
Msg James' family is from Dededo. There is no such thing as age seniority in the Church. As for his odd assignment: it is due to an appeal process following official complaints, where he normally should be on leave. Instead he is now in restricted duties, just like Msg Bibi
Most of these priests were just placed at their respective parishes…some are just now getting to know their parishioners only to be moved. Reminder: Stability in leadership is vital to fostering community and trust. These frequent transitions can weaken the continuity of pastoral care and parish life. Be considerate to the impact of short assignments on the spiritual and emotional well-being of parishioners!
When Msgr. Benavente was ousted from the cathedral years ago, most of the wealthy parishioners left also along with their money. The cathedral fell on hard times financially until Msgr. was again reassigned to lead the cathedral. It will be interesting to see if the cathedral's wealthy parishioners follow Msgr. to Dededo. Or if rubbing shoulders with the high-status archbishop will keep the wealthy parishioners and their money at the cathedral.
Why should we be held hostage by the wealthy? How many years was Msgr at the Cathedral in total? Allegations and controversy aside, maybe it's time for a change.
Held hostage? Who is holding you hostage? Typical victim drivel. Msgr. was at the cathedral for many years because he was and probably still is the only cleric capable of managing all that the cathedral is tasked with being. In 2014 he was kicked out for several years and the place went to hell. He was brought back because no one else had the administrative skills to run it. And the new archbishop is about to find out this out for himself.
Archbishop Ryan mentions the Philippines so often in his homilies that I wonder if that's where he would rather be. Perhaps his current position on Guam is just a stepping stone on his path to a cushy assignment in the Philippines.
Does this have anything to do with why the Chancery, announced to be moved to the former museum space at the Cathedral, is surprisingly now being moved to former St. Thomas Aquinas school in Ordot? Since they offer no explanation, one can only speculate.
Confused. Any clues as to what "Team Ministry" is supposed to mean as an official assignment title for a priest?
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly. WTH is "Team Ministry?" Sounds like a some sort of born-again church thing. And why are there no pastors? Pastors create stability in a parish. Something that is very important. Does Jimenez want to perpetuate instability? Seems so.
DeleteA friend pointed out that "team ministry" is actually a new post-Vatican 2 concoction established to address the so-called priest shortage, wherein a group of priests, under a "moderator" "minister" to a parish or multiple parishes. The "team" thing is understandable in the context of multiple parishes, but hardly seems legit when it is just one parish - as the appointment in Dededo appears to be. In the Dededo case, it appears to be a move to maintain a division of power. If this is the model that Jimenez wants to promote, then why not at all the parishes? Why only Dededo? I know the answer, but I won't be saying it here. You can figure it out.
DeleteCheck my latest post dated today, you might have the beginning of an explanation
DeleteAnd what about this Krzysztof "study leave?" Where is he studying and why? Aren't we paying for it? If so, then we should know. Krzysztof is a neocat. He's the 3rd Neocat to have "study leave." The other two sucked up our money, got their advanced degrees, and then never came back to Guam.
ReplyDeleteThe Neocats are probably paying Krzysztof's education, but that doesn't leave Jimenez off the hook. We paid tens of thousands of dollars to put him through the so-called seminary here in Guam. Krzysztof's first duty is to Guam.
DeleteAnd no word yet from Jimenez about all the missing priests still incardinated in this archdiocese: Msgr David C, Fr Julius, Fr Pedro, and Fr Luis Camacho?
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly is “Team Ministry” and “Team Moderator” supposed to mean? Throwing two strong priests into Dededo isn’t leadership, it’s just setting the stage for conflict. Meanwhile, plenty of parishes have been stuck with poorly trained Neo priests for years, yet they’re still being left to run parishes on their own.
ReplyDeleteLet’s be honest, Msgr. James has influence, and the Archbishop can’t handle it. This feels less like pastoral planning and more like a power move, his way of saying “I’m the boss.” And still no pastors being appointed. The Archbishop’s been assigned to Guam for a year now, but how much of that time has he actually spent here instead of hopping on flights?
It seems that the archbishop is deliberately not appointing pastors--only parochial administrators, who serve at the will and whim of the archbishop, unlike pastors who have canonical due process protection. His message: obey me blindly and be blindly loyal, or off you go. Fear is his main management tool.
ReplyDeleteAdding on the fact that a "parochial administrator's" term is only temporary, intended for whenever a pastor is part of a rotation of pastoral assignments or cannot exercise his function due to unforeseen circumstances. Sure, I totally understand that then-Fr. Romy did this in the previous reshuffling of priests "so as not to encumber the discretion of the incoming archbishop when he is so named," but as mentioned in previous comments, now that we already have one for a little more than a year now, what has Jimenez done about this so far??
DeleteA little more complex. Parish administrator is indeed a temporary position (usually about a year, could be longer or shorter) before being named as pastor) Not unlike the civilian 90 days period for new hires. As for Concovar he had ulterior motives for his reshuffling. I posted on this today
DeleteJimenez's handling of the mysterious circumstances of Fr. Nino's untimely death, his silence to the NCW's workings here and complicity to the scandal at Bishop Baumgartner, and now a questionable reshuffling of parishes not listed in the previous aviso (honorable mention: a growing closeness with Fr. Harold). It is all starting to click now, I reckon.
ReplyDeleteHere we go again! Starting to look like we are heading toward another division!
ReplyDeleteThere should be a Chamorro assigned to the cathedral and in the top position. Otherwise, it looks like our Church is becoming a branch of the Philippines.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is rather strange to me that Msgr. Benavente is assigned to Dededo, of course, not knowing what team ministry is all about. Nothing against Fr. Will, a faithful priest, but Msgr. Benavente holds seniority at the Cathedral.
DeleteMsg James' family is from Dededo. There is no such thing as age seniority in the Church. As for his odd assignment: it is due to an appeal process following official complaints, where he normally should be on leave. Instead he is now in restricted duties, just like Msg Bibi
DeleteMost of these priests were just placed at their respective parishes…some are just now getting to know their parishioners only to be moved. Reminder: Stability in leadership is vital to fostering community and trust. These frequent transitions can weaken the continuity of pastoral care and parish life. Be considerate to the impact of short assignments on the spiritual and emotional well-being of parishioners!
ReplyDeleteWhen Msgr. Benavente was ousted from the cathedral years ago, most of the wealthy parishioners left also along with their money. The cathedral fell on hard times financially until Msgr. was again reassigned to lead the cathedral. It will be interesting to see if the cathedral's wealthy parishioners follow Msgr. to Dededo. Or if rubbing shoulders with the high-status archbishop will keep the wealthy parishioners and their money at the cathedral.
ReplyDeleteWhy should we be held hostage by the wealthy? How many years was Msgr at the Cathedral in total? Allegations and controversy aside, maybe it's time for a change.
DeleteHeld hostage? Who is holding you hostage? Typical victim drivel. Msgr. was at the cathedral for many years because he was and probably still is the only cleric capable of managing all that the cathedral is tasked with being. In 2014 he was kicked out for several years and the place went to hell. He was brought back because no one else had the administrative skills to run it. And the new archbishop is about to find out this out for himself.
DeleteArchbishop Ryan mentions the Philippines so often in his homilies that I wonder if that's where he would rather be. Perhaps his current position on Guam is just a stepping stone on his path to a cushy assignment in the Philippines.
ReplyDeleteI believe you are correct.
DeleteDoes this have anything to do with why the Chancery, announced to be moved to the former museum space at the Cathedral, is surprisingly now being moved to former St. Thomas Aquinas school in Ordot? Since they offer no explanation, one can only speculate.
ReplyDeleteYes. That's the problem. Despite all these claims of transparency, etc., no explanation...for anything.
Delete