Many questions still unanswered
by William Mahoney, ChurchMilitant.com, June 18, 2021
It appears Rockford, Illinois bishop David Malloy‘s tactics have worked. His latest victim, Fr. James Parker, left the premises of Holy Cross in Batavia yesterday around noon. Church Militant’s William Mahoney is at the parish with more details.
As Catholics gathered last night outside Holy Cross to pray a Rosary for Fr. Parker, they received a difficult message.
Parishioner: “He [Fr. Parker] said [to] please tell everybody thank you for coming and for all the support you have given him over the last couple of days. But he’s not going to be coming back this evening, and he’s also not going to be back tomorrow morning.”
It seems Malloy’s attorney sending a veiled threat to Holy Cross employees might have been the last straw for Fr. Parker.
That veiled threat ― an insinuation staff could be fired for siding with the persecuted priest ― led parishioners to speculate, going after Holy Cross employees was, in effect, going after his spiritual children.
Many are devastated.
Parishioner: “I feel like a lifeline has been cut off right now, especially in this time, in this day and age, with the way things are going. I feel that Satan is attacking our Church.”
Church Militant approached Fr. Jared Twenty, the ostensible parochial administrator, offering him the opportunity to shed light on the situation.
Father Twenty pointed to his statement on Facebook, explaining he would say nothing else.
After offering a prayer, he left, refusing to answer any questions.
One parishioner made various attempts to communicate with Bp. Malloy, who never responded.
Gary Marcheschi: “These holy priests cannot be silenced any longer. … We do need answers. We need you to unify us.”
Parents are worried for their children. They are struggling with how to explain why Bp. Malloy refused to visit the parish and why he is ousting their beloved pastor.
Parishioner: “We really need our good shepherds to stay with us.”
And while the focus has been on Fr. Parker, parishioners spotlight a bigger picture of the situation that is affecting the entire Church.
While Catholics in the diocese have apparently lost this battle, they’re determined to stay in the war, for Fr. Parker and all of Malloy’s ordained victims.
To that end, they will be gathering on Thursday, June 24, in Lombard, Illinois, in a massive show of solidarity.
To clarify, there is no event next week at Holy Cross Parish in Batavia. The Coalition for Canceled Priests’ fundraiser for Fr. James Parker, called “Breaking the Silence,” will take place at the Carlisle in Lombard, Illinois on Thursday, June 24. It will feature presentations by Fr. James Altman and Elizabeth Yore.
Tickets are $20 and available at CanceledPriests.org. There is a cap on tickets, which are going fast.
This article first appeared HERE.