St Cronan Parish Council Issues Statement Regarding Louise Lears

STATEMENT OF THE PARISH COUNCIL
OF SAINT CRONAN CHURCH
in the matter of the Canonical Discipline of
Sister Louise Lears, S.C.
27 June 2008
Sister Louise Lears was removed from the Pastoral Team of Saint Cronan Church by the action of Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke on Thursday 26 June 2008. No communication was received by the pastor or people of the parish, other than the publication of the "Decree of Extra-Judicial Adjudication" on the Archdiocesan web site late in the day 26 June 2008. The decree relieves Sr. Louise of her service to us and our children and seeks to remove her from our common worship, effective immediately.

The people of Saint Cronan Church wholeheartedly support the pastoral work of Sr. Louise Lears and have been edified by her depth of caring for the people of this parish, our children, the children of our neighbors, and the men and women who call the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood of St. Louis home. Sister Louise has been a model of compassion and of non-violent resolution of conflict. She has encouraged us to live more fully the Gospel of Jesus. It saddens us deeply that she has been singled-out for prosecution in a Church court and we raise serious questions of the wisdom of having one man serve as prosecutor, judge, jury - and now, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court - in any supposed system of Justice.

We are concerned that Archbishop Burke seems more comfortable seeking resolution of conflict through recourse to Church law and by wielding his considerable power and authority over officials in the Archdiocese and its formal legal structures, rather than following the simpler, less expensive, and more challenging course of action recommended by Jesus (Matthew 5:21-26) that we seek reconciliation face-to-face with those with whom we are in confliict.

The people of Saint Cronan Church repeatedly invited Archbishop Burke to engage in conversation with us. The Archbishop repeatedly declined our invitations. [Ed. Note: These must have been private invitations, as I never saw them on the website.]

The long tradition of the Roman Catholic Church has held the primacy of an individual's conscience in making ethical decisions. The people of Saint Cronan Church respect this tradition and we recognize Sr. Louise's integrity and courage.

Does this "courage" include attending and engaging in the sham ordinations of women priestettes here in St Louis? Or her being the "Co-Pastor" of the parish? Something's amiss in the consciences of some individuals.

Source: St Cronan Church

Also posted are these:

A Statement of Sister Louise Lears, SC, and,

A Statement of Sister Barbra Hagedorn, SC