[Magdalen] This saying No is tough

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/22/2014 4:32:14 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
marionwhitevale at gmail.com writes:

It  wasn't personal; as I said, nothing to do with anything.  Merely my  
comment on our modern world where people are hired, fired, invited,  
dumped,  whatever, everything by email.>>>
Email is probably a step up from the era of "post-it" notes.
 
A large, downtown RC parish where I sang for 25 years had a
"cardinal" monsignor during this entire span.  He was a  classical
micro-manager.  
 
Back in the luxury days when there were at least two young
assistant priests there, he would listen to their sermons which were
piped into his office, and then make comments on post-it notes
which he placed on their office doors.  This is always the way  he
communicated to the O/C.  Ditto with the office  staff.                     
                     
 
There was much underlying grumbling and gnashing of teeth
by all the employees.  It was said that any assistant priest  who
had survived a couple of years or so as an assistant under this
monsignor was ready to pastor any church in the diocese.
 
Some of the assistant clergy were themselves very dominant
and strong personalities, such that there was amazement
that there were not open fisticuffs....but, then, who knows 
what may have happened after hours in the large, three
storey rectory!
 
I've wondered how such an authoritarian clergyman tolerates
retirement, when there is no longer a captive audience for his
beck and command.
 
 
David Strang.