[Magdalen] This saying No is tough

[Jon Egger]

Shortly before i was ordained, +BRHowe gave me some advice (that told
everyone coming through discernment): "Once you are ordained you have a
wonder gift, the Holy No.  Use it wisely and often as your health and
sanity come first."

+++
Grace & peace,
jon


On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 6:40 PM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen <
magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:

>
>
> 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.
>