Lennon's Second Five Year Plan Begins

Polish Constitution Parade 2011

It has recently been announced that the Franciscans are leaving St. Stanislaus in Newburgh, Cleveland, Ohio. First one chapter, and then another served at St. Stan's. The current pastor is to be removed [in days] from the diocese, and the other Franciscans will be out 1 July 2012 [1 July 2010 was the day Lennon's first wave of parish evictions ended with the police removing parishioners from St. Emeric's]. The new order starts on 1 July [a new fiscal year].

altar with Franciscan saints

The weekend Masses of 4 December included in the bulletin a two sided (a,b) page insert. Oddly, they are both dated 1 December. Logic would dictate the Provincial's letter would have to have come first, but if it did, then the second letter should not have had a repeated historical error. Franciscan Father John Puodziunas recollects the Wisconsin friars came in 1989 [they had taken over from the St. Louis friars] to St. Stanislaus. Lennon has them coming in 1906.

Lennon's letter shows he doesn't know (or probably care) about the parish's history. Franciscans have been there since 1906, but these have been there since 1989 only. It appears Lennon doesn't make the distinction, or bothered to ask.

Many believe there is something beyond the 'official story' at St. Stanislaus. After Mass, Michael Surufka repeatedly said Lennon was not the cause of departure.

The Newburgh neighborhood (renamed for promotion as 'Slavic Village') of Cleveland, Lennon split into two 'clusters':

• St. Stanislaus (Polish), Our Lady of Lourdes (Czech, and now Latin American), St. Hyacinth (Polish), [and additionally well outside the neighborhood] St. Casimir (Polish)
• Sacred Heart (Polish), Immaculate Heart (Polish), Holy Name (territorial), St. Lawrence (Slovene), St. John Nepomucene (Czech).

He closed St. Hyacinth, St. Casimir, Sacred Heart and St. Lawrence (the last three, at least, with sizable cash reserves).

What now with St. Stanislaus? Certainly, Lennon is trying to have greater control over that parish. Now recently, in 2006, the church had become a shrine [and co-cathedral]. That was done before the arrival of lennonism. They attempted for basilica status, but only one basilica for any saint in the country. Springfield, Massachusetts has the basilica for St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr. St. Stan's has also been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.

in national costume around Karol Józef Wojtyła, abp. Krakow's mitre

Lennon's hands are tied, in regards to closing St. Stan's. He still can strike. He wants to de-Polonise. He is sending the Franciscans away. After July, how many priests will there be there? Will any priest there be able to speak Polish?

Lennon has had a repeated pattern of removing non-diocesan priests. Lennon has had a repeated pattern of removing multi-lingual priests. Of the nine parishes in the two clusters above, there were five Polish parishes; two are open now.

interior of St. Stanislaus, Cleveland. Epiphany 2011

Lennon cannot close St. Stanislaus. He can make it rough for them. He has meddled in much mischief already, e.g. the St. Stan's Dads Club has been eliminated. Lennon can eliminate the other Polish parish (Immaculate Heart of Mary), very near by. Immaculate Heart of Mary has a newly incardinated immigrant Polish priest. For this bishop all priests are pawns.

In Lennon's first five year plan, Immaculate Heart stayed open [in part to pay off past due bishop's taxes (assessments)]. Lennon might merge (close) Immaculate Heart into St. Stan's, which would become responsible for the 'debt' in his second five year plan.

Holy Name, and Our Lady of Lourdes have been recently sent two new pastors. Their assignments appear to be to keep the parishes open. What of St. John Nepomucene? Perhaps, too few details have emerged.