US: Dean resigns in solidarity with priest sacked for altering words in liturgy

Fr Jim Buerster

A senior priest in Belleville Diocese, Illinois, has resigned from his role as head of the local deanery, in protest at the sacking of one of his fellow priests, for making small changes to prayers in the Mass. On Friday we carried the story of Fr Bill Rowe, a 72 year-old priest in Illinois, USA, who resigned from the parish where he had served for 17 years, after being ordered by his Bishop to read the Eucharistic liturgy exactly as it is written in the Roman Missal, instead of making small modifications, to make the prayers more understandable to his congregation.

Fr Jim Buerster has now resigned his position as Dean of the North Central Deanery in the Diocese of Belleville in protest over the departure of Fr Rowe. It seems the Deanery was not consulted over the situation, and Fr Rowe is held in high esteem by his fellow priests.

Fr Buerster is parish priest at St Boniface Church in Germantown. He holds a Masters of Divinity from St Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana, was ordained a priest in 1979 and has served in a number of parishes.

Bishop Edward Braxton is not available for comment. He is currently on his ad limina visit to the Holy See with the Bishops of the region. He is scheduled to return on 22 February.

See also: ICN 10 February 2012 US priest asked to resign over changing words in Mass www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=19810

NOTE Those interested in supporting Father Bill Rowe may send letters to the following: Most Reverend Bishop Edward Braxton 222 S 3rd Belleville, Illinois; Cardinal Francis George Office of the Chancellor, PO Box 1979, Chicago, Illinois 60690; and Most Reverend Thomas Joh Paprocki, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, 3211 4th Street NE, Washington, DC 20017-1194.

You may also sign an online petition and/or write a message at: www.thepetitionsite.com/2/keep-father-bill-as-priest-of-st-marys-church/


Source: Iglesia Descalca/Belleville Diocese/ICN