Catholic Church? Why Not?: Volume 1

By Jack Scissons

This is a fictionalized account of journal entries of a newly ordained Catholic priest in a small rural community in western Canada. He became a priest in mid-life after being married to his childhood sweetheart, studying social work at university, working in the development of affordable housing, and losing his wife to ALS. These journals describe his first few months trying to reconcile the current teachings of the church about married male and female priests, abortion, divorce, assisted dying, and LGBTQIA+ rights with the core teachings of the Gospels such as love, tolerance, and forgiveness, as he provides spiritual care to his parishioners in his first pastoral assignment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Apr 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781665554404

Jack Scissons

Jack Scissons (B.A., MSW, MCIP, RRP, retired) was born in 1939 and has been a lifelong practicing Catholic. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1964. After working as a priest in both Canada and Brazil, he resigned from the priesthood in 1970. He worked approximately 32 years as a city planner revitalizing older inner=city neighbourhoods. He is retired and lives with his wife Kathleen in Calgary.

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© 2022 Jack Scissons. All rights reserved.

Edition II

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/07/2022

ISBN: 978-1-6655-5441-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-5439-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-5440-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022904568

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1 July Daily Journal Entries

Chapter 2 August Daily Journal Entries

Chapter 3 September Daily Journal Entries

Chapter 4 October Daily Journal Entries

Acknowledgements

The Author

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead (1901-1978)

IN APPRECIATION

The author would like to thank the staff at Author House for their assistance, patience and advice on guiding him through the process of writing and publishing this book, especially Eve Ardell, Jamaica Delfin, Cleo Carrigan, Blake Preston, Charmaine Bolton, Jorie Reff, Josh Laluna, Nolan Estes, but especially Mae Genson, Senior Publishing Consultant-Supervisor. Thank you all.

INTRODUCTION

I began writing these journals recently after I was assigned as pastor of a parish church called St. Francis of Assisi. It is situated in a small rural community (population 1,870) on the Canadian prairies, identified by three working elevators and a large regional farmers market on weekends. The town is forty-five minutes by car from the city (pop. 115,000) I grew up in and where my parents, siblings, and their families live. I am quite anxious about my adjustment from working in an urban parish, living with Father Mike, to a rural parish lifestyle where I live and work alone. Six weeks ago, my boss, Bishop Ben (officially, he is called Bishop Benedict), asked me to assume the pastoral duties of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic parish. I arrived two weeks ago, and since then, I have done nothing I am accustomed to doing other than celebrating masses on Saturday and Sunday at St. Francis and at St. Joseph, a small neighboring rural church.

In addition, I have been slowly getting a sense of the community, namely by introducing myself to the doctors and nurses at the local hospital, the police officers at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) office, the owner of the grocery store, the principal at the local high school (it has a fitness facility utilized by the community), the editor of the local newspaper, and the owner of the hardware store, and checking out the quality of the local restaurants: a lot of activity in a short period of time. As this is July, with the summer break from school and regular routines, many parishioners are away on holidays or at summer cottages. Life is slower than usual, permitting my introduction to the community in a leisurely way. But still, I am anxious.

I am writing these journal entries in a confidential manner because I want to protect my bishop, my priestly colleagues, my parishioners, my family, and my friends from being unduly exposed, harshly criticized, or put at risk in one way or another for my views on the church. Priests are not public figures, nor are we encouraged to be so. The priesthood is a closed-personnel organization, like police departments and the military. The bishops and church leaders use command and control to manage the day-to-day church activities. This lack of transparency and resulting absence of accountability is fraught with dangers for the church, as has occurred during the recent sexual abuses crisis.

I hope to publish these journals at some point. Why? Most people, I believe (including myself before I became a priest), do not know how priests live their daily lives. What do they do? How do they work? What do they do for fun and enjoyment? In addition, the sexual abuse scandals and their cover-up by church leaders, as well as their abysmal treatment of women and the LGBTQIA+ community, in my opinion, has resulted in many priests going underground and becoming invisible. I think it also contributed to the overwhelming exodus from the church, particularly of younger people. I hope to begin changing that image by my attitudes and practice. I hope my education in social work and not being judgmental will be assets.

I also have a confession to make. Part of my need for confidentiality is that I am not your typical Catholic priest. While I am supposed to be a model Catholic, there are many teachings of the church that I struggle with and do not teach. I am a firm believer in the fundamentals of the Gospels: to love and serve God and our neighbor, the practice of tolerance and forgiveness, and all they entail. But throughout the years, this message has been overshadowed by exclusivity and a blind acceptance of obey and pay as dictated by our patriarchal, celibate church leadership. The church today is dominated by a patriarchal male priesthood, but more of our membership is comprised of women, who have little or no voice. In my opinion, we spend too much time teaching the rules of the church particularly about birth control and other sexual practices that seem horribly out of date with the daily challenges of family life, holding down a job, and enjoying the few fleeting pleasures that come along.

That is my secret. I suspect there are many priests like me, but they have been thoroughly intimidated over the years from speaking up.

Note: The language of the Bible refers to God as masculine or as a he. God is neither male nor female. God is non-binary. The Bible was written when patriarchy was predominant in society. This meant that men were dominant in society and women were secondary. Unfortunately, we do not yet have the English vocabulary that properly describes who God is.

CHAPTER

1

July Daily Journal Entries

Tuesday, June 12

My Bishop Ben and Max

M y bishop is very atypical and down to earth. He is not aloof or otherworldly. His name is Benedict but is known simply as Bishop Ben. He lives in a two-bedroom apartment a short walk from the cathedral, where he celebrates an early morning mass. He has an office near the cathedral and his apartment. He cooks his own meals (Italian) except for lunches, which he takes at the cathedral. He has a dog named Max, a five-year-old black Labrador rescue dog who carries a salivary old tennis ball that’s always in his mouth. Max is his constant companion, even when he is celebrating mass. Bishop Ben looks quite fit and stands over six feet tall, with a military haircut and a very pleasant face, and is known to walk everywhere he can for exercise. He is supposedly younger than I am by a few years. He is very laid back and an excellent listener. I have seen him in his office when he was casually dressed; other times, he wears a suit and Roman collar, sometimes in colorful shirt and black slacks. I am told that he is a big football fan and on a game day will wear his favorite team’s jersey to work. He certainly is breaking the mold.

As I remember, this was his advice to me:

• The first thing in the morning, once you get your wits about you, pray and dedicate yourself to doing everything, even the smallest acts, out of love for the Lord and your neighbor, and perform them as best you can.

• Make a daily task list, either the night before or in the morning, and at the end of your day, check off the items you accomplish.

• Try to do something every day that is beneficial to someone.

• Your evening prayer is vitally important. It is an opportunity to review your day, do a thorough examination of conscience, and count God the Father’s countless blessings.

• Reach out to everyone in the community, from doctors to police officers, schoolteachers, mail carriers, and the people at the pizza parlor.

• Learn to relax into the silence and the slowness of small-town living, and listen to the Holy Spirit, who will begin to whisper wisdom into your ear.

• Get to know the physical layout of the community by walking it. Get some exercise every day. Do pushups. You may want to get yourself an indoor exercise bike.

• Organize meetings with the men of the parish, the Catholic Women’s Association (CWA), and the parish council. Listen to them. They will help you adjust and will tell you their needs.

• Avoid too much TV time.

• Do not celebrate Mass alone.

• Avoid drinking alcohol alone.

• Do not drink alcohol when carrying out parish visits, despite the attraction.

• Avoid providing counseling of any kind. Leave that to the professionals. Do not have any contact with a woman or child alone in your rectory. Do so only in a public place, such as a library or coffee shop.

• No hugging of children or young adults. Be careful about hugging or touching anyone other than your parents or siblings.

• Cook large quantities of food you can eat as leftovers and freeze for other occasions when you do not have time to cook.

He said he would like to see me every month to review my parish work and scheduled my next meeting for early August.

Father in heaven, help me to be a good priest and not screw up this new assignment. Take care of Bishop Ben, my family, and my parishioners. Thank you for everything you do for me, my good life, and the many opportunities you give to me.

Sunday, July 15

Visiting My Family

After the last mass on Sunday, I regularly drive to the city, spend the rest of the day with my family, and take Monday off. Most priests I know have to concern themselves with the Sunday collection, but our parish council manages it. My family, comprising my parents, two siblings, their partners, and their four children, are very important to me. Monday is usually a day off for parish priests. Weekends are busy times in a parish; the community congregates on weekends, people get married on weekends, and other parish milestones occur on Sundays. Monday is a recovery day. Sunday night family dinners have been a tradition for my family for as long as I can remember. You had to have a very important reason to miss them if you were in the city. My parents, both in their seventies, still enjoy hosting these meals for the family.

My dad and my older brother are in the hardware and building supply business together. My brother’s wife is a kindergarten teacher. My little sister is a high school English teacher, and her husband works in a bank. She is very significant in my life. She was the first person I could talk to about my grief after Wendy’s death, and later about my relationships with women when I was feeling vulnerable. Now I can talk to