FLORIDA
Renew America
Nancy Heise of Parkland, Fla., sent the following (edited) letter to attorneys involved in the Father Andrew Dowgiert case in Miami:
Dear Mr. Titone, Mr. Vieth, and Ms. Bourassa,
I am a parishioner at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Coral Springs, Fla. This church is the largest parish within the Archdiocese of Miami. My husband and I were married there in 1989. We have four children, all of whom have been through Catholic school there; two are still there and one is at a Catholic high school.
I have been in ministry within the Church since 1996: I volunteer at a soup kitchen in Pompano Beach that is staffed by parishioners from Catholic churches all over. I know the church cleaning lady who has cleaned the priest's home for St. Andrew for 10 years. Our church is the starting point for many area pastors. We have been a revolving door for priests who come here first to get experience and then move on to become pastors elsewhere. ...
I am writing to complain to you about your activities which I have tried to corroborate with the vast number of people I know who would have firsthand knowledge of what you are alleging. No one seems to be able to corroborate Ms. Bourassa's accounts. I have asked her for evidence to support her claims, but she has not complied. I have witnessed a local priest who is accused of being gay, and I know he is not. He was engaged to be married to a woman before his decision to become a priest. He loved her and wanted a family. Now there are whispers about his character. I can tell you he is one of the most loved and decent people on this earth.
Your efforts to bolster your dismissed lawsuit — Father Andrew Dowgiert, a priest who was referred to a mental and alcohol rehab center by the archdiocese — is hurting people not connected to the lawsuit. It is causing scandal, spreading unsubstantiated rumor, and is, I believe, a form of slander and libel that is either illegal or unethical.