Educator to Be St. Denis Pastor
By John Davis
Poughkeepsie Journal
May 27, 2008
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080527/NEWS01/805270313/1006
The transfer of the Rev. Stephen Norton to St. Denis Catholic Church in Hopewell Junction is among more than 40 changes in assignments for priests in the New York Archdiocese.
Norton is president of John F. Kennedy High in Somers where parents plan to fight the transfer of the popular priest to St. Denis. No one could be reached at St. Denis for comment on the transfer.
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| The Rev. Stephen Norton greets students at Kennedy Catholic High School before classes begin in 2005. |
While the transfer of Norton and other priests is raising some objections in the archdiocese, Joseph Zwilling, the archdiocese spokesman, said the transfer of priests in the early summer is nothing out of the ordinary. Between 40 to 46 are set to be transferred by July 1. Last year, 39 or 40 were transferred, he said.
"Priest terms usually end on June 30 and new assignments are effective July 1st," Zwilling said.
Last year, however, some assignments were not completed until the end of the summer due to a change in archdiocese personnel directors.
"But every year we go through this," Zwilling said. "Priests are assigned for usually three- or six-year terms, depending on the assignment."
Those terms, though, can be cut short based on the needs of the faithful.
"It's always with the understanding that if there is a particular need somewhere else in the archdiocese, and in the judgment of the head of the archdiocese - the bishop or the archbishop - that you are needed more elsewhere, that you might be asked before your normal term is competed," Zwilling said. "That happens all the time as well. There really is nothing unusual going on here in terms of transfers."
The sudden reassignments of dozens of Catholic priests across the Archdiocese of New York is causing great confusion and anxiety for priests and parishes, with some questioning Cardinal Edward Egan's motivation for making the moves.
About 47 priests found out last week, mostly in phone calls from the archdiocese, that they would be reassigned around July 1. Some of the priests are in the middle of their parish terms and had no inkling they would be moved. At least a few found out from the pastors who would replace them.
Word of the reassignments has started to spread in recent days, and some parishioners and others are planning to protest the moves. The reassignments will not become official until the affected priests receive letters from Egan.
Parents at Kennedy Catholic High School met Sunday to plan how to fight the reassignment of Norton, a veteran educator.
Norton said he appreciated the parents' support, but added he must look at the chance to be a parish pastor as a good thing.
"This was a major surprise to me," he said. "I'm trained as an educator and have spent my adult life as a teacher. You can look at it and say, 'Why the change?' But I promised on the day I became a priest to be obedient to my bishop - the cardinal. If he needs for me to do something for the archdiocese, I'll do it. I don't think the archdiocese, especially the cardinal, sees this as anything but a positive."
As word continues to spread to parishes and schools about dozens of priests who will be reassigned in the coming weeks, an advisory board to Egan has come out in support of the moves and the cardinal's handling of them.
The Priest Council, in a statement released Saturday, also said it supports Egan "as he faces unfair and anonymous attacks in the media."
The Priest Council met Thursday afternoon with Egan at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers. Three priests who attended the meeting said Egan was highly critical of the media coverage and of presumed leaks from the Priest Personnel Board, which is supposed to advise the archbishop on personnel moves.
The personnel board also met Saturday, but Egan did not attend.
Explanation detailed
The statement from the Priest Council, in full, reads:
"The Archbishop of New York, as Shepherd of this local Church, serves the needs of the people of the Archdiocese of New York. In that capacity, the Archbishop assigns priests based on the pastoral needs of the people of this Archdiocese, as well as the needs of the parishes and other institutions. We, the Priest Council of the Archdiocese, recognize our Archbishop's authority to assign priests and support him as he faces unfair and anonymous attacks in the media. We have full confidence in Cardinal Egan's leadership as he continues to serve with distinction the people who have been entrusted to his spiritual care."
Journal News writer Gary Stern contributed to this report. Reach John Davis at jpdavis@poughkeepsiejournal.com or 845-437-4807.
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