Apuron Meets Pastor over Parish Appeal

By Shawn F Raymundo
Pacific Daily News
June 11, 2015

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2015/06/11/apuron-meets-pastor-over-parish-appeal-0612/71056096/

Father Mike Crisostomo, pastor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Toto, walks the center aisle of the church in July 2014.

The pastor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in Toto was summoned to the Archdiocese of Agana Chancery Office on Wednesday to discuss why the church's donations in an annual campaign for funds were "not favorable."

During the roughly three-month period in which the island's Catholic churchgoers donate toward what's called the annual appeal, Rev. Michael Crisostomo and the Toto church only raised $150 toward its goal of more than $5,000, said John Taitano, member of the Toto parish council.

"The results of the Immaculate Heart was unfavorable," Taitano said. "The archbishop wanted to meet with our pastor to discuss the unfavorable results."

From Ash Wednesday to Pentecost Sunday, churches collect money meant to fund the religious education of prospective priests attending seminaries. The annual appeal donations also assist chaplains at Guam Memorial Hospital, the Department of Corrections and Department of Youth Affairs.

In a June 2 memorandum to Crisostomo, Archbishop Anthony Apuron wrote, "the results are not favorable and I fear it will affect the chaplaincies of the hospital and prisons; the education of our seminarians and the emergency needs of our priests."

He later added: "We will discuss how the (appeal) was organized at your parish, what strategies were taken to promote the appeal to the people, and what we can do to meet your parish's suggested goal."

Leading up to the meeting, the parish polled the congregation to gauge why only $150 was raised this year when more than the quota was collected last year, Taitano said.

Parishioners could choose from one of five options: I didn't have any money; I don't participate in the appeal process; I participated last year but I didn't participate this year; I will not participate unless there is transparency in the appeal; and other.

"Overwhelmingly, parishioners chose the fourth response," Taitano said. "They wanted transparency — not so much with the archbishop, but with what the funds were going to be used for."

Taitano said many Catholics on island have taken issue with Apuron's alleged alignment with the Neocatechumenal Way, a global movement within the Catholic Church.

He said the money in the annual appeal is being used to send the seminarians to the Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary in Guam, which teaches the Neocatechumenal Way.

Many of the priests who completed their teaching at the seminary, Taitano said, are going into missionary work instead of the priesthood on island.

"I thought we were supposed to be formulating priests for the island of Guam," he said. "That's why we're saying 'why should we be giving funds to the Redemptoris Mater when it's clear that they're going to be missionaries for the (the Neocatechumenal Way). ... We need priests here on Guam."

To meet the appeal goal, Apuron cannot ask the parish to take money out of its general fund, Taitano said. Some money in the church's general fund comes from donations of the congregation.

When members write out checks to the church, they can state what the money can be used for, making it illegal for the parish to use the money for any other purpose.

Taitano said he hasn't had a chance to sit down with Crisostomo to discuss what happened in the meeting, but was pleased no adverse action was taken.

"We haven't sat down with Father Mike, but we were happy that nothing happened. Nothing happened to Father Mike as far as his ministry," Taitano said.

Banding together in solidarity with Crisostomo and the Toto church, several parishioners held a prayer walk outside of the chancery during the meeting.

Adrian Cristobal, spokesman for the Archdiocese, couldn't be reached as of press time.