MICHIGAN/MINNESOTA
Catholic Spirit
Maria Wiering | January 21, 2016
Following complaints by some Catholics and leaders of an organization for victims of clergy sexual abuse, Archbishop John Nienstedt is leaving a temporary position with a parish in Battle Creek, Michigan, the parish’s pastor announced in a Jan. 21 letter.
“After discussion with the archbishop conveying the expressed concerns by the faithful people of our community, he offered to withdraw from the diocese and I agreed,” wrote Father John Fleckenstein, pastor of St. Philip Catholic Church in Battle Creek, to the area’s Catholics. “Archbishop Nienstedt has a deep concern for the Church, and in light of the unintended discord that his presence was causing, he decided that this would be the best course of action so the Church can remain focused on its mission.”
Father Fleckenstein announced Archbishop Nienstedt’s arrival to the parish Jan. 10 in his parish’s bulletin. He noted that the archbishop would be assisting him with some pastoral ministries for about six months, which would allow the pastor to complete projects for the Diocese of Kalamazoo and attend to some health issues. He said he has known Archbishop Nienstedt for 20 years, since the archbishop was pastor of a parish in Royal Oak, Michigan.
Archbishop Nienstedt resigned as leader of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in June following the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office’s filing of criminal and civil charges against the archdiocese alleging the archdiocese had not protected children in the case of Curtis Wehmeyer, a former priest. Bishop Lee Piché, an auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, resigned the same day. On the day of his resignation, Archbishop Nienstedt said he stepped down because his “leadership has unfortunately drawn away from the good works of [Christ’s] Church and those who perform them.”
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