By Rita Ciolli
Newsday
October 20, 2002

Responding personally to heated criticism about the costly renovation of his new residence, Bishop William Murphy has apologized for the overruns and has acknowledged that the project was a public relations "disaster."

In a recent e-mail sent to a Port Washington man who vowed to withhold his donations to the Bishop's Appeal, an annual fund-raising drive, Murphy wrote, "I never thought- nor was I told - that it would be this expensive. I was as shocked as were you. I am sorry about this. It was way beyond what I thought it would be."

Nonetheless, the leader of Long Island's 1.5 million Catholics defends his decision to live in a 5,000-square-foot home on the third floor of the Gothic-inspired stone structure of the former convent on the grounds of St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre.

When the renovations first were reported two weeks ago, Murphy was in Rome attending the canonization ceremonies for Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, the founder of Opus Dei. Since his return, he has used e-mails, letters and private meetings with priests to explain his decision to move into a space that originally had been promised to a local order of Dominicans nuns, who founded and ran the parish schools. The six remaining nuns had left the convent a year before when the construction began.

Murphy is also using the Long Island Catholic, the official newspaper of the diocese, to answer his critics. A recent editorial that was written to provide "clarity" and quell what it calls an "uproar" said the bishop's private quarters are simply a three-room suite, similar to what would be provided in a rectory. The public space, it reads, is a diocesan facility to be used for many purposes.

Meanwhile, an alternative to the Bishop's Appeal fund has been created by the Long Island chapter of Voice of the Faithful, a national lay group seeking structural change within the Church. The group says some Long Island Catholics upset about the sex abuse scandal and Murphy's new residence are reluctant to donate to the diocese.

The group says it will give the money it collects directly to the same charities traditionally supported by the bishop's fund, but unlike the diocese, will post a financial accounting on its Web site of how each dollar is spent.

"Locally, we have also been witness to a perplexing display of wealth and position, which we as a diocese appear to have unwittingly funded," said Jim Godfrey, co-chair of the group's finance committee, to loud applause from a crowd of more than 700 at a meeting Thursday night in Babylon.

The diocese had no immediate response to the group's action. In the past, church officials have said that the sex abuse scandal has not affected contributions.

But the Long Island Catholic editorial suggests continuing concern over the impact of the negative reaction to the bishop's home. "Some bishops might choose a more simple residence than the one prepared for Bishop Murphy. If he were thinking only of his own comfort, he might prefer an apartment away from his job instead of, in effect, living over the store," the editorial concludes.

While not specifically mentioning the gourmet kitchen, the editorial attempts to explain the selection of the high-priced appliances that have been a lightning rod in the concern about the renovation's cost.

"The kitchen appliances are suitable for preparing meals for large groups, and are expected to last longer through harder use than those a family might typically have," the editorial says.

The diocese says the costs will mostly be recouped from the sale of a private home left to it by the family of the late bishop Walter Kellenberg. The seven-room ranch at 55 Columbia Rd. in Rockville Centre, appraised in the high $700,000s, will be placed on the market soon.

The final price tag on renovations for the bishop's new residence grew from $500,000 to $800,000 with another $120,000 spent on furnishings and appliances, according to the diocese.

"Had he known how much those would be, he has said he would never have begun the project," said Joanne Novarro, a spokeswoman for the diocese in an e-mail to Newsday that characterized how the bishop has been responding to Catholics. "He has expressed deep regret and stated that he only wishes to serve the people of God in this diocese as faithfully as he knows how."

Novarro's e-mail also addressed the recent cuts in services by Catholic Charities and said they were unrelated to the construction costs. The discontinued programs were in the red, she said, because of cuts in state and local Medicaid reimbursements.

Some of the reaction was not about the price. In a reply to a blistering e-mail from James O'Neill of Philadelphia, who reminded Murphy that the "pennies, nickels and dimes" of schoolchildren built St. Agnes, the bishop explained his phrase "my cathedral." O'Neill grew up in Rockville Centre and is the author of "To Believe in a Vision," a book about the building of the cathedral.

"You are correct to say that the cathedral is not 'my cathedral,' but is God's house," Murphy responded. "I referred to it that way as I refer to the priests as "my priests" meaning they are the ones and that is the place where the Holy Father has asked me to exercise my role as bishop."

The reaction to Murphy is mixed. Nancy Felicioni of Massapequa mailed Murphy her stack of weekly contribution envelopes distributed by her Seaford parish, saying it was "obvious" that her money was not needed. Felicioni plans to send her donations to Voice of the Faithful.

But the Port Washington man, who didn't want his name used and who belongs to St. Mary's parish in Manhasset, said Murphy's response eased his anger.

"He is a human being. It is human frailty," said the man, who added he was still not writing a check this year but may next year. "I was more incensed over the priest scandal. I realize that one thing doesn't have much to do with the other but there is still a lot of anger there from that, and then I read about the money spent on this."

GRAPHIC: 1) Photo - Bishop William Murphy; Newsday Photos / Alejandra Villa 2) Above, the diocese plans to sell this Rockville Centre home to help cover the cost of renovating Murphy's new residence, 3) which is on the third floor of this former convent, below.