Diocese postpones another healing service for abuse survivors By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola Gallup Independent correspondent religion@gallupindependent.com March 16, 2018 GALLUP – Once again officials with the Diocese of Gallup are postponing a healing service for survivors of clergy sex abuse, and once again it is because church officials failed to notify the public at least 30 days before the service. The 30-day requirement was mandated in the nonmonetary provisions of the Diocese of Gallup’s Chapter 11 plan of reorganization. The postponed healing service was supposed to be held Saturday at Our Lady of the Snows Parish in Snowflake, Arizona. The new date is now Sunday, April 29. “In the wake of Fr. Bob Mathieu’s passing, we were not able to verify that all the notices were posted or sent out locally, so to make sure that we are fulfilling our obligations to survivors and to the Chapter 11 terms, we have rescheduled the service,” Suzanne Hammons, the diocese’s communication director, said in an email Wednesday. The Rev. Robert E. Mathieu had been the pastor at the Snowflake parish until his death in an auto accident in Albuquerque Feb. 16. Because the healing service was scheduled a month later on March 17, officials with the Gallup Diocese were responsible for notifying the public. This is the second time the healing service in Snowflake has been postponed. The service was originally scheduled for July 22, 2017, but Bishop James S. Wall postponed the service so he could attend the annual Tekakwitha Conference in South Dakota. Wall ended up canceling his appearance at the conference because of ill health. Here is the most current schedule of healing services, all featuring new dates and times: Tuesday, April 3, 5 p.m: Our Lady of the Assumption in Overgaard, Arizona. Tuesday, April 10, 5 p.m: Our Lady of Fatima, Chinle, Arizona. Tuesday, April 24, 5 p.m: St. Francis of Assisi in Lumberton. Sunday, April 29, noon: Our Lady of the Snows, Snowflake, Arizona.

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