To the editor:
Parishioners of Saint Andrew Church in Westwood protested this past weekend to call attention to the need for a parish priest. The parish has been without a priest for more than a year since pastor Jim Weiner stepped aside in August 2018. Over 50 parishioners signed a petition for a priest and the petition signing and protest will continue.
In the past year, those in charge of overseeing the parish have squandered its most valuable resource, the lay volunteers, who devote their time, talent, and treasure to serve in ministries like human concerns, parish council and liturgy committee. In the ministry of human concerns alone, many volunteers have been told their service is no longer needed.
In June, members of the Saint Andrews laity and staff began training and preparation to implement Healing our Church, a diocesan-wide program promoted by Cardinal Tobin as part of his Forward in Faith Together initiative and developed by RENEW International to address the twin crises of sexual abuse and the coverup.
On Aug. 1, when Fran Yates and Mike Fitzsimmons, parish co-leaders for the program, submitted a bulletin notice for the upcoming program, the initiative was abruptly canceled. The only explanation given was that Monsignor Tom Nydegger, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Newark, felt Saint Andrews should not participate in Healing our Church.
In lieu of Healing Our Church, Rev. Sean Manson, the parish administrator, agreed to hold a parish listening session on Sept. 15.
On Sept. 3 the parish co-leaders had a scheduled meeting with Rev. Manson and staff, to plan the first-ever listening session at Saint Andrews. They were treated in a confrontational and abusive manner by the administrator, bringing an end to their involvement in the planning, with no explanation given.
Subsequently, the administrator canceled the listening session designed to help heal the parish and move forward. Outreach to the cardinal and RENEW International have gone unanswered.
