By Karen Barone
At a recent mid-morning Sunday mass at St. Raymond's Roman Catholic Church in East Rockaway, the only direct mention of the controversy came when the priest asked the congregation to pray for those touched and tortured by the sins of his brethren. The congregation members bowed their heads in unison.
Local parishioners were more than willing to talk candidly about the priest scandal, but none wished to be identified by their full names. Debbie, a slim, blond, local business owner, has lived in Lynbrook her whole life. She has received all her sacraments at St. Raymond's, as have her children. She is hurt and angry.
"How else can I feel?" she asked. "My child was baptized by a priest who is now serving time for molesting a young boy."
For many, it is an issue of trust. Parishioners are dealing with the question of whom they can trust if not their clergymen. All voiced a sense of confusion and concern.
For Lynne of Lynbrook, a stay-at-home mom whose children are former altar servers, the scandal touches her very soul, a soul that was nourished by a Catholic-school education. As a child, Lynne was always taught to confide in priests in times of personal trouble, and she passed this lesson along to her students in religious instruction at a local parish. However, those feelings have now changed.
"I was taught to look to my parish priests for guidance, to go and talk to them," she said. "I no longer feel I can do that now."
Feelings of resentment and shame run the gamut throughout the community. Some are trying to understand and be tolerant, while others are unwilling to be appeased. "I am disgusted," said Maureen, a vocal and vibrant parishioner and mother of three. "I will no longer support my own parish, because I don't think there is any accountability."
Anne, of East Rockaway, a soft-spoken former religious education teacher at a local parish, echoed the sentiment. "I'm ashamed to say that I'm no longer sure whether I am financing a legitimate church mission or a cover-up," she said candidly. "This year, when the annual bishop's appeal envelope came, I threw it away."
Scott, a 16-year old local high school junior, said he was less disturbed by the priests' behavior than he is by the church's actions, with its attempt to hide the wrongdoing. "The church should have gotten help for the priests when they first found out," he said. "By covering it up and refusing to face the problem, they made it worse."
Other local parishioners blame Bishop William Murphy, head of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, for the church scandal fallout. "The priests' actions may be repulsive, but the bishop's actions are reprehensible," said James, a white-collar worker and father of two young boys.
"This should all fall on the bishop's shoulders," said Lynne. "He is the head of the diocese and he covered up all those indiscretions. Therein lies the real sin."
The Diocese of Rockville Centre reports that there are 1.3 million Roman Catholics in Nassau and Suffolk counties, making Murphy the spiritual leader of the nation's sixth-largest diocese. At a Mass on Sunday, Feb. 16 at Cur of Ars Roman Catholic Church in Merrick, Murphy implored parishioners to see that "We are not simply the sum total of our failures." He went on to say, "Every day of my life, I pray for everyone. The Lord is bigger than my sinfulness and the sinfulness of myself and others. To those who have left the church, I ask them to keep their eyes fixed on the Lord."
William Jablonski, pastor of St. Raymond's, said he is proud of Murphy's efforts as head of the diocese this past year and remains supportive, even though he is appalled by the actions of the priests entangled in the scandal. "Even as priests, we were shocked and ashamed of what happened, what we never believed would happen," said Jablonski. "I am proud of the way Bishop Murphy has handled things here. He has dealt with the problem head on."
Reverend Donald Baier, Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Malverne, declined to comment, and calls to Our Lady Of Peace Church in Lynbrook were not returned as of press time.
