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Omnia Christus est Nobis

Why I Left the CPPS.

3/18/2018

11 Comments

 
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It was a sad day when I left the community that gave me life. I had wonderful friends and mentors who were good to me and had encouraged me.  Casper Bonifas (d. 1998) strongly encouraged me in music ministry. He loved the music that I prepared for provincial assemblies. He even gave me some of his preaching notes from when he preached missions. John Klopke (d. 2003) was a great mentor in the intellectual life, examining sources and exploring how they might be helpful in today’s world. Larry Heiman (d. 2012) was a great friend, whom I count as my best teacher over the past 30 years.  He was my teacher in Gregorian chant.  Sacred chant was his passion, but he was not afraid to change. Even in his old age, he introduced me to the chant wars; the contrast between an old Ward method and the semiology of some of the giants in the Solemnes world.  Marvin Steffes (d. 2011) cried when I had to leave his employ to enter formation.  He had no idea how he could rejoice and be sad at the same time and he did not understand how his preaching had led me to that choice.  Milton Ballor (d. 2009) was a great friend. He visited me many times in California and provided relics for the parish altar. He and I had a great love for Rome and tradition.
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But my friends and mentors died or went away and I was left with a community that was not sure what it was about and in many ways was going its own way.  From afar, the other province was agitating for a change in the church stance on same-sex relationships. They even accepted to minister in the gay parish in our back yard.  I got tire of people in the bay area asking if I was gay.  Close at hand, I had a parochial vicar who had voted for (so-called) same sex marriage in the recent elections.  More than that, this parochial vicar contradicted me in the confessional, called me all sorts of names because I thought contraception was unacceptable for a Catholic, and ridiculed me for celebrating the Latin Mass and wearing a cassock.  He believed it appropriate and acceptable that the only things we agreed on were Jesus and Scotch, single Malt scotch.

That was not enough.  The Community saddled me with a Charismatic associate.  This was no normal Charismatic associate.  This was an Indian with suspect theology from an Indian Ashram who had no concept of normal American relationships or attention to detail. But Charismatic he was; so, when I asked him to observe the norms of the General Instruction to the Roman Missal, he instead provided me with some printed, unbound copies of an unapproved ritual for the American church.  This was unacceptable and I told him so.

I witnessed one of his Charismatic liturgies.  There was no Entrance Rite, just a time of praise and worship music.  Then the priest said a prayer.  It was long and charismatic and was not from any approved ritual.  Then there was a reading and Responsorial Psalm, followed by an extended time of praise. Then he read the Gospel.  The homily was not related to anything resembling Catholic doctrine and then, he proceeded with the Offertory and the Eucharistic prayer.  There was no Memorial Acclamation, just an extended time of praise. The Great Amen was replaced with another extended time of praise which included the Our Father. Communion occurred normally.  There was no Concluding Prayer or Final Blessing.  This was a time for anointing and prayer. The oil of the sick was used, but this was not for those who were ill or close to death; it was for everyone, including young people. Any relationship with the Roman Rite was brief and fleeting, and it was a complete misuse of the Church’s Sacrament of Anointing.

Then there was the provincial who removed me from the “Companion Program” and refused me permission to attend even the meetings of the group.  The sponsor who replaced me was gay and opposed me at every step, turning the Companions into an opposition group. New companions were liberal members of the parish, including some who advocated for women’s ordination on their Facebook pages.

So, after my tenth anniversary as Pastor, some of these liberals got the idea to do a letter writing campaign against me, inundating the provincial offices with about 50 or 60 letters.  One parishioner complained to the diocese that I was using parish funds for my vacations.  They came and did an investigation but everything checked out and the accusation proved to be unfounded. The Province came out and did an investigation, but they only spoke to liberal members of the parish who opposed me.  They did not consider that there were 6,000 families who loved the way things were.  They interviewed the other two priests who opposed me theologically and liturgically, and they interviewed parishioners who were in favor of contraception, abortion and gay relationships.

So, the Provincial decided to remove me, and the new bishop who did not know me, concurred.  They said that the Charismatic associate had complained that he could not minister properly working for me.   I have nothing against the Charismatic movement per se.  I am strongly opposed to the abuse of the Eucharist and the Liturgy.

By removing me, my Community gave support to parishioners who opposed my preaching on contraception, on women’s ordination, on abortion and same-sex relationships.   I asked the vice provincial who did the investigation if he had asked them what they believed.  His answer: “What difference would that make?”

There was a time when a CPPS parish was unique. It was different from other places because of the spirituality.  That is what this parish was.  It provided a home for those who were cast off from other places.  We had parishioners who traveled for 20-25 miles for their Roman fix.  Those who were not welcome in other places found a home here.  The CPPS province destroyed that.  Many parishioners are now scattered far and wide and the parish is just like the other liberal parishes in the diocese.

I am a Roman Catholic.  I believe everything that the Roman Catholic Church proclaims to be true and revealed by God.  I have nothing in common with the Precious Blood Community.  They told me that unless I changed, they would retire me, because they had nowhere to put me.   I choose to serve the Church where I am needed.  I had to find my own job.  My Community never appointed me to that place, so I have decided to serve the bishop who did appoint me, as long as the Lord gives me life and health. 

11 Comments
Nancy Emsley
3/19/2018 04:15:19 am

Thanks for making it all clear. I wondered what could have happened. I feared the companions were too liberal and loose when I was a member back then too. I’m so sorry you had that distressing time and that you now can be the Priest you have been called to be. God Bless!

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Thelma Todak
3/19/2018 06:44:26 am

I too have had a brief association with the CC. The disrespect for our Lord and Lady were just too much to bear. That was the deciding factor to discontinue any and all association with those. I still continue to pray for them and the 'scourge' on the Catholic Church. Only God can fix what is truly broken. Please pray for me as I continue to pray for our beloved Priests. God Bless

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Chris and Lina Young
3/19/2018 07:01:53 am

Fr Keyes is a wonderful blessing to Sonoma County. Exactly what our Catholic community needed at the right time. Thank you Fr Keyes.

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Leilani Panoringan Ostrom
3/19/2018 03:06:32 pm

Hi Father Jeff. This is Leilani and Eric Ostrom. We miss you Father Jeff. Now we understand what happened at Newark. We don't really go to mass that much there at St. Edward's anymore. We still go to mass but in Milpitas or other Catholic Churches in the Sta.Clara Diocese. We want to let you know that you are in our prayers and that Eric and I learned a lot from you on your RCIA classes at St. Edward's. Eric and I are still CCD Catechists and RCIA Catechists. We are both very thankful to you for all the good and correct catholic knowledge that we have learned from you in which we use in teaching at our CCD class and RCIA. You and your sister are in our daily prayers. We also both loved going to your EF mass and Latin Mass. We both love to learn new languages that's why we are ok with the Latin Mass. God bless you always Father Jeff. You are one of the best teacher, friend, & priest that we know.

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B. Kalafut
3/19/2018 03:55:26 pm

Leilani and Eric Ostrom: A few former St Edward's regulars cross the bridge to Palo Alto where the mass at noon at St Thomas Aquinas is similar to the old 10 AM Missa Cantata at St. Edward's. Noon is an inconvenient time, for sure, but even if you can only make it once in a while it's a good place to be. Sometimes Fr. Maurice (who was at St. Edward's for a while) offers the Mass and sometimes one of the Dominicans come down from Berkeley; the teaching there is good, too.

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Karen Salstrom link
3/19/2018 05:22:01 pm

[Accidentally placed this comment on the next post...can't remove]

Oh, Father Keyes...I only knew a bare minimum before. What a time you endured! Thank you for remaining faithful. We love you for that.
--Roger & Karen

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James Neiman link
3/19/2018 05:43:08 pm

Dear Father Keyes,
You were an oasis for us, and we are grateful for the brief time we had attending your beautiful masses. We had been so frustrated at so many parishes and were beginning to wonder if we had lost touch with the faith. Meeting you helped us see that was indeed not the case. We are very glad that you have left an unhealthy order - in doing so you are remaining true to your faith and in reality it was they who left the faith a long time ago, and by doing so, separated from you and all other faithful Catholics. We treasure you as a priest, and will continue to remain in touch and to pray for you, as we have all this time since you left.
Sincerely,
James & Alicia Neiman

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Elizabeth A Lobato
3/24/2018 12:16:07 pm

I'm so sorry you were stoned,pray for them.If that's the reason you were ousted be proud for the truth and the way. ther are many of us parishioners that are traditionalist miss you. Don't ever change we need more people like you! I WISH I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE YOU AS MY SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR WHILE YOU WERE HERE. In many many ways you were.THANKYOU.

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John Kelleher
4/8/2018 12:54:11 pm

Dear Padre de Jeffo - It has been far too many decades (years, not rosaries - or, perhaps, both) since we last corresponded. I am grieved to learn of the trials that you have suffered at the hands of ignorant leaders, and hope and pray that you continue to find peace and hope elsewhere in this wild and crazy place we call "Church".

I just learned I'll be filling in as backup organist on Ascension Saturday and Sunday (yep - transferred). I bet the 35 regular parishioners at this extremely rural parish won't even notice. But we do what be do.

So just keep saying the Mass, Father Jeff. It's what you've signed up for, and have the privilege of providing as long as God keeps you here to do it. Wherever it is, it's a great gig.

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christine kobes
6/26/2018 01:59:22 pm

Father Keyes, what difficult times you've been through. I met you at a Retrivaille Weekend in 2006 ish and your comments really turned me back to the church. My family and I even traveled to St. Edward to hear mass by you at Easter one year; we live in Houston, TX. Thank you for your insight.

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Kathlene Miller
8/26/2018 03:11:39 pm

Father Keyes,
I was a lapsed Catholic who hadn't attended church in decades. Then in 2009 my husband persuaded me to go with him to St Edwards. That turned out to be a fortuitous life-changing experience for me and my family. The choir music in Latin was so heavenly that it brought me almost to tears. The Mass showed a clear reverence for God and the experience helped me rekindle my own continuing journey of faith. You baptized my two children who then went on to receive their first Holy Communions under your pastoral care. We thank God that you were there when God nudged my husband to come to St Edwards and bring us, his family, along. We were dismayed when you left. Now the picture becomes more clear as to what happened. I have prayed that God would reveal the painful truth not only about what happened at our local church but about what is afflicting the Church everywhere, and that He heals the Church. He is answering that prayer. God bless you and keep you.

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    I am a Roman Catholic Priest from California. I spent 13 wonderful years years as a member of the Province of the Pacific in the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. The outline of my life can be traced here. 

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