Correspondence
from Bishop William F. Murphy
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Issues, Click Here
The following letter from Bishop
Murphy was received by VOTF-LI in response to a letter sent by the Board
of Directors of VOTF-LI on April 28, 2003.
DIOCESE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE
Office of the Bishop
April 30, 2003
(not addressed to anyone)
Dear Friends in Christ:
I am in receipt of your letter of April 28. While it
pains me to hear your message, be assured that I have read it closely
and have brought it to prayer.
It has been, and will continue to be, my
commitment to listen to ideas, suggestions and thoughts of every member
of the Church on Long Island. I have tried to do that and regularly subject
my ideas to the judgment of others, changing them when it seems best so
to do and implementing other person’s ideas when they are superior
to my own. In that spirit, I have listened to you and invite you to continue
to share your insights with me and with my colleagues.
With assurance of my prayers and best wishes,
I am
Yours in Christ,
Most Rev. William F. Murphy
Bishop of Rockville Centre
The following letter from Bishop
Murphy was received by VOTF-LI in response to letters sent by members
of VOTF-LI after the Regional Meeting on April 11, 2003, to protest the
bishop’s ban on the use of Church property for VOTF-LI meetings.
DIOCESE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE
Office of the Bishop
April 17, 2003
Dear Mr. Bartley,
Recently, I received 132 form letters to
which people have added their own particular remarks, all expressing concern
that I am not allowing Voice of the Faithful to meet on Church property.
I have noted these.
Please be assured that if I were to receive ten-times
this number of letters, they would not be a cause for changing my mind.
You and I both know that I would be happy to reconsider my decision once
the issues that I have explained, time and again to you and others, have
been resolved. Until that time, I would ask that you recognize that I
am acting in good faith and I have taken this position not in any way
to deprive anyone or to punish anyone but simply because I, as Bishop,
have reservations about certain aspects of the words and actions of the
national group and the implications that may have in terms of our local
church.
Thank you for this consideration.
Assuring you of my prayers and best wishes in this Easter
Season, I am
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Rev. William F. Murphy
Bishop of Rockville Centre
The following letter from Bishop
Murphy was received by VOTF-LI in response to a letter sent by the leaders
of VOTF-LI after their meeting with the bishop on March 26, 2003.
DIOCESE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE
Office of the Bishop
April 15, 2003
Dear Mr. Bartley,
Thank you for your letter of March 31, which
I have read quite closely and shared with the vicars and those who were
present at our meeting of March 26. I very much appreciate your having
responded so quickly.
There were many issues that we raised and
discussed. I continue to keep them very actively before me as I seek to
be the Bishop to all the people of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Your
views continue to be important, as are the views of every member of the
Church here on Long Island.
While we work together toward the future,
I am confident that the synod will offer many opportunities for all of
the people of the diocese to have their voices heard and their concerns
considered. In this and in all other matters we discussed, please know
that I am most appreciative of your observations, your comments, and your
suggestions.
Let us pray for one another, especially as
we enter into this Holy Week, that the Risen Lord of Easter Sunday will
be in the hearts of each and every one of us, binding us ever more closely
as one body, His Body, His Church, here on Long Island.
With my prayers and best wishes, I am
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Most Rev. William F. Murphy
Bishop of Rockville Centre
CC: Msgr. Robert Brennan
Most Rev. John Dunne
Rev Msgr. R. Emmet Fagan
Bishop-elect Paul Walsh
Most Rev. Emil A. Wcela
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