From Canon Law (Canon 1286)
Administrators of temporal goods:
1° in making contracts of employment, are accurately to observe also,
according to the principles taught by the Church, the civil laws relating to
labour and social life... |
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On June 18, 2003, the newly
appointed pastor of Holy Spirit Catholic Parish in McAllen, Texas, in his
first official act, fired four of the professional staff. Apparently
it was intended that virtually all the staff be fired, but vacations and
illness, together with the ensuing uproar and a temporary restraining order,
prevented the other dismissal letters from being delivered.
The four staff members are part of a group of church
employees in the Diocese of Brownsville who are members of the United Farm
Workers Union and have union contracts with their pastors.
On August 15, 2003, a
settlement between the diocese
and the union was reached.
This legal settlement, while protecting the workers for
the duration of their contract, has not created a resolution to the
underlying crisis in the parish--the efforts of the diocese to dismantle the
Vatican II parish created by the hard work and dedication of thousands of
people over a 23 year period.
(see, Somos el Cuerpo
de Cristo--a Newsletter and
Reflections of the Spirit)
On April 11, 2005 a letter, signed by over 250
parishioners, was sent to the current Pastor outlining a set of
concerns and requesting that a meeting be held with a group of representatives
of the signees to plan for meeting these concerns, healing the parish, and
restoring the dynamic Vatican II community that was so injured in June of
2003. (see, Letter to the Pastor) |
