Saturday, June 30, 2018

St. Mary's in Charlotte Hall, MD: Is there more to the story? I bet there is.

The Archdiocese of Washington is issuing a formal letter of apology to the family of a deceased woman whose funeral attendees Wednesday morning were abruptly evicted from a Charlotte Hall Catholic church by the priest, the Rev. Michael Briese, who was to preside over a Mass of Christian Burial.

In a letter shared with The Enterprise, the Rev. Michael Fisher, secretary for ministerial leadership, wrote to the deceased woman’s daughter: “What occurred at Saint Mary’s Parish [Wednesday] morning does not reflect the Catholic Church’s fundamental calling to respect and uplift the God-given dignity of every person nor does that incident represent the pastoral approach the priests of the Archdiocese of Washington commit to undertake every day in their ministry.”

Ed McFadden, a spokesman for the archdiocese, said the incident remains under investigation and that he expects further conversations and developments as the archdiocese continues to investigate.

For more, click here.  

I have had the opportunity to get to know Fr. Briese and speak with him on a number occasions, both in public and privately.   This does not seem to be the Fr. Briese I had gotten to know.

My guess, is that there is something more here than meets the eye.  

For example, they say that she was baptized there, but was she a practicing Catholic?  If she was not a practicing Catholic, did he feel bullied to provide here with a funeral Mass by the family?   As this seems to have been the viewing before the Mass, were they being disrespectful in the church.  

I don't know but I get a very strange feeling that there is much more to this story than we are being told.  

If anyone has the inside story on this, and I mean the real story, not the rumors, you can contact me at awashingtondccatholic@gmail.com.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Doesn't sound to me like the family was Catholic considering they don't even know what a chalice is:

"Hicks’ daughter, Renetta Baker, said that prior to the start of services, she was greeting visitors when one of them accidentally knocked over a ceremonial cup used during Mass for communion, damaging it.

It was empty at the time. She said they initially did not see that the cup had been knocked over.

“One of the ladies [at the church] came out and saw it, and she went back and told him, told Father Michael [Briese],” Baker said. “He came out yelling at me. So I stood up and said we’re going to take care of it after the funeral. Then he went back, then he came to the mic and said ‘There will be no funeral today.’”

“Then he said, y’all get the H-E-L-L out!” added Hicks’ sister, Margaret Holton.

Ed Hill, a funeral attendant for the Briscoe-Tonic Funeral Home, said he tried to defuse the situation.

“I tried to calm him down, asked if I could pray with him, and he told me I need to get out of here, too. He told me ‘You need to get those people out of here, I want all their asses out of here right now,’” Hill said. “He was cursing, he didn’t want prayer, he didn’t want anything.”

But whatever they were doing Briese was no more respectful than they were in God's house--cursing and using foul language? Sounds like another shake and bake sodomite vocation. Ordained at 52 (2009)? Doesn't even give one place of employment (what are they covering up?):

"Michael Briese, 52, a Washington, DC native, worked as an affordable housing specialist and an advocate for the homeless, elderly and persons with disabilities before entering Blessed John XXIII National Seminary. Michael studied theology and philosophy at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania and says he felt called to the priesthood as a young undergraduate student, but instead went to work for non-profit organizations as an employee and volunteer for many years. He was ordained a permanent deacon in 2004 and has written four books. His home parish is St. Michael the Archangel in Silver Spring, Md."


http://adw.org/2009/06/22/a-fathergrandfather-among-those-ordained-a-catholic-priest-on-fathers-day-weekend/

[BTW from above:"Charles Cortinovis, 31, from Danville, Pa., worked as an environmental lawyer in Washington, DC before entering Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, New Jersey. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a master’s degree in environmental science and management, both from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa. He earned a law degree from George Washington University Law School. He will celebrate his first Mass at St. Patrick in Rockville, Md. on June 21."]

"From Law Practice to Priesthood & Spiritual Motherhood" (see the Prayer for a New Springtime of Spiritual Motherhood)

http://www.cathstan.org/Content/Social/Social/Article/Future-priest-learned-to-reach-out-with-God-s-love-to-those-in-need/-2/-2/2770

A pic of mother Charles Cortinovis
http://www.cathstan.org/Content/News/Schools/Article/Example-of-so-many-good-priests-helped-inspire-lawyer-to-become-one-himself/2/21/2763

"Earlier in the day, I had called Fr. Charles Cortinovis, the personal secretary to Cardinal Wuerl, multiple times and received no response. I had learned that Cortinovis lives, along with Wuerl, on the fourth floor of the archdiocesan building at 2200 California, a property priced at north of $43,000,000. Cortinovis is the third personal secretary to Cardinal Wuerl during a tenure less than a decade." (spiritual motherhood indeed)

http://dailycaller.com/2015/12/21/who-is-the-personal-chef-of-cardinal-donald-wuerl/

Dymphna said...

I suspect they were being disrespectful. I can't think of how an adult could knock over the chalice without being where they should not have been. However, if Father really did point to the casket and tell them to get that out of here then he acted unwisely.

Wayne Hipley said...

If the Catholic Church starts refusing funerals to people who they deem are not "practicing Catholics" there will be very few funerals indeed. Some may think that's fine and dandy, but I would guess that kind of judgment would not fit in with our mission from Christ. Besides, burying the dead is an act of mercy the Catholic Church stands strongly on. The Code of Canon Law may have a thing or two to say about refusing funerals to baptized Catholics, regardless of how often they attended Mass.

While I would guess there are priests that may bristle at the idea of having to perform a funeral for someone they may deem as not Catholic enough, the idea that they have been "bullied" into performing a funeral is a bit ridiculous. Pastors may not like it, but performing funerals is part of their calling. If they feel bullied into performing a funeral, then i would suggest they are suffering from a vocational crisis.

What struck me oddest about all this is that the chalice was anywhere near where anyone was to put it in a position to be knocked over in the first place. We have chalices - they are either locked up in the sacristy, on the altar of sacrifice, or on a credence table near the altar nowhere near where people would be paying their respects to a coffin. If not locked up in the sacristy, there is always someone - priest, assistant or server - nearby. This seems careless at best on the part of the priest. Yes, the chalice is something to be revered - all the more reason why we keep it protected. I wonder if the "more to the story" is that the priest was angry at himself for his carelessness, and took that anger out on the grieving mourners.

Rather than speculate or justify, the best course for all not directly involved is to pray for those that were directly involved. Those angered, those hurt. God's mercy is boundless - we all need copious amounts of it.

Wayne Hipley said...

If the Catholic Church starts refusing funerals to people who they deem are not "practicing Catholics" there will be very few funerals indeed. Some may think that's fine and dandy, but I would guess that kind of judgment would not fit in with our mission from Christ. Besides, burying the dead is an act of mercy the Catholic Church stands strongly on. The Code of Canon Law may have a thing or two to say about refusing funerals to baptized Catholics, regardless of how often they attended Mass.

While I would guess there are priests that may bristle at the idea of having to perform a funeral for someone they may deem as not Catholic enough, the idea that they have been "bullied" into performing a funeral is a bit ridiculous. Pastors may not like it, but performing funerals is part of their calling. If they feel bullied into performing a funeral, then i would suggest they are suffering from a vocational crisis.

What struck me oddest about all this is that the chalice was anywhere near where anyone was to put it in a position to be knocked over in the first place. We have chalices - they are either locked up in the sacristy, on the altar of sacrifice, or on a credence table near the altar nowhere near where people would be paying their respects to a coffin. If not locked up in the sacristy, there is always someone - priest, assistant or server - nearby. This seems careless at best on the part of the priest. Yes, the chalice is something to be revered - all the more reason why we keep it protected. I wonder if the "more to the story" is that the priest was angry at himself for his carelessness, and took that anger out on the grieving mourners.

Rather than speculate or justify, the best course for all not directly involved is to pray for those that were directly involved. Those angered, those hurt. God's mercy is boundless - we all need copious amounts of it.

Unknown said...

There was no excuse for his behavior! He revealed his true character.

Anonymous said...

Fr. Briese did post a public apology and his side of the story in “The Enterprise”

Fr. Briese is a good person who had a human moment. It was not the chalice, but the Ciborium, and it was on the table in the back where most priests put “The Gifts” just before Mass.

This funeral started out as Fr. Briese agreeing to do the Mass at no cost, even no cost for opening and closing the grave. The family originally wanted more such as free use of the Church Hall, but agreed to free use if the Church for a viewing and Mass.

Seeing the Ciborium knocked over and severely damaged with hosts spread out on the floor, as he picked up the pieces, the only help he received was, “well you got another one in the back don’t you.” So Fr. Briese had a human moment and lost his temper. Agreed he shouldn’t have lost his temper but he is human.

He does not deserve to loose his job or life over a natural human mistake.

Anonymous said...

And Fr. Briese has been getting death threats now. He may have had a moment of disrespectfulness, but nothing someone should threaten his life over. Fr. Briese is a good priest and has helped many in the community.

Anonymous said...

Typical - protect your priests. This guy is an abomination. Yes 2 minutes CAN erase a quarter century of good when what you did in those two minutes was so aberrant and ridiculous that it calls into question your judgement and ability to actually minister to the public. He was awful!

Keith.ricks said...

How dare you attempt to justify his deploreable, reprehensible behavior. What a horrendous thong to do....kicking them out of the church and then calling the police. Unless he has a diagnosis of dementia, there is no excuse.

Unknown said...

Kick the "priest" out !

Anonymous said...

How dare anyone blame the grieving family in an attempt to defend the Reverends inexcusable behavior. Did he mention any reasons in his apology? NO!

Anonymous said...

Dymphna Blaming the grieving family after they had their loved ones funeral ruined is evil

Unknown said...

He screwed up, and needs to be moved out quickly. He has lost all his credibility.

Michael, a fellow Catholic said...

Very strange to think the priest may have been "bullied" into offering a funeral. Even stranger that the Chalice was anywhere near the mourners. It should have been somewhere safe.

Lydia said...

The "Related Video" in the following link says that someone accidently knocked over the Blood and Body of Christ. (It's at the end and it's said differently.) The linked article says the chalice was empty.

Either way, it was a terrible way to treat a grieving family and our beloved dead. It reminds me of the priest and the prostitute story/vision of Maria Simma.

https://nypost.com/2018/07/02/priest-kicks-family-out-of-church-before-moms-funeral/

There is also a link in the article to the priest's apology letter.

Anonymous said...

It's hard to tell when in the incident this video was taken, but it looks to me like there were many people talking and milling about in the church. It would seem to me that if everyone was quite and reverent (which is the norm in a Catholic Church when the blessed sacrament is present), and the chalice was toppled, we would not hear anything but the altercation between Fr. Briese and the family. Instead folks are turned away from the incident and are all talking rather than being riveted to it as one would be if everything was relatively quiet and reverent.

If the casket was open that generally means that a viewing was taking place in the church prior to the funeral rather than at the funeral home. This is a practice that priests allow as it saves the families some money. Don't know if that was the case here. But if it was, I can imagine that folks not used to Catholic Churches might treat the church like a gathering hall and just a building instead of the place where Christ is fully present, body, blood, soul and divinity in the Holy Eucharist. I could see a priest getting more and more disturbed by such a scenario and knocking over the chalice put him over the top especially if he had not slept well, was already frustrated over all the commotion or maybe had some physical limitation that was further taxing his strength and ability to deal with such commotion. What he said and did was wrong. Also wrong was everyone creating all kind of assumptions about him. He is a compassionate priest with a heart for the poor. He loved working in a southeast DC parish before this one. He worked hard to get donations for his flock there and do things to help them.

I believe there is much more to the story than what has been reported. That said, because what ensued was not good - the family should never have been thrown out-- the media and everyone and their proverbial brothers have had a rush to judgement and piled on all kinds of additional accusations for which his past work refutes - no evidence of similar problems and a great love for working with blacks and helping the needy. No one even considered that maybe he might have had a health issue or other mitigating situation and his anger got the better of him on that day? It is only sad that he just didn't demand that everyone sit in a pew to gain control of the situation rather than do what he did.