Fishy

"Any person or family that, without any direct fault on his or her part, does not have suitable housing is the victim of an injustice."

Pontifical Commission Justice and Peace

"The problem with this approach (treatment first) is that it is almost impossible for someone to deal with addiction, mental health or other issues while remaining homeless. Hostels are often full of drugs; walking the streets all day long is hardly conducive to dealing with depression or other mental health problems. This approach is also very expensive: if it is to have any chance of being effective, hostels have to be well staffed with project workers. In reality, the end result was that many homeless people remained for years just going from one hostel to another, never moving out of homelessness to a place of their own. "

Peter McVerry SJ

"So, it's my position that you can do two kinds of harm to homeless people: one is, you can do real harm because you want to destroy them or exile them, but you can do equal amounts of harm by "helping" them if you don't help them in the right way." Peter Marin

BOOK V : THE TEMPORAL GOODS OF THE CHURCH

Can. 1254 §1 The catholic Church has the inherent right,independently of any secular power, to acquire, retain, administer andalienate temporal goods, in pursuit of its proper objectives.

§2 These proper objectives are principally the regulation of divineworship, the provision of fitting support for the clergy and otherministers, and the carrying out of works of the sacred apostolate and ofcharity, especially for the poor.

Dear Editor:

I am not a canon lawyer, and I am not familiar with canon law. Last night I was speaking with one of the employees at the Holy Cross Abbey, Berryville, Virginia. The employee stated that the monks lived in luxury. The monks have 1200 acres of prime farmland in Clarke County, Virginia situated on the Shenandoah River. The monks drive to Winchester on a daily basis to acquire flowers for landscaping (not for the chapel), bottled water (when the monastery has wells, springs, and rivers), and coffee for the monks. The monks purchase their food from Food Lion in Berryville instead of producing it themselves. 

Why should anyone care what the monks do with the farmland and buildings? In addition to violating their vow of poverty, the buildings alone are valued at $9M. The monks have completely lost touch with the poor. The monks pollute the Shenandoah by raising beef cattle. The monks do not even eat beef themselves. When 1.2 Billion people are living on less than $1/day and can not afford to buy beef, this is an affront to the poor. The poor that live downstream of the monastery can not eat the fish or drink the water because of the pollution. The monks themselves will not eat the fish from the River because of the pollution. Instead of cleaning up the river, the monks are only making it worse. The banks of the river have been destroyed by the cattle.

The Abbot, Robert Barnes, has so lost touch with the poor, that he is completely unaware of the homeless families and children in Northern Virginia. 6% of the residents of Winchester live at 50% below the poverty line. When I suddenly found myself homeless in Berryville, I went to the Abbey seeking assistance. I had previously been there on retreat; and have purchased many items in their gift shop. The Abbot refused to give me water, food, transportation, shelter or work; all of which the Abbey has in abundance. The Abbot did not provide me with any assistance. Abbot Barnes responded to my plea for help with threatening to call the Sheriff if I appeared at Mass, to arrest me for trespassing. Abbot Barnes accused me of lying about homeless families living under bridges in Prince William County Virginia. I told the Abbot that all the shelters, including domestic violence shelters, are full. With full knowledge that I had nowhere to go, the Abbot's prime concern was that I leave the property immediately, so that he can leave for his three-month paid vacation over the summer.

The Abbot is only accountable to God it seems. I contacted the Superior of the Cistercians in the U.S. and he said it was up to the Abbot of Holy Cross Abbey. That is certainly convenient. Thirty of the Cistercians in Jerusalem have been sent packing because of wild dance parties that happened at their monastery.

I am unsure what Abbot Barnes is hiding, but something really smells fishy with his attitude towards one homeless woman.

Monks pollute Shenandoah, Cause Poor to suffer.

Dear Father Mealey:

Pollution effects the poor disproportionately. Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, VA continues to be part of the problem of pollution in the Shenandoah River. This means the poor are not able to eat fish out of the river or drink the water. Beef production destroys the river and pollutes the watershed. The monks are callous to the poor. The monks purchase fish from Walmart, when it would be possible to raise fish for consumption on the property. 
http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/031020.asp

Abbot involved in cover-up

It made me sick when I discovered that the Catholic Church still employed Archbishops who had been found guilty of sexual abuse. One of them sat next to me in the lunchroom at the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops. Of course when I made a note if it, I was fired immediately

So it does not surprise me that the Superior General of the Cistercians was involved with a cover-up  of sexual abuse and HE STIILL has HIS job. http://clergyvictim.com/contact.html

Pro-Life Hypocrisy

I have struggled with mental illness and homelessness for the past 13 years. With spending cuts, many homeless shelters have been eliminated. The only possibility for me now is to live in a tent. If I do that in an urban area, I am likely to be raped, as I have been before. In a rural area, I have no access to services such as counseling, psychiatrists, pharmacies, food banks, libraries, and free meals at churches. 

I asked the Abbot of Holy Cross Monastery in Berryville, Virginia if I might stay on the property as there is 1200 acres, numerous houses, and only 8 monks. His reply made me feel so wanted and loved that I will share it with you. I hope I do not have to point out the hypocrisy of Roman Catholic priests. 

This is from Abbot Robert Barnes at Holy Cross Abbey.

"Traci,

            It is clear from your letter that you are not intending to move on.  My answer has to be the same as before.  It is not possible for you to remain here.  I never expected that you would be here a month.  You cannot remain longer.  I can’t bring myself to getting the sheriff to evict you.  You are here uninvited.  That is the reason none of the monks will give you work.  All your questions in your latest letter show that you have made up your mind that you will stay here.  It is not possible.  What plans will you make to leave?  If you need financial assistance to move on, I am willing to help you with that.  I have torn up the check you wrote for rental payment.  We do not accept you renting the hermitage.  You cannot stay any longer.  I am sorry for the tone of this letter, but you clearly have refused to accept our position.  It is not possible for you to remain here. 

            If you are living elsewhere, I have no objection to you coming for mass here and praying in our chapel.  It is open to everyone.  But you cannot stay on our property.  I thought, when I got the request from Social Services for confirmation that you are a homeless person and staying on our property, that they would be assisting you to move elsewhere.  What happened?  If I don’t hear from you, I will have to contact them myself.  I need you to move elsewhere this week.  If you don’t, I will be forced to contact the sheriff.

Father Robert"