Parishioners protest priest reassignments across diocese
Should a Catholic parish be allowed to keep a beloved priest, no matter how long he has been there?
Should a bishop be allowed to reassign any priest, or all priests, at any time, no matter what parishioners want?
Is a priest primarily a pastoral shepherd for his parish or a parochial administrator for his bishop?
These are some of the questions widely and passionately debated this month across the Catholic Diocese of Memphis.
Nowhere is the debate more active or serious than at the Church of the Incarnation in Collierville.
The Rev. Ernie DeBlasio, Incarnation's pastor since June 2014, is one of dozens of parish priests reassigned by new Bishop Martin Holley.
"We love Father Ernie, and we are praying that Bishop Holley will have a change of heart," said parishioner Amanda Kinkade.
They are doing more than praying.
Kinkade and other members of Incarnation's Save Our Shepherd (SOS) team plan to formally appeal Holley's decision.
They've written letters to Holley and sent him a formal request for a meeting.
They've collected more than 800 signatures on a petition asking Holley to reconsider and keep DeBlasio at Incarnation.
Holley has not responded.
Incarnation parishioners aren't giving up.
They've written letters to Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the pope's ambassador to Washington; and the Roman Curia, the Vatican's central government.
Only Pierre has responded, saying he is aware of the situation.
DeBlasio, who officially has been reassigned to St. Ann parish in Bartlett, declined to comment.
Holley also declined to comment. He has not provided a public explanation for the changes, but priests and parishes have been informed.
The diocese normally releases a list of priest appointments the first week of June every year, but it has not done so yet this year.
"We are not done," said Cathy Hurdle, an Incarnation parishioner and SOS team member. "Father Ernie has brought this community together. We don't want him to go."
Incarnation's parishioners are basing their appeal on two parts of Canon Law.
"We wish to cite Canon Law 212, paragraph 3, as we stand in solidarity to 'manifest our opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make our opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful,' " the SOS team wrote.
"We, under Father Ernie’s leadership, have the tools to be an example to others. Allow us to continue to share our strengths and resources. Don’t take away our opportunity to make a difference for our parish, community and diocese."
They also cite Canon Law 522: "It is necessary that a parish priest have the benefit of stability."
Parishioners at Incarnation believe it's also necessary for a parish to have the benefit of stability.
They say Father Ernie is the reason the parish has added 450 families in the past three years.
They say he's the reason they've paid off the debt on their parish school and a good chunk of the debt on their new sanctuary.
They love the contemporary music and big screens he's brought to worship, the new coffee and doughnut bar, his daily emails.
Mostly, they love how he has engaged, inspired and challenged them to become better Catholics and Christians.
"Father Ernie, through his honest and searching way, found my heart and spirit," Judy Oehl said this week in a message to her fellow parishioners.
"It was like the (breath) of Christ was breathing life into my spiritually empty heart."
Oehl, who was born Lutheran, began attending Mass with her cradle-Catholic husband 36 years ago. She converted to Catholicism one year ago and joined Incarnation.
"It took me this long to realize the outreach of the Catholic Church through Father Ernie and his compassion, inclusion, and acceptance and I hope never to lose what I've learned from him through the Holy Spirit," she wrote.
"PLEASE, DO NOT TAKE THIS AWAY."