I received copies of the following e-mails this week regarding the cold hard cash being spent on the renovations over at St. Stans...
And yet another email from a buffalo priest.....
You're right about the rectory. I've had the tour. I understand that it desperately needed renovation after Gabalski & his cats, but some might question the extent to which he has gone. I think, perhaps, that Kmiec may be addressing this with Grosz after the Council brought it up and the News article. However, I bet Polonia is going to rally to his defense.
_________________________________
And from another priest in Buffalo:
There was a rumor that this would hit the fan. Kmiec recently sent out a letter to all pastors saying that it is inadvisable to make any capital expenditures while the discernment process was being conducted. There was also a direct concern raised at the Priests' Council about whether Grosz had the necessary permissions to make all these improvements. One the one hand, if the parish has the money, why not?? But on the other - for what purpose?
_______________________________
Contractors are upset because he doesn't allow anyone to bid on these massive projects. He surrounds himself with "yes" men in the parish. Borowski's salary was doubled. He now earns $50,000 a year. He plays three weekend Masses. The savings and stock portfolio should be wisely used since its for the next 40 years and Grosz is spending it like a kid in a candy store. My big problem is the Versaille Garden with countless shrubs while the people on the other side of the fence are living in poverty. Why do we need new chandeliers in the church and school, when the existing light fixtures in the church were perfectly fine!
_________________________
FROM A FORMER BUFFALO PRIEST.....
I cannot believe that Grosz would spearhead a campaign against someone who disagreed with him. In a day and age when the church is supposed to be more open and dialogue is supposed to be the name of the game... they play ugly. I am disgusted now, to even be associated with Polonia. This is not how I was brought up.
The Felician sisters are the ONLY reason Grosz is even a bishop, so it stands to reason that they are coming to his rescue. They petitioned for a Polish auxiliary bishop and they had connections with Wojtyla... it was supposed to have been Dave Slubecky who was to be auxiliary but they wanted a "dumb puppet" to dress up and give to Polonia so Polonia would stop bitching and moaning about never having a Polish bishop. What they got was a fool who was OK when kept on a leash... I tell you...., Grosz's name is a laughingstock with the NCCB.... I have a bishop who is good friend of Kmiec who told me when Kmiec came there that he felt sorry for him because he'd have to deal with Grosz. They find him laughable and a pain.
I understand that Kmiec has drawn the line with Grosz. I hear Grosz wanted to have central air put in the church and Kmiec told him "no more".
What I cannot imagine is how the diocese does not step in and say that no pastor has the right to tamper with an historic church. That is what slays me. He spend on the landscaping and all his other nonsense.... but when he defaces an historic building it becomes a very objective problem. Taste is one thing, but destroying the integrity of a church is another. Failure to give financial disclosure is yet another problem here. Where is accountability? Where is stewardship? Pray, Pay and Obey... that is the Polish Prince model of Church and obviously Grosz ascribes to it. He's on the verge of a breakdown I hear, anyway. But that remains to be seen.
Find out if ************* is living with Grosz. There is your ace in the hole. He was living with him in Niagara Falls. ******* was a buffalo priest who was tossed for doing boys or altar boys... not sure if Grosz is stupid enough to have ****** living with him still, but I hear he did while he was in the Falls... ********** was cooking for him or something. That should bring him down a peg or two if he still is living in his rectory. He wants to play hardball? Then play hardball.
Also, why is his organist making over 50,000 a year as a salary? Odd that in a place where the average collection is $2,000 a week all inclusive that they pay that much to Borowski. Not that I don't think he deserves that much and maybe more than that.... but how do you justify such a grand salary for such small numbers of parishioners and a church with such a pathetic weekly offertory? It should be an open book, employee salaries.
What a mess. My advice is play behind the scenes. And as for that good sister, what a wench! She typifies the nastiness often associated with sisters!
S.