Newsletter April 16, 2025

It has been a little while since our last newsletter as Cindy and I (Dan) were out of the area.

Here is a summary of where things stand as of today:

• Our Remonstratio was received by the Bishop March 17, 2025.  The appeal process gives the Bishop 30 days to reply but the Bishop has the option to make no reply.  To date, we have heard that the Bishop has the document and that he has asked for the mandates to be verified and that they be sorted into categories – parishioner/non parishioner/local/not local.

  • The sorting will presumably be done by the EMCC admin team.

  • Please note that this is a typical request from the Bishop.

  • Please also note that the Bishop or the team doing the sorting cannot remove or disqualify any mandates. A mandate can only be removed if the person who signed it requests its removal and the Procurator agrees to do so.  I do not expect to receive a reply from the Bishop to the Remonstratio, and the 30 day response window closes today, April 16, 2025.  We have 15 days from April 16, 2025 to send our Revocation Appeal to the Dicastery for Clergy in Rome.  (More on that below)

• We took an additional appeal step based on guidance from Save Our Buffalo Churches.  This appeal also went to the Dicastery for Clergy.  This appeal was for suspension as opposed to revocation and was done due to the timing of the Merger Decree versus the timing of the revocation appeal.   We don’t want Merger activities to start before the revocation decree gets responded to by the Dicastery.

  • The suspension appeal was sent March 28, 2025 through the Nuncio in Washington DC.  We received a confirmation from the Nuncio, thanking us for our kind request and also notifying us that our suspension request was sent to the Dicastery via diplomatic pouch.

  • All of this is per the standard process.  We now await a reply from the Dicastery regarding our request for suspension of all actions regarding the Merger Decree.

• Our next appeal step is for revocation of the Merger Decree.  We have 15 days from April 16, 2025 to send this appeal to the Dicastery.  It too will be sent through the Nuncio to Rome.  This is a very involved set of documents, per the templates provided from Save Our Buffalo Churches and the St. Joseph Foundation.  It will include a formal revocation appeal letter with many attachments.  The attachments include:

  • all of the Mandates that were also provided in the Remonstratio (nearly 400),

  • copy of the Bishop’s Decree of Merger,

  • copy of our Remonstratio,

  • chronology of the Road to Renewal actions taken so far by the Diocese,

  • a testimonial write up from Southern Tier Catholic School (thanks to Mark Quinn and Brittany Nichols),

  • a financial highlights report listing our past finances and a forecast going forward (thanks to our Parish Finance Council and especially John Whelpley),

  • Ad Rem documents regarding our dispute of the financial report the Diocese provided (thanks to Scott Reed, John Whelpley, and our Finance team),

  • testimonials from organizations

    • B’Nai Israel Congregation (thanks to Dennis Pezziimenti, Diane Balaban and David Shulman),

    • Duggan and Duggan (thanks to Dennis Pezzimenti and Kyle Duggan),

    • The City of Olean (thanks to Dennis Pezzimenti, Major Aiello, and Kris Shewairy),

    • The St. Vincent de Paul Society (thanks to Mary Mater),

    • Mazza Mechanical Services (thanks to Dennis Pezzimenti and Louis DeRose),

    • MJ Painting (thanks to Dennis Pezzimenti, Pete Dandrea and Mike John). 

  • Finally, we will include color photos of our campus that show our buildings and grounds to be in excellent condition (thanks to Dennis Pezzimenti). 

• Similar to the suspension appeal sent to the Dicastery already, the revocation appeal will be in the hands of the Dicastery for Clergy per the required process, and we will await a reply regarding these appeals to the Dicastery. 

  • There is no expediting or checking back with the Dicastery.  We simply must await their response.  The Dicastery has an obligation to reply within 90 days.

  • Please note, at least 12 churches in our Diocese have received favorable replies from the Dicastery indicating that the Dicastery has agreed to review the appeal and require the Bishop to suspend all actions until the appeals are reviewed and rulings by the Dicastery are provided.

• We continue to review options regarding a 501(c)3 trust in lieu of our traditional weekly collection.  The reason to consider this change is that if we establish a trust, it would be set up with specifics regarding how the money can be spent.

  • For instance, the trust would be for St. John’s Parish and its interactions in the community only.  Therefore, funds would not be allowed to be used to cover Diocesan costs related to the bankruptcy.  In essence, our money would only be used how we decide we want to use it.  There will be more updates as this option gets better defined.  No action will be taken without our parishioners’ input and knowledge.

• Please continue to support St. John’s with your time, talent and treasure.  Raffle tickets are on sale at each Mass along with Dough to Go Food orders.  Please also consider signing up for the Dough to Go food options online.

• Our website https://www.savestjohnsolean.com/ and Facebook page continue to be quite active.  Please share with your friends and family.

  
  

If you know someone who does not have access to the internet and would like to receive our newsletters and updates, please let us know! Send an e-mail to Dan at dhinz52@gmail.com or fill out the Contact Us form on the Home Page of the website (savestjohnsolean.com).

Please consider respectfully writing to the Bishop, showing your support for keeping St. John’s as a parish.  The address is Most Rev. Michael Fisher, Bishop of Buffalo, Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, 795 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203.  Please copy Dan Hinz with any letters sent.

Parish Core Group Members include among others:

Dan Hinz (Procurator), Dawn Pezzimenti, Dennis Pezzimenti, Carol Capito, John and Cathy Baglione, Carm and Rick Mikolajczyk, Paul Abdo, Paul Bzdak, John Whelpley, Mark Quinn, Pat O’Malley, Paul and Diane Ksionzyk, Mary Fofanah, Larry and Laurie Pavlock, Mike Kelly and Mary Freeman

Thanks everyone who has provided their valuable time, efforts and prayers to this effort.  It has been a team effort, not the least of which involves prayers.

We wish each of you a blessed Holy Week and Happy Easter!