You have written before about the Nashotah House-Ft Worth clique. Bp Lopes seems to be putting the finishing touches on its shake-up. Fr Dean, from the [Pastoral Provision], is the new pastor at [St Mary the Virgin], Arlington. Fr Tom Kennedy has left his position as Parochial Vicar there, after less than a year, to join his newly-retired buddy Fr Hough III at St Timothy's Fort Worth, along with another retired priest, on an interim basis, pending the unveiling of a new "long-term strategic plan" for the parish which Bp Lopes will apparently implement in 2017. Fr Stainbrook, who led St Timothy's into the Catholic church, has been assigned to St John Vianney, Cleburne---where Fr Chuck Hough III was Administrator until he became the Vicar-General in 2014. Fr Perkins has of course replaced him in that role. I previously identified Fr Hough as 62 but he is in fact 61. For Fr Hough IV's sake I hope he has proved his worth at OLW independent of his connections, because they are not looking that valuable right now.I was puzzled that this apparently sends three priests to St Timothy Fort Worth and asked my correspondent to confirm this, as well as to confirm that this parish does not have its own facility.
No, they have an afternoon mass at a diocesan church. Fr Hough [III] is still a Priest-in-Residence at OLW, whatever that entails.In any case, it appears that the key members of the Nashotah House-Fort Worth clique are in the process of leaving Houston, whatever their ultimate disposition.Fr Cornelius is the priest from St Alban's, Rochester who retired abruptly for health reasons. A comment on Ordinariate Expats had him "summering" back in Rochester but that doesn't seem to be hinted at on the St Alban's website.
And Fr Kennedy relocated from Henrietta, TX to take on the position at SMV Arlington last year so I am not sure what is going on there. In any event, the implication is that the three of them are merely holding the fort until the new plan is implemented next year.
I know that Bp Lopes has high hopes for the prospects of St John Vianney so perhaps there is some thought that the congregations could merge and purchase property at some convenient midpoint. Given Bp Lopes's Catholic background, not to mention common sense, he might feel that one solution to the staffing issues is to create entities with the critical mass to support stipendiary clergy. If I were he I would certainly be trying to merge the PP congregation in Boston with the Ordinariate congregation in Stoneham, MA.
