Concerns At Our Lady Of Walsingham

I simply haven't heard enough of events in the North American ordinariate to post more than occasionally about what's going on there, but I recently got an e-mail from "A Concerned Walsingham Parishioner" that revives suspicions I'd begun to have during Bp Lopes's extended indisposition last year, after falling from an attic ladder in his residence.

My regular correspondent reminds me that I posted an e-mail from a Walsingham parishioner on june 27, 2020 as well, regarding the promotion of Mr Josue Vásquez-Weber, who had previously been Bp Lopes's executive assistant, to the position of Chancellor. The post at that time said,

The individual who reported J Henry's promotion gave this background:

From being the Facilities Manager at St. Theresa's in Sugar Land, Texas, to becoming the personal assistant and now CHANCELLOR for Lopes, Josue's rise in the Ordinariate is truly astronomical in nature! Especially for someone that clearly doesn't know anything! Not only that, but he's also Bishop Lopes' "housemate".

My regular correspondent and I have noted the not entirely decorous tone with reference to the bishop in J Henry's letters to clergy that implies an absence of supervisor-subordinate boundaries, and the visitor's assertion here may reflect this as well.

Just last evening I was reflecting on how Our Lady of the Atonement has had a great deal of turmoil, but in contrast, Our Lady of Walsingham seems to have been quiet. The visitor here suggests this may not necessarily be the case.

A new e-mail -- at this point, I can't verify that the two messages are from two different people, as they're both anonymous -- reads as follows:

For about 5 months or so, Josue has taken it upon himself to not only completely and utterly destroy the mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham (even whispering into Lopes' ear and changing mass procedure DURING MASS), but also to terrorize the workers, staff, and other members of the parish with his own childish tantrums. Indeed, a seminary drop-out with absolutely no qualifications other than a suspicious proximity to the bishop has absolutely nothing to do other than establish his authority to be of far greater heights than his diminutive stature.

This man has made people who work at Walsingham - who have built this parish, by the way, with no need of Lopes' or Josue's help whatsoever - cry, consider quitting, and overall come close to having, if not outright actually having, suicidal thoughts.

The man has ruined a project for a high school that was not his whatsoever, destroying fundraising possibilities. He changed landscaping that a very generous parishioner had ultimately paid for. He has changed musical choices (where he feels like he has any knowledge of music is unbeknownst to me, I don't think this man can actually tell two notes from the sound of a jackhammer) from the very capable musicians there, even wanting to sing!

I ran some of the information in the e-mail past my regular correspondent, who replied

As we have noted, Mr Vasquez-Weber and Bp Lopes seem inseparable; live-stream from the Cathedral and postings about visits from the bishop on community websites/FB pages from anywhere around the country invariably show J. Henry acting as SD when Bp Lopes celebrates. I am not surprised to hear that he feels entitled to speak on behalf of the bishop where liturgy and music are concerned, or that he sticks his oar in elsewhere in the administration of the parish, and probably in other areas of OCSP business. Of course he has no background either with the parish or the “Anglican Patrimony,” but his relationship with Bp Lopes makes that irrelevant.

Not a recipe for popularity.

As far as the high school is concerned, the latest on the OLW website is the report of the fundraising firm completed in December 2019. It was very positive, but since that time, nothing seems to have been done, although obviously 2020 was not a great time for fundraising/building projects. It would be interesting to know exactly how J Henry is seen to have sabotaged the scheme.

I have assumed that Fr Perkins’ elevation to Monsignor is a prelude to his retirement. Unfortunately for Bp Lopes experienced administrative talent is pretty thin on the ground in the OCSP.

I would be interested to hear any information that would either contradict or confirm the allegations from the Walsingham parishioner here. I publish them prompted, now at some distance and greater detachment from covering Anglicanorum coetibus, because I felt something was hinky about the Houston chancery all along, and this stirs my suspicions yet again.

But also, it's worth pointing out that, almost ten years after the erection of the North American ordinariate, a lot of people have become disappointed in the project, and it's certainly had more than its share of scandals. I think what I may do is write a series of posts on the new blog exploring what I think is the clear failure of the Anglicanorum coetibus project and the reasons for it.

In the meantime, if anyone else can shed light on what's happening at Our Lady of Walsingham, I'll be happy to hear it.