It's been more than three years since Fr Phillips was removed, and even longer since Dcn Orr's forced retirement. Yet at least one problem that plagued the parish throughout their tenure, staff churning, clearly continues. This suggests that Fr Lewis hasn't been able to get a handle on personnel in his time at the parish, which itself can no longer be considered short.
By the same token, if the explanation given for lower pledges, a wait-and-see attitude among some parishioners, is correct, then inevitably those parishioners may well decide they've waited and seen plenty long enough.
I believe this also follows on continued churning at the school administrator level. Again, this is unlikely to reassure prospective parents.
It's hard to avoid an impression that the ordinariate hasn't been able to attract capable clergy at the pastor level, and there's no bench of promising, less senior candidates -- these are all marginal men who were unable to develop Protestant careers, and they don't have a fund of experience in building strong parishes either as Protestants or hyphenated Catholics.
The few capable men, like Frs Erdman or Vidal, if they're relocated to fill new vacancies (which inevitably occur), will simply be moved prematurely from existing situations where they might have a positive impact, with no equivalent replacements.
But the fragmentary evidence we have from this latest development is that Fr Lewis so far has been feckless in solving one of the most visible issues at OLA.
I will deeply appreciate any additional insights knowledgeable people may be able to provide on the situation in San Antonio.
UPDATE: For clarification, I'm told that the music staff was that of the Atonement Academy. Dr Seighman remains Music Director and Organist of OLA.
