Wednesday, June 19, 2002

These things continue to amaze me.  From the New York times: Something bad was going on at St. Elizabeth's parish in Ozone Park, Queens, and Barbara Samide said recently that she had tried to get the Diocese of Brooklyn to do something about it since shortly after she was hired as principal of the parish's elementary school nearly two years ago. The problems, she said, could hardly have been more serious, and at least two dozen times she sought out senior officials with the diocese to lay out what she insisted was a shocking situation: the Rev. John Thompson, the parish's pastor, had an 18-year-old gay lover living in the rectory and was lavishing gifts on him that were paid for with school funds; the school's budget was nearly $300,000 in the red, and Father Thompson had disbanded the parish committee charged with overseeing tuition collection; many parishioners had already sent a letter to the diocese expressing concerns, and were in near revolt. The diocese's response, she said, never varied for more than a year and a half: keep quiet, its officials told her. Some insights:  Wrong to have one person with so much power in an organization that means so much to so many people.  And...Thank god for women in leadership positions.  FBI, Catholic Church, Enron.  It is often the women who blow the whistles.  2:48:15 PM    comment []

From Co-worker Brian Stenquist: In 1936 a Tibetan family was surprised to see three tall men in robes approach their hut.    They were further surprised when their 2 year old son called two of the men by name and recognized the small gifts that the men carried.  A bowl.  A garment, a gold emblem. "He knows the bowl!  He knows the garment!  He knows his teacher!  This is the reincarnation of the dalai lama, the reincarnation of the Buddha." And they took the boy to train him. Similarly, in Bethelehem, 2000 years ago, a family was visited by three wise men from the east that had been led there by a star.  They bore gifts.  Their baby knew the gifts and knew the men.  "He knows the bowl!  he knows the gifts! he knows the teacher!  This is the reincarnation of the dalai lama, the reincarnation of the Buddha."  He disappeared from all stories for a while for they took him away to train him. He came back 7 years later to teach.  The rest is embeded in our collective consciousness. 1:38:54 PM    comment []