It's a shame how Father Tom Leyland is ending his exemplary career as a priest -- being forced to retire against his will at age 69. He says he is being punished for speaking his mind and criticizing the bishop. Read my Blade article here.
The story in a nutshell is that the Toledo Catholic Diocese had planned to start a new parish in the high-growth area of southeast Lucas County, then decided to start it in neighboring Wood County. No problem so far. But then, to the surprise of Father Leyland, they plop the new parish down right next to St. Rose, where he has been pastor since 2000, cutting sharply into his parish borders. He said he could lose 425 families to the new parish and the loss of income could force layoffs or program cuts at St. Rose school.
Father Leyland, a mild mannered priest who is even-tempered even when righteously indignant, was upset that he was not consulted when a decision like that was made that could have a monumental impact on his church and his parishioners. He spoke with The Blade about it, and Bishop Leonard Blair apparently was not pleased. He told Father Leyland he should go to a smaller, "less stressful" parish. Nevermind that the priest wanted to stay at St. Rose in Perrysburg, a thriving suburban community that happens to be his hometown. Rather than start over at a new parish at age 69, after 42 years of priesthood, he chose to retire.
He told me, "I realize the church is not a democracy, but this is America. Doesn't a person have the right to speak out?"
Bishop Blair certainly has a right to move his priests around, to start new parishes where he feels they are needed, and to pull the plug on parishes that are dying.
But the way he has handled some of these decisions has caused more anguish and animosity than necessary. Father Leyland is a good priest and a good man who does not want to cause any trouble. All he was asking for was to be consulted and to have his opinion heard, and respected. That didn't happen and he felt let down by his bishop.
Bishop Blair contends that the personnel changes were routine, and that he was not punishing Father Leyland at all for going public with his criticism. Father Leyland does not buy it. Do you?
* * *
Father Leyland spoke to me about the situation in Kansas, Ohio, as another example of a case that was terribly mismanaged by the Toledo diocese. There, the bishop closed St. James Parish despite the parishioners determined effort to continue, offering alternatives and holding a 24-hour prayer vigil hoping Bishop Blair would change his mind. In the end, the diocese sent a maintenance worker to the rural church, and he brusquely kicked out an elderly lady who was praying inside, then changed the locks on the doors.
More than 100 of St. James' 200 parishioners are still meeting for a prayer service every Sunday morning in the local Methodist church, more than a year and a half after their parish was officially closed. They've appealed to the Vatican, lost that effort, and are now going through civil court. You'd think the bishop would give them a break, maybe admit he was wrong in this case, and reopen the parish? Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that will ever happen.
St. James' parishioners had asked the bishop to allow a retired priest come to their church once or twice a month to celebrate Mass so that they could carry on as a community, but Bishop Blair vetoed that idea.
Father Leyland told me this week that he would have been glad to serve part-time at St. James. "I would go there, I would do that for them," he said.
* * *
I've had a number of people call me to tell me stories about things Father Leyland has done for them. One woman, for example, had a stillborn child and no money for a burial and asked a number of priests for help and nobody offered her a thing until she called Father Leyland. He arranged for the baby to be buried at the church's cemetery at no charge.
A number of other callers just praised him as a good priest, spiritual leader, and someone who loves the Lord and his flock.
* * *
So here is the Catholic Church, in the midst of a dire shortage of priests and at a time when it is in desperate need of an image boost, and Father Leyland is retiring even though he wants to continue as a pastor.
* * *
The one good thing, a silver lining, I suppose, is that Father Leyland now has the chance to hang out with his little brother more this summer -- at Comerica Park in Detroit -- if he so wishes. Brother Jim Leyland is manager of the American League champions, the Detroit Tigers.
Toledo, Ohio, April 26, 2007