New Bishop of Reno (911)
There's never at Apostolic Visitor around when ya need 'em!

I see here that fellow Guamanian, Father Randolph Calvo of the Archdiocese of San Francisco has been named as the new Bishop of Reno, Nevada.

I haven't called my mom to find out yet, but I'm sure we're related. Guamanians are the Hillbillies of the South Pacific. We're probably fifth cousins, twice removed (close, by Islander standards).

I tried to do some research on the good Bishop-elect, and thus far, I've come up with;

"the Archdiocese of San Francisco already had formed a group called the "Independent Fact Finding Committee" in 2001 to evaluate allegations of sexual contact between a member of the clergy or Church employee and a minor... committee members include Father Randolph R. Calvo, pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Redwood City (the only priest on the board).

OK... interesting, but not earth shaking. But from what I've gathered, nothing ever became of it. Much ado about nothing. Here's what his fellow clerics are saying about him;

The Rev. Chuck Durante, pastor of Our Lady of Wisdom University Catholic Community, said he believes Calvo is a good choice for the diocese. Durante said he remembers Calvo as a "joyful" adjunct professor who taught him at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, Calif.

Well, at least he didn't say he was a "gay" adjunct professor. That's always a step in the right direction.

Then I decided to check out the homepage for his parish in California Our Lady Of Mt. Carmel Homepage. That's always a pretty good gauge of how a particular priest stands...

And what a dizzying visit that was to Huggy-Touchy Land that was. A "ministry" for this, a "ministry" for that.

Everything from:

Art and Environment
Contact Person: Catherine Vollmayer
Help prepare the worship environment for each season thereby adding to spirituality while supporting the liturgical seasons and the months of Ordinary Time.

to:

Homebound Ministry
Contact Person: Catherine Boyle (Gee, isn't this a job for a priest?)
Bring Eucharist to and to visit with those who are ill and/or homebound and are not able to attend liturgy at the church.
Time commitment: Short time on Sundays or other days as requested.
Training needed: Provided by the parish.
to:

Marriage Preparation
Contact Person: Sheila Cole (Gee, isn't this a job for a priest?)
These couples meet with engaged couples to share their marriage experiences to promote good communication skills and understanding in marriage. Couples planning to marry are required to attend these sessions before the Sacrament of Marriage.
Time commitment: approximately four two-hour evenings a year
Training needed: by Family Life Ministers in Archdiocese.

By the way... did you notice how everyone is a contact PERSON? Are they all some sort of androgynous freaks there. Don't these people even know what sex they are? (in exasperation, with a hand slap to the forehead ~ "Santa Maria!!")

What really caught my attention was the "Mission Statement" (my comments in bold):

The mission of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish is to be a Christ-centered community in the Roman Catholic tradition. 'Eh... huh.... what? Was that "Christ-centered community in the Roman Catholic tradition"? So we're just in the Roman Catholic tradition, 'eh? All those tens of thousands of heretical Protestant sects are just as equal and valid, right? We share our vision of God with the larger community in which we live. More code words for Universalism. We are a diverse community, which values and respects the importance of the individual. In other words... we're ME centered instead of God centered. We gather in the Spirit to pray, to celebrate the sacraments, to teach, to learn, to console, to rejoice, to minister, and to renew our faith with one another. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, OVER! "renew our faith with one another"? Doesn't God fit in here somewhere?

*Sigh* Looks like just more of the same old, same old.

Want to know what a real Catholic priest from Guam is like? Read about this heroic priest, Father Duenas who was murdered by the Japanese during WW II.