The civil lawsuit regarding members of Holy Ghost Church was filed Monday.
Unfortunately, I am having a problem uploading the public documents.
Details to follow.
UPDATE
My deep gratitude to Ellsworth Toohey, fellow blogger at One Small Voice in Phoenixville, for his expertise in providing a manner which allows for the public to view the court documents.
Thank you!
Link to documents:
http://www.4shared.com/file/118161446/4a7d7327/Brothers_Keeper.html
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25 comments:
Yo KJ. I skimmed that document and have no idea what it's about. Can you paraphrase in a few sentences? Way too complicated.
Does HG own the property?
Can the brotherhood sell it?
What is their goal of suing?
The end result could be a 5-story, HUD, Section 8 building in Phoenixville?
Maybe you should stop skimming documents and start reading them instead. The document is very clear, relatively easy to understand and hopefully, will put an end to this mess.
Well done, St. Nicholas Brotherhood! When you see the entire narrative laid out, it's almost unbelievable that the defendants could abuse their power they way they did. Shame on them, and good luck to the Brotherhood in this suit. Let's hope that this marks the end of an ugly chapter in church history.
I wonder if Evens will pull out since he does not want to divide the parish as he stated in April 07 at the borough council meeting when he took the proposal off the floor?
Intersting that Mr Bilanin is finally being held accountable for bringing this project back to council without any respect for the founders intentions or majority of parish's concern noted.
As a long life resident of Phoenixvile, I have been following this saga closely since this affects all of us,whether we like to think so or not. Yesterday, I drove the "back way" home from upstate PA and made it a point to check out the local town churchs. Not ONE, was hidden behind a high rise, rather, they were all up front and in color,standing tall and proud and welcoming. What could that group of people been thinking when they literally gave away their exposure to the world? Our faiths should be shouted from the rooftops and worn with pride and not hidden behind greed and threats. God Bless those brave few for taking upon themselves what must've been a long and difficult year for them. And shame on the politics that allowed it to get this far without being shut down.
Anonymous 9:40 a.m., paraphrase in a few sentences...I'll try.
Holy Ghost Church leases the former Phoenix Park property from the St. Nicholas Brotherhood.
The St. Nicholas Brotherhood has been in existence (and will be until kingdom come) since it's founding in the late 1930's, if I remember correctly.
The Church and the Brotherhood are seperate entities.
No, Holy Ghost Church does not own the property.
Only the St. Nicholas Brotherhood can make a decision as to the disposition of the property.
By my read of the documents I believe the St. Nicholas Brotherhood is asking the court to stay/stop any actions taken by any entity which is not the original St. Nicholas Brotherhood.
Please remember, Anonymous, I am not an attorney. The above comments are my understanding of the situation as I read them.
I can be corrected by anyone with more complete knowledge.
6 comments to this thread will not be published.
I understand the anger and your passion about this subject. I deal with mine every day.
Please find another way to express your comments to this board and I will publish them.
Thank you.
"6 comments to this thread will not be published.
I understand the anger and your passion about this subject. I deal with mine every day.
Please find another way to express your comments to this board and I will publish them.
Thank you."
Karen,
I am slightly offended that you will not print the full range of emotionally charged responses to this very important matter. Another non-censored public forum can be easily set up to let the general public voice their opinions on the defendants in this case. Would you prefer this? No response means yes. Thank you very much.
Anonymous 5:00 p.m., I will not apologize or make an excuse for the way I choose to administer my blog.
In truth, I have been offended by some of the posts I've received over the last few years.
Further, anyone who knows me also knows that no matter how voltile an issue is I believe there ARE other ways to convey one's thoughts or feelings without using profanity or derogatory euphemisms.
Lastly, another forum with or without any form of administration, on any subject, is not a matter of personal concern for me, Anonymous.
Thank you for this opportunity to state my position.
Karen,
Fair enough , but bear in mind that your position is akin to that of the governing bodies of China, North Korea, Iran, and every other totalitarian group that only seeks to disseminate information that concurs with their ideology. Taking that into account, are you really any any different than the board of HGOC? Or maybe your site is just "protest lite"/ LOL Give us a break.
At least edit the comments or put asteriks and symbols in place of the curse words. I think that would add to the enjoyment of your blog. Or at least comment on the most heinous of criticisms with your perspective rather than just leaving them out entirely. By omitting people's postings on such a sensitive subject you cause much more negativity towards you and garner much less respect. Just sayin' and on a more positive note, thanks for keeping this alive on your blog - and after all, it is your blog! :-)
Karen,
Considering the fact that the applicant threatened to sue people over this mess -
Considering the fact that the President of Holy Ghost Church threatened a lawsuit, from his place of employement, over this mess - in the blogs; I can concur with your being selective on what you post.
It is a shame the people of the town and church enjoy the drama.
Personally I wish a lightning storm would run through some additional areas, and the lot of them move on to another parish so we can start fresh with honest leadership.
Blogs hosted by google such as this one are free and pretty easy to set up. Anyone can start one, publish whatever they like, and use whatever editorial discretion they wish when it comes to comments. There is some responsibility and accountability which falls on the blog owner. As in all things, the first responsibility and accountability is with oneself.
It has been my experience reading Karen's blog that she posts opposing sides to issues. Now, if an opposing viewpoint can't be made without vulgarities, etc., then that is an editing job the poster should make, not Karen.
Karen. You are not North Korea. Can you breathe now?
Ask all the idiots who don't approve of this lawsuit, "Do you want a 5-story, HUD, section 8 building ruining our town or not?"
Welcome back.
Actually, my position is based on my own internal belief system.
This blog has addressed many different issues and has recently allowed for open threads on any subject.
Hardly an comparison to your comments.
I understand, however, the desire of some people to read emotional material as they can become front and center voyeurs to unbridled pain generated by a situation.
Since you've posted without your byline I'll just thank you here and later in person for your editorial suggestions. ;-)
Judge Griffith decreed in first lawsuit that the church initiated against the true St. Nicholas Brotherhood that the church owned no property. Plain and simple, you can't sell what you don't own no matter how you spin it or hide behind the Johnstown powers that systematically excommunicates and censures anyone that disagrees with their methods of control. The St. Nicholas Brotherhood was formed to protect the members from ever having their hard earned property spirited away from them by greed and avarice. They came home from Sunday Liturgies served in an open field with cuts and bruises from rocks thrown at them by dissenters. They were spit upon, cursed and threatened. The decendants that remain to honor their ancestors foresight to assure that a safe haven would exist for many blessed years should be given respect and not the hate and vulgarities that so easily trips off the tongues of the bullies.
It seems that many thought they were a part of membership in the Saint Nicholas Brotherhood.
Over the recent years, people were told they had that right by belonging to the church for two, ten or twenty years.
Unfortunatly for the defendants, they did not get good advise on then authenticity of the lease nor respect the explanations and firm understanding by Bradford.
With Bradfords father making this agreement, and Orosz being the sole living officer of Brotherhood, it appears the intended reorganization of board to become the brotherhood board was BOGUS~!
To :
Ask all the idiots who don't approve of this lawsuit, "Do you want a 5-story, HUD, section 8 building ruining our town or not?"
July 15, 2009 6:25:00 PM EDT
I believe that the correct arugment to make is that we do not want a 5 story building ruining our town. HUD has nothing to do with it and opening up to HUD can complicate the issue legally. Just a bit of advice.
Always good to hear from you, Bob!
And, I'm thrilled that you are in agreement on this issue.
Having been raised in St. Michael's Byzantine Church in Mont Clare, I know the history of Holy Ghost and their property.
The parishoners of HG do not want to get burnt again. In the 1930's when many "Greek Catholics" were weary of Latinization, they wanted to return to their Orthodox past, but the official church held the keys to the building, so the "orthodox" members of St. Michael's had their "pravoslavnjy" (true faith) but had no church building; the Bishop kept that.
Now it seems history repeats itself...the people of the church knew this could happen again so they created a seperate entity called the St. Nicholas Brotherhood to own the property outrigh and "rent" it to the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church. And now the drama continues!
What is it with Nashi Ludi(our people)? Always with the drama!
Byzantine-
It was a lot more than just being weary of latinization. The internal strife was over two issues, ownership of property and celibacy. Rome wanted the property owned by the people of the Greek Catholic churches- cha-ching!
The entire Johnstown Diocese was formed in opposition to this premise. Here they are 70 years later and it is Johnstown who wants the property this time- cha-ching!
Why don't they just go back to being Greek Catholic if now they are modeling themselves after Rome? They have become what they most despised. Have you ever read Animal Farm? Ironic, isn't it?
History is repeating itself and only a few are left to stand up for what was one of the two main reasons this church was formed.
Who could possibly agree with a four story government building blocking the view of that church and slicing up that property? No one in their right mind- certainly no one who has the good of this parish as their priority.
I too must say that I am disgusted with the treatment of the older man here. This is a cruel example of non-Christian behavior and speaks more for the place than any worship service !
None of the people listed in the newspaper from this parish deserves to be excommunicated or threatened.
Regardless of gender, age or personality, the Bishop and Priest abused their power.
The people merely had the guts to object to an idea. The people merely had the guts to DO THEIR HOMEWORK on the lease, projects value, and affect on the town and church as a whole. In no way was this project safe for the children of the daycare, children of the parish, elders in the HUD housing or parishioners of this secluded and serene church complex.
For questioning this matter, people have become ill, chastices and threatened regardless of age, gender or faithfullness to our Lord and Savior Christ. Children as young as ten years old have been treated as horribly as the elders in their 70's and 80's and 90's by messages on their home phones, notes mailed wrtten across front of church bulletin and highlighted passages about the wrath of God for Disobedience.
The leadership is flawed. God will judge them and that is the end of it. In the end the laweyers win and hopefully a church can survive the evil by prevailing!
"...passages about the wrath of God for Disobedience."
Can I just say here "LMAO" ??
Are they for real? What would the wrath of our creator God include exactly? Eternal damnation? Maybe lighting strikes...
I hear the church wants to get rid of the day care that rents space from them. My question is how can they get rent from the day care when they are the ones who set up the day care in the first place. Isn't it illegal to collect rent from yourself? I really think the church leaders are doing some sneaky things.
After reading some of these posts, I pray that all those involved will reconsider their position(s) and approach these matters through much prayer and an attitude of respect, understanding and love or one another.
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