Oak Parkers, don’t hesitate to call

From Oak Park Village Clerk Teresa Powell in re: serial mugger:

Jim, one thing the police have requested is that ANYONE who thinks something is amiss should call the police. It’s a good policy at any time, but especially when concerns are high about this threat.

911 is the #, folks.

Meanwhile, the Guardian Angels are a unique presence. I watched a young white woman yesterday, mid-day, come out of her house on OP Ave. and hail three of them walking by, walk up to them and shake their hands. Three black guys in white T-shirts and red berets. Can’t remember the last time I saw anything like that.

Fox News Chi has good, recent coverage.

Introducing Rev. Pres. Pfleger . . . Uh-oh

What if Fr. P. did take the job at Leo? How would that work out? Does the cardinal really think it would work out well?

What did Len O’Connor used to say in a wind-up of his TV commentary in the 60s when he wanted to express disbelief? “And I’m the Easter Bunny”?

Or Samuel Johnson about marrying twice being a triumph of hope over experience?

There’s got to be a better answer to this historic impasse than to corral the bull and lead him into a china shop.

Who owns St. Sabina parish anyway?

Fr. Pfleger’s executive assistant objects to the arrival at the St. Sabina rectory of the new priest.

“Can you just imagine somebody moving into your house that really was not invited by us,” said Kimberly Lymore, the Associate Minister at the Faith Community of St. Sabina.

She’s been misled. It’s not her house, nor the parish council’s. That matter was decided a long time ago, when “trusteeism” was squelched in the American church by Rome.

Trusteeism controversy

ca. 18151840

In its infancy, the Catholic Church in America relied on the initiative and benevolence of laypeople to an extraordinary degree. Lacking priests, many early parishes were established and managed by laity. As the nation grew and the clerical personnel of the Church increased, priests and bishops sought to standardize the Church’s organization in accord with canon law and common practice. The result in some localities was tensionand sometimes hostilitybetween pastors and bishops on one side and lay trustees on the other. Significant battles over control of parishes occurred at St. Mary’s in Philadelphia and in New York, among other places.

Indeed, there is little new under the sun when it comes to the Roman church, periodic clerical chutzpah notwithstanding.

Pfleger to Leo? You’re kidding

What part of the Pfleger resume led Cardinal George to think he would make a good president of Leo Catholic HS? The church is a depository and guardian of deep mysteries. This is not one of them, but for passing attention it qualifies.

Leo High, named after Pope Leo XIII, friend of the working man, opened in 1926, the father school of two other Irish Christian Brothers-run operations. But unlike Jesuits, Dominicans, Carmelites and others, the Brothers neither founded nor funded it. The Brothers run diocesan schools, as did and do the De La Salle (French-origin) Brothers, who have “D” and St. Pat’s if not others. So the archdiocesan CEO has a say in who’s president. Question is, why Pfleger?

I am bothered intensely by the apparent answer to that question, namely to provide a dumping ground for Fr. P., one he presumably (bad assessment of situation here) could not refuse, when faced with such brilliant (not) Machiavellian strategy.

Is there another CEO in the Chicago area or state or nation who would name Fr. P. among the thousand, nay ten thousand potential high-school presidents, worthy of consideration to fill the next opening? No, he would not be in the running for that or any other educational leadership post.

Not to say I have a brilliant strategy of my own. I just know a bad one when I see it.

Angels on the job in Oak Park

Oak Leaves star Bill Dwyer has this about Guardian Angels in Oak Park:

The Guardian Angels have begun citizen patrols along the CTA Green Line after five women have been choked or beaten and robbed in Oak Park.

Oak Park police are warning women to use caution when out alone following two more violent robberies on April 19. One victim was taken to the hospital for treatment of facial injuries.

Five robbery attacks have targeted lone women since March 30. Police increased area patrols following the third attack, and they are circulating a sketch of the assailant based on the third victim’s detailed description.

Had it four days ago, in fact, but nothing yet from Wednesday Journal, which has been otherwise keeping up with the one-man crime wave.

I just passed two of them, by the way, walking north on Grove having turned off Washington. Looked up as I strolled 8:15 or so in the gloaming and saw them coming in white sweat shirts and red berets. Good for them.

Citizen comments on the latest Journal story include call for citizen night patrols by which to “take back Oak Park.” There’s also a computer-generated composite picture of the attacker based on a description given by the third victim. He was described as black, about 5-foot 9 inches tall, 200 pounds, medium build.

Comments also inevitably included complaints about police inability so far to do anything about this. One commenter, “Brad from Oak Park” called it

Very interesting – last night I saw a guy walking on the East Side of Oak Park Avenue, northbound, just sound of the Green Line. He passed the Green Line entrance and continued under the viaduct. His facial features resembled this composite sketch, but he had dred-locked hair, about chin length. I guess I’m profiling now, but he looked out of place and like he had a menacing/up-to-no-good look about him. Bottom line, this guy is not going to get caught unless the police start to profile.

Notice the semi-apology for “profiling” followed by his “bottom line” assessment that the guy won’t be caught unless the police “start to profile.” Like for getting terrorists. There’s dumb profiling and smart profiling, as in any human endeavor.  Why not do it the smart way with black muggers?

You know, like with serial killers on the TV shows.

To S-T on McClory on Fr. Pfleger & Cardinal George

Letter to S-T:

Dear Editor:

Bob McClory’s argument for keeping Fr. Pfleger at St. Sabina parish limps in several respects.

First, it’s Bob’s own credentials for limiting Cardinal George’s authority in this case, Bob being an enthusiastic proponent of new limitations on bishops’ authority in general.  Indeed, the Pfleger case fits his predilection for espousing radical change in the church.

Second, he (rightly) praises Pfleger’s pastoral availability to the bereaved and suffering — a combination of high profile achieved by Pfleger himself and Pfleger’s abundant empathy.  But nothing in his transfer from St. Sabina would interfere with that, even work as president of a high school.  He could be equally available to bereaved and badly treated people.

Third, he says the cardinal has handled this badly, to which I ask, Pfleger hasn’t?

— Jim Bowman

Angela sings

Off to see #1 Daughter (also #1 Child) Angela at Uncommon Ground on Devon tonight, 8 o’clock.  She’s warbling to the music of Jon Williams.  And strumming too.

         Angela & Jon

Uncommon Ground has this to say about it:

Singer Angela Bowman (also of WABOLABR) teams up with guitar and piano player Jon Williams (Blue Line Riders, Chandelier Swingers) for a night of soulful songs. Come for a mix of roots music, honky-tonk, standards and swing tunes.

The Mama & I are going, plus others.  Report forthcoming.

The Pfleger case, continued

From Fr. Pfleger’s St. Sabina allies, via email:

On March 11, 2011, Fr. Pfleger met with Cardinal George where he was asked to take over as president of Leo High School .

On March 19, 2011, Fr. Pfleger sent a letter to Cardinal George saying that he was neither qualified nor experienced being president of a high school but that he was willing to help Leo High School in any way that he could.

There has been no response by phone call or letter from the Cardinal. Today, Fr. Pfleger was called to a meeting at 4:30 at the Pastoral Center . At that meeting Fr. Pfleger was given a letter that he was suspended and the Cardinal did not want to discuss it.

The Leadership of St. Sabina will have an official response tomorrow. We are in shock.
For your information the press received this letter before Fr. Pfleger and the church heard about it through press calls.

There’s lots of church history behind this one, going back centuries.