Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Richmond Voiceless?


A blogger today suggested that we should rename this blog "Richmond Voiceless"... since we have heard no more from Catherine Combier-Donovan. The last several days I have thought about emailing her. I realize that a blog is easily forgotten when one has hands-on work to do in the office and elsewhere.

A major concern for me is that this blog remain relevant. People get tired of checking a blog that appears dead. I don't want this one to go the way of the others...

I simply ask that you have mercy on me also. In addition to this blog, I am writing 3 others plus a website; plus work.

I will email Ms Combier-Donovan this afternoon and invite her to continue our dialogue. In the meantime, if anyone has a subject that they would like to discuss here on this blog (preferably concerning the Diocese of Richmond), let me know...

6 comments:

Mark said...

Standing Maryanna:

I think you have been more than patient in this matter. The hoped for conversation with the diocesan lay leaders, if it ever materializes, may happen in the context of other subjects discussed on your blog. Or it may not.

On another subject, I was gratified by our Bishop's forthright statement regarding the unique gravity of abortion in the last issue of the CV. No more haphazard and misleading mixing of moral issues of unequal weight in laundry lists of "concerns". This was a long hoped for and awaited clarification - three cheers for Bishop DiLorenzo!

Phaedrus said...

I was wondering if anyone knew why the other two Richmond Catholic-themed blogs went silent around the same time. Did some common event cause them to fold? Was there pressure from external sources? Just wondering.
Standing Maryanna, I am grateful that you have elected to carry on the dialogue, and I am pleased by your tolerance for viewpoints that are divergent from your own.I don't agree with some of your positions, but I certainly respect you.

Katie Beaumont said...

I will have to second that. I'm starting to feel disappointed with diocesan officials. It is blatanly dismissive of them to ignore our questions. Are they mis-judging the intentions of our questions, thus unjustly refusing to dialog with us? Do they expect us to revert back to the means of communication of the 20th century (mainly pen & paper) since they refuse to communicate via technological means such as this blog? Do they care more about WHO is asking a question rather than WHAT the question is? Or do they have bad answers for good questions, thus pleading no contest. If this is the case, it is a disgrace to 21st century evangelization and ecumenism. All of them should be ashamed of themselves for ignoring the faithful and faithless of this diocese. Would they rather a diocese of dis-interested Catholics?.....because that's the message they're sending us by not replying to our questions in a timely manner....if at all.

Mark said...

I think it's time to move on - a non-response is a response of sorts.

Note that Summorum Pontificum got very similar treatment in this diocese - a quick shrug of the shoulders, couple of official (mostly negative) comments, and then silence. That's one way of dealing with issues one would rather not deal with.

And I thought we were singing a new church into being, full of diverse voices, and welcoming to those with different perspectives...

standing maryanna said...

Sorry I am just getting back to reading these responses. My computer died and am using a family member's laptop.

First of all, I DID send the promised email to Catherine Combier-Donovan. Have received no response. As Mark said, sometimes no response is a response of sorts.

Phaedrus, I don't know why the other blogs closed down. Whether the blogmasters became known and were "encouraged" to close down, I don't know. Sometimes, people simply move on to other things.

I hope not to have that problem.

Thanks for your kind remarks. I will email Ms C-D once more and point her to this particular series of comments. It will give her an opportunity to respond if she wishes.

Thanks also for your interest in this blog.

Anonymous said...

Have we been snubbed by the Office of Worship? Is there no time for leaning-conversations with diocesan officials? What is more important to the leadership of this diocese than communicating with people from this diocese?