I get ready for my daily opening exercise today, and as I eat I pull open the newspaper...and on among the headlines of the front page is the article showing Fr. Mark has filed suit against HJT, Nowicki, Brandt, Dejthai, Smetanka, Quinlivan, and Orlando in connection with the fun of last summer. The article isn't very long, however Fr. Mark's attorney said Fr. Mark "understands that to facilitate reinstatement...he must produce the reports that cleared him of wrong doing.
Predictably, Orlando didn't comment, nor did the diocese.
Anyways, the question is, will this help? We know that the reports were given to or at least summarized and given to many of the defendants, but they proceeded to suspend him regardless. Will bringing a lawsuit help on the civil end of this, since the Church is apparently reviewing the spiritual issues at hand?
At the very least, if this makes it to trial, it will expose many of the gross wrongs performed by those individuals. So there will be some justice in that the world will finally be able to see many of these individuals in their true lights.
As far as whether this will help, who knows? The Vatican is in a very precarious situation with the recent attention given to the sex abuse scandals. You can bet that they are in a fact-finding phase where they just want to make sure everything is legitimate. Of course, if they have received Fr. Mark's reports that have cleared him of wrong doing, then I think (pray) that there will be a good chance that he will have his religious and educational faculties reinstated.
As we go forward, we all need to continue to keep Fr. Mark in our prayers and the Saint Vincent Community as well. SVC has been the victim of terrible actions by several people. These actions have caused great hurt for the members of the SVC community. There needs to be some sort of change for the healing to begin. Yes there will be hurt that will result from this situation, however it needs to get worse before it can get better. But it will get better. No doubt.
<p><a href="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_690642.html">www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_690642.html</a></p> <p> <strong>PREIST PLANS TO SUE FOR SLANDER </strong>by Richard Gazarik</p> <p>A suspended St. Vincent professor and priest filed notice Thursday in Westmoreland County that he intends to sue a series of diocesan, college, and church offficials for slander, libel, and defamation. The Rev. Mark Gruber, 54, filed a writ of summons, which is his formal notice of intent to sue, in connection with last year's state police investigation of him allegedlly using a college computer to access child pornography. Gruber, who is a Benedictine monk and tenured Anthropology professor, named as defendants Archabott Douglas Nowicki, head of the archabbey; Greensburg Bishop Lawrence Brandt; former college president H. James Towey, academic dean John Smetanka; Dr. Gary Quinlivan, dean of the McKenna Business School; public relations director Dan Orlando; and Eddie Dejthai, Chief Information Officer. State police found the computer, located in a seminar room <strong>that could be accessed by others, </strong>was used to access websites in Russia and Czech Republic where child pornography can be viewed. Photos and videos of nude males had been downloaded to the computer, but police said the subjects appeared older than 18. Investigators said the found no evidence of a crime, and Gruber was never charged. "Due to a lack of evidence that a crime has occured, this investigation (is) to be closed," read the state report. However, Gruber was suspended from his duties by Brandt and Nowicki when the investigation began in July 2009 and has not been able to teach. celebrate Mass, hear confessions, or participate in other church functions. He has not been reinstated to his duties, according to court records. In May, Gruber filed a petition in Westmoreland court seeking a subpeona for all state police reports so his attorney could begin discovery proceedings as part of a potential lawsuit. Attorney Sharon Smith, who represents Gruber, said the priest, "understands that to facilitate reinstatement of his preistly and faculty appointments, he must produce the reports that cleared him of wrongdoing." Orlando, diocese spokeman Jerry Zufelt, and Kim Metzer of St. Vincent Archabbey all declined to comment.</p> <p>Enjoy!</p>
There are roosters who think the sun arises just to hear them crow. They strut about the barnyard preened in the arrogance of power, and never apologize for a cloudy day or a "cloudy" action.
A stiff apology is a second insult.... The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt. ~G.K. Chesterton
For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul 7; Psalm 35.
<p>It is difficult for me ti imagine the agony that Father Mark has suffered. To be a virtual prisoner in a monastery when you are a monk, to be denied the classroom, to be denied the right to pursue the things you deem most important, to be libeled, slandered, and defamed by those who themselves should have been the ones on trial, well, how is it possible to cope with all that. Father Mark is a modern-day Job. </p> <p>Justice must be done here. I support Father Mark's decision to file suit. All of this shit must see the light of day. And those who are responsible for such mosntrous behavior must be brought to justice. I have a generally dim view of humanity. But this has been beyond the pale.</p> <p>Michael Yates c'67</p>
Amen, Mr. Yates. I would imagine that Fr. Mark and I wouldn't see eye to eye on many things, but that's irrelevant. Any innocent party who is maligned by those willing to use the offices of our alma mater as a cudgel deserves the support and protection of alumni. Period.
<p>Dan.. there are many among us who do not agree over one thing or another, but we all share a profound sense of justice, and even when a rival or opponent is unjustly wronged, our sense of justice supercedes everything else.</p> <p> </p>