I'm surprised that DaveNay didn't post this one The story, in a nutshell, is about a priest who received a message from a parish member. The message stated: Your sermon stunk.
So what does the Priest do? He plays the message in church and asks the parish for advice.
I'm not saying the priest should have done that but it sure is funny that he did!
So what does the Priest do? He plays the message in church and asks the parish for advice.
I'm not saying the priest should have done that but it sure is funny that he did!
Priest's alleged response to criticism of his homily leaves parishioner so angry he's suing the church and diocese
October 3, 2007
BY STEFANO ESPOSITO Staff Reporter
Angel Llavona considered his priest open to honest criticism.
And so after one Sunday mass last year, Llavona telephoned the Crystal Lake priest and left a message that went something like this: Your sermon stunk.
The Rev. Luis Alfredo Rios, a priest at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, then did something equally brazen, Llavona claims. He played the private phone message during Sunday mass and asked his flock, "What should we do? Should we send him to hell or to another parish?"
Now Llavona, who was sitting in church when his message was played, is suing Rios and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford. Llavona claims in the lawsuit filed this week in McHenry County that he was defamed and suffered "immediate emotional distress, embarrassment and humiliation."
Llavona says the humiliation forced him to change parishes. He is seeking a minimum of $50,000 in damages.
Llavona, a teacher at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, served as a volunteer with the parish's religious education program from September of 2005 to April of 2006.
"Disharmony or disagreement between a priest and his parishioners is always unfortunate," said diocese spokeswoman Penny Wiegert, reading from a statement Tuesday. "We hope that a peaceful solution at St. Thomas the Apostle can be established outside the court."
Rios could not be reached for comment and Llavona, raking leaves outside his Algonquin home, didn't want to discuss the case.
In his lawsuit, Llavona claims he left a phone message on Rios' private parish line one day after the September 24, 2006, mass. At the time, Rios was new to the Crystal Lake Church. The message: "Father Rios, this is Angel Llavona. I attended mass on Sunday and I have seen poor homilies, but yesterday broke all records."
'Oh, I love it'
Llavona then says in his lawsuit that he tried to arrange a meeting with Rios, but the priest refused. Then, Llavona claims, Rios played the phone message on Oct. 1, 2006, during two Sunday mass services. According to Llavona, Rios told the congregation, "This is the person in charge of religious education here last year. That's why it is no surprise to me [that] we had the kind of religious education we had. That's why we didn't get altar boys. What should we do? Should we send him to hell or to another parish?"
One parishioner interviewed this week said she was in church when Rios played Llavona's phone message. She said she had a hard time hearing the message but had only praise for Rios and his abilities as a priest.
"Oh, I love it," Guadalupe Zambrano, 40, said of Rios' preaching. "He always talk strong, like he wants to tell everybody how to love God."
Zambrano said Rios is the kind of priest who encourages parents to take part in their children's religious education and says it's clear that Rios prepares diligently for his sermons. "Everything he says in the homily . . . you get it right away," Zambrano said.
October 3, 2007
BY STEFANO ESPOSITO Staff Reporter
Angel Llavona considered his priest open to honest criticism.
And so after one Sunday mass last year, Llavona telephoned the Crystal Lake priest and left a message that went something like this: Your sermon stunk.
The Rev. Luis Alfredo Rios, a priest at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, then did something equally brazen, Llavona claims. He played the private phone message during Sunday mass and asked his flock, "What should we do? Should we send him to hell or to another parish?"
Now Llavona, who was sitting in church when his message was played, is suing Rios and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford. Llavona claims in the lawsuit filed this week in McHenry County that he was defamed and suffered "immediate emotional distress, embarrassment and humiliation."
Llavona says the humiliation forced him to change parishes. He is seeking a minimum of $50,000 in damages.
Llavona, a teacher at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, served as a volunteer with the parish's religious education program from September of 2005 to April of 2006.
"Disharmony or disagreement between a priest and his parishioners is always unfortunate," said diocese spokeswoman Penny Wiegert, reading from a statement Tuesday. "We hope that a peaceful solution at St. Thomas the Apostle can be established outside the court."
Rios could not be reached for comment and Llavona, raking leaves outside his Algonquin home, didn't want to discuss the case.
In his lawsuit, Llavona claims he left a phone message on Rios' private parish line one day after the September 24, 2006, mass. At the time, Rios was new to the Crystal Lake Church. The message: "Father Rios, this is Angel Llavona. I attended mass on Sunday and I have seen poor homilies, but yesterday broke all records."
'Oh, I love it'
Llavona then says in his lawsuit that he tried to arrange a meeting with Rios, but the priest refused. Then, Llavona claims, Rios played the phone message on Oct. 1, 2006, during two Sunday mass services. According to Llavona, Rios told the congregation, "This is the person in charge of religious education here last year. That's why it is no surprise to me [that] we had the kind of religious education we had. That's why we didn't get altar boys. What should we do? Should we send him to hell or to another parish?"
One parishioner interviewed this week said she was in church when Rios played Llavona's phone message. She said she had a hard time hearing the message but had only praise for Rios and his abilities as a priest.
"Oh, I love it," Guadalupe Zambrano, 40, said of Rios' preaching. "He always talk strong, like he wants to tell everybody how to love God."
Zambrano said Rios is the kind of priest who encourages parents to take part in their children's religious education and says it's clear that Rios prepares diligently for his sermons. "Everything he says in the homily . . . you get it right away," Zambrano said.