Officials from the Norwich Diocese deny that the former pastor of St. Jude Roman Catholic Church in Willington has been either suspended or granted a leave of absence for disobeying Bishop Michael Cote's transfer orders.What the Rev. Thomas Sennik is, according to diocesan officials, is a "priest in transition."
Sennik told worshippers at Mass on Sunday, Feb. 10, that Cote had suspended him for refusing to take on a larger and more demanding parish, St. Maurice Church in Bolton.
Sennik said he refused because it would leave him little time to care for his aging invalid mother and chronically ill sister.
At the same time, parishioners were told, their chuch would be "yoked" at least temporarily with St. Philip the Apostle Church in Ashford, meaning the two congregations would share a pastor.
Sennik's announcement sent parishioners into a frenzy, angered not so much by the "yoking" of the church as over the apparent disregard for Sennik's family concerns.
Diocesan officials distributed a letter to St. Jude parishioners over the weekend, insisting that Sennik hasn't been suspended and is still receiving his salary and benefits. Talks have just begun between the parish priest and the bishop, the unsigned letter added.
Sennik did request a leave of absence, the letter said, but Cote "did not grant that request, precisely because there are many issues that need to be addressed, not avoided."
When asked Monday what Sennik's actual work status was, diocesan spokesman Michael Strammiello said he is a "priest in transition."
"Sometimes life doesn't allow for crisp seamless change as we'd like, but Bishop Cote is a kind and caring shepherd, and we'll all be best served by letting the bishop and his priest work this out," he said.
Mass was said Sunday at St. Jude Church by Monsignor Robert Brown, who read the letter to parishioners and asked them to refrain from speaking publicly about Sennik and his issues.
Meanwhile, the letter suggests that "if you love and support Father Sennik, please encourage him to reach out to Bishop Cote, whose door is always open to him."
Furthermore, the letter contends that Sennik has been "unable or unwilling to appreciate alternatives that have been offered" and that Cote hopes that changes.
Sennik, who is in his early 60s, cares for his mother who is bedridden and crippled with arthritis, and his adult sister, who suffers from kidney disease and must undergo dialysis three times a week.
After reading a Journal Inquirer story last week about Sennik's family dilemma, the congregation at St. Maurice Church banded together to offer voluntary nursing care and housing for his mother and sister should he come to the Bolton parish.
When they phoned the diocesan chancery to discuss those arrangements, they were told that Sennik's status was "no longer negotiable."
But the letter released Sunday suggests the offer still remains on the table.
"Over the years, many priests in the diocese have shown care and concern for their elderly mother, father, or parents," the letter said. "They have provided family members with loving and excellent care; some even in their rectories.
"At the same time, most of them have successfully balanced their parish ministries and their family obligations."
In this situation, Sennik has been offered some very real and practical alternatives, the letter said.
"What is being asked of Father Sennik is neither unreasonable nor unusual for a diocesan priest," the letter stated.
Meanwhile, both St. Jude's congregation and parishioners at St. Maurice, who are in limbo over a lack of a permanent spiritual leader, are hoping for a speedy resolution.
Karen Rabe, a member of St. Jude Church's Parish Council, said that for now, out of respect for everyone involved, parishioners plan to honor the diocesan request to stop speaking publicly on the matter and are praying for a quick and agreeable outcome.
"We just wish the best for Father Tom and for our parish," Rabe said.
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