Parishioners of the only Roman Catholic church left standing on Bolivar Peninsula after Hurricane Ike say Cardinal Daniel DiNardo won’t allow their former priest to conduct what was supposed to be the first Mass since the storm. On their own, Our Mother of Mercy Church congregants arranged an evening Mass today at the Port Bolivar United Methodist Church.
But on Friday, the Rev. Joseph Nguyen backed out, saying DiNardo asked him not to perform the service.
Nguyen, who now leads St. Katharine Drexel church in Hempstead, said he was told not to participate “because of the terrible situation now.”
“That’s the reason. I have to obey him,” Nguyen said Saturday. “I told the cardinal I really feel so sorry for the people there.”
Archdiocese spokeswoman Claudia Deschamps said she didn’t have any information about services on the peninsula.
The archdiocese recently consolidated the parishes on Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula and decided this month to tear down the Port Bolivar church to build a new sanctuary and community center. Preliminary plans call for construction in Crystal Beach.
Fighting demolition
Though the Port Bolivar church remains, workers have removed the sanctuary’s stained-glass windows and have razed the community center, maintenance shed and barbecue shack.
Last week, parishioners obtained a restraining order preventing the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston from demolishing the church building.
The judge also ordered the archdiocese to allow parishioners to examine documents that they believe give them a say in whether the sanctuary can be torn down.
The congregation still plans to gather at 5 p.m. today at the Methodist church, but for a outdoor prayer service led by clergy from several other denominations.
“We love our Catholic church, but it shames us when we compare it to the Christianity exuded by other Christians,” said parishioner Sandra Simmons, who represents the peninsula on the Galveston Independent School District school board.
The Catholic church “is mighty, and we know they are mighty, but this is just not right,” Simmons said.
Parish members said the storm took their homes and livelihoods, but many are willing to fight to save their church.
The construction of Our Mother of Mercy was financed entirely by congregants with no help from the archdiocese when it was built a half-century ago, parishioners said.
“We want a place of worship. Why can’t we pray behind the church we’ve got? Put a tent up,” said John Dafonte, a 64-year-old Port Bolivar resident and a plaintiff in the legal action against the archdiocese.
“We’re going to fight until the end. If we don’t stand our ground, we’ll never get their attention.”
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