The Legionaries of Christ are withdrawing from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, ending the prominent Catholic religious order's presence in the Sacramento region.The change, effective July 1, follows the order's decision last year to close two schools here.
The Legionaries have endured controversy and scandal in the past decade involving some of their best-known leaders.
Local officials say the local withdrawal is a product of the order shrinking and re-evaluating where to focus its priests.
"It's a consolidation. We've lost some members," said the Rev. Lino Otero, who will join other members of his order in New York after the changeover.
Two others now assigned to Our Lady of Guadalupe will be reassigned to other parishes outside the Sacramento Catholic Diocese, in what was described as a normal process within the church.
"Many places it happens even more often," said Otero, who has been in the parish 10 years.
"I've seen a number of priests come and go, and that's what they do," agreed Elena Gutierrez, a longtime Our Lady of Guadalupe parishioner.
Gutierrez has led the catechism program and is now directing the church's Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program.
She praised the order's impact on a large parish that was experiencing internal conflict when the Legionaries took over its management, about 12 years ago.
"They have brought peace," Gutierrez said. "They worked terribly hard."
"Bishop (Jaime) Soto is sad to see them go," said Kevin Eckery, a spokesman for the Sacramento Catholic Diocese.
Administration of the parish will now be managed by the diocese, which operates all but nine of the 100 parishes in the area.
Those nine are managed by other orders, including Jesuits, Franciscans and Dominicans.
The new priest at Guadalupe will be the Rev. Rodolfo Llamas, currently serving in Elk Grove.
The Legionaries, though well-received here, have experienced troubles in recent years.
The closures last year of the University of Sacramento and Immaculate Conception Apostolic School were a reflection of diminishing enrollment. At the time, officials said the moves did not mean the order's departure from Sacramento.
The Legionaries have had larger-scale troubles, too.
The order's founder was forced to leave public ministry in 2006 and in 2009, it was acknowledged that he had fathered a child.
Just this week a church leader acknowledged he had known since 2005 that the Rev. Thomas Williams, the order's best-known American priest, had also fathered a child, according to published reports.
Over that period, Williams was allowed to continue giving public lectures and television interviews on morality.
"It's a consolidation. We've lost some members," said the Rev. Lino Otero, who will join other members of his order in New York after the changeover.
Two others now assigned to Our Lady of Guadalupe will be reassigned to other parishes outside the Sacramento Catholic Diocese, in what was described as a normal process within the church.
"Many places it happens even more often," said Otero, who has been in the parish 10 years.
"I've seen a number of priests come and go, and that's what they do," agreed Elena Gutierrez, a longtime Our Lady of Guadalupe parishioner.
Gutierrez has led the catechism program and is now directing the church's Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program.
She praised the order's impact on a large parish that was experiencing internal conflict when the Legionaries took over its management, about 12 years ago.
"They have brought peace," Gutierrez said. "They worked terribly hard."
"Bishop (Jaime) Soto is sad to see them go," said Kevin Eckery, a spokesman for the Sacramento Catholic Diocese.
Administration of the parish will now be managed by the diocese, which operates all but nine of the 100 parishes in the area.
Those nine are managed by other orders, including Jesuits, Franciscans and Dominicans.
The new priest at Guadalupe will be the Rev. Rodolfo Llamas, currently serving in Elk Grove.
The Legionaries, though well-received here, have experienced troubles in recent years.
The closures last year of the University of Sacramento and Immaculate Conception Apostolic School were a reflection of diminishing enrollment. At the time, officials said the moves did not mean the order's departure from Sacramento.
The Legionaries have had larger-scale troubles, too.
The order's founder was forced to leave public ministry in 2006 and in 2009, it was acknowledged that he had fathered a child.
Just this week a church leader acknowledged he had known since 2005 that the Rev. Thomas Williams, the order's best-known American priest, had also fathered a child, according to published reports.
Over that period, Williams was allowed to continue giving public lectures and television interviews on morality.