As if Argentina Wasn’t Enough

In the March 16 edition of The Bishop’s Corner, Daniel Dolan recounted for the sheep his latest “apostolate” (or whatever it was) to Mexico and the Baja.  It must have been so exciting for the sheep to read what “El Pastor” had to say about his latest jaunt to south-of-the-border since going “down Argentine way” a few weeks back.  It must have been so reassuring for them to know that Dannie was able to escape the tedium of the harsh winter up here in Gringo Land to administer to the souls down in the warmer, sunnier climes of Sombrero Land – what providential timing!

The first leg of his “apostolate” took Dannie to the Baja, where he performed confirmations, we are told.  Never mind that traddie Mexican bishops are “a peso a dozen” in that neck of the woods (or that, strictly speaking, a priest could have done those confirmations) – this was Dannie’s chance to check on his ovejas down there.  From Baja, Dannie then went on to “Vera Cruz state” to (presumably) do some more “keeping in touch” over there (more confirmations?).

Now if one looks at the map, Baja and Vera Cruz are about as far away from each other as one could get, and still be in Mexico (about a thousand miles apart, as the cuervo flies).  So, unless Dannie took the ferry from La Paz to Mazatlan, and then went by motor-car from there to Vera Cruz (chauffeured, of course – Dannie doesn’t drive), he probably flew, since La Paz and Vera Cruz both have airports (he also could have flown into Mexico City, since it’s within chauffeuring distance of Vera Cruz).

While in Vera Cruz, Dannie did some more confirmations (we presume); and he also mentioned that he was going on to “Guadalupe” from there (the shrine of Guadalupe, we also presume, because it is near Mexico City).  Dannie did not mention anything about popping in on Fr. Siordia, though.  (Fr. Siordia is right there near Mexico City; one would think that Dannie wouldn’t miss the opportunity to stop by and see his young protégé, being as he was in the neighborhood).  Perhaps he did visit Fr. Siordia and his flock, but forgot to mention it in his Bishop’s Corner column.  However, it seems a bit strange that he wouldn’t, since Dannie never misses a chance to wow the troops with news tidbits from his “Latin apostolate.”  After all, Fr. Siordia was the cornerstone of Dannie’s Latino program – almost his razón de ser for being there: his south-of-the-border “jewel in the crown.”  Let us just hope that he did pop in on his old compadre, but forgot to tell us (in which case, we wait with breathless anticipation).

But, getting back to our original speculation about Dannie’s trip: how was his Mexican excursion financed?  As noted earlier, a quick look at Mexican geography tells us that Dannie had to have flown from Baja to Vera Cruz (not to mention, the Cincinnati-to-Baja leg and the return leg from Mexico back to Cincy) -- something that costs more than what the peso-strapped Mexicans could afford.  And along the way, we’re sure that Dannie didn’t stay in Motel 6’s (or their Mexican equivalent) either; for instance, when he visited Fr. Siordia some years back, he stayed at a high-end establishment in Cuernavaca (a hotel not dissimilar to The Bishop’s Lodge) -- which reportedly sat not-so-well with the not-so-worldly young Padre.  (Rumor has it, in fact, that Dannie and his protégé are not “getting on” quite so well these days.  We wonder if this is, perhaps, why Fr. Siordia has not been mentioned so much of late.)

The bottom line on Dannie’s Mexican trip, then, is probably the same as for his Argentine junket: it’s a pretty fair assumption that the amigos south of the border didn’t pick up Dannie’s travel tab, but – as is usually the case -- that the SGG bootlickers footed the bill.  But that’s what the groveling faithful are there for: to deny themselves and to “offer it up” so that their cult-masters can enjoy La Vida Buena – right?  Wrong.  It is time for the SGG faithful to ask themselves why their pastor must travel from wintry southwest Ohio to warm, sunny Mexico (or to Argentina) to perform confirmations that could easily have been done by any one of several traddie Latino bishops (or, in a pinch, by a priest)?  It is time, we think, for them to start “asking for an accounting” – and, if they don’t like what they hear, to start walking away.