“Theme Park”

Some months back, Pistrina published an article that mentioned an INSANE internet “tweet” by one of MHT “Seminary’s” cerebrally-challenged drudges (“Scut the Prefect”), who tweeted, "One single 'una cum Mass' is more offensive to God than all abortions ever performed.”  The article then went on to catalogue some of the “counterfeit theology” that has arisen not only from Sanborn’s Floridian fool factory, but also from Dannie Dolan’s toxic waste site in West Chester.  It likened them all to “theme park Catholicism” (an apt description!).  The article then went on to describe an imaginary theme park (that it dubbed Traditionland), with several “attractions” (such as “Balderdash Mountain”) that hilariously but accurately depicted the kind of NONSENSE that permeates the SGG/Brooksville cabal. 

Of course, Pistrina could never cover all the nonsense (That would take several volumes!) – nor could we.  But we thought we’d take a stab at suggesting a few “enhancements” for the park.  We also thought it deserved a more “Disneyesque” name (like the theme park in Orlando, Florida), so we’ve decided to call it DannieWorld® -- “a magical place where every traddie’s dreams (but not reality) come true.”  Firstly, the park -- like its Disney counterpart -- deserves a grand entrance.  So, we thought that, instead of the manicured horticultural depiction of Mickey Mouse that graces Disneyworld’s entrance, it ought to have one of -- you guessed it -- Dannie!! -- complete with his trademark rodent-like grin (sort of a cross between Bill Clinton and Alfred E. Neumann), and adorned with a daffodil cape, scarlet pimpernel miter, and chrysanthemum crosier), nestled amongst topiaries of Tony and the rest of Dannie’s cartoon characters.

The actual park entrance, of course, must meet strict cult-center “standards.”  This means that all entering patrons are to be scanned for “appropriate attire” by the SGG school principal and his family, and frisked for any “contraband.”  Women and girls found in violation must switch their “scandalous” garb for granny dresses -- and men and boys, for bib overalls and long-sleeve flannel shirts.  “Inappropriate attire” and “contraband” include any non-Amish attire, as well as sports-logo jackets (and headbands), tattoos, body-piercings, and – of course – copies of Pistrina Liturgica and Lay Pulpit.  After being castigated (by the school principal) and paying a suitable fine, the  “cleansed” violators are then allowed to re-enter the park.

Once inside the park, patrons find themselves in SGG’s answer to Disney’s Main Street USA -- Drain Street USA -- where there are all sorts of artsy shops to vacuum the patron’s wallet before he gets a chance to see the rest of the park.  First, there’s Candles and Such®, featuring “five-day” candles (that last five minutes, or until the patron leaves, whichever comes first).  Next, there’s Books ’n Such®, a faithful recreation of SGG’s bookstore, where one can buy one’s favorites, including Tony’s landmark failure, The Validity of Ordination Conferred with One Hand -- and his other ode to the intestinal tract, that perennial box-office boat anchor, Work of Human Hands.  Plus, there’s his cringe-worthy assessment of Schiavo (winner of the Jack Kevorkian Prize for moral bankruptcy), and finally, his masterpiece of mendacity and misrepresentation, School Dazed – all available at newly inflated prices, and coming in leather-bound, in paperback, or in convenient Charmin four-roll packs.

As the train leaves Drain Street USA, it pulls into -- not TomorrowLand, but… YesterdayLand® -- a mythical, magical place where 1950’s traddie America comes alive -- not as it really was, but through the eyes of a dedicated psychopath. First, there’s -- no, it’s not an Islamic fashion show -- it’s… the SGG parish picnic! The men and boys, of course, are allowed to dress in normal attire (shorts, pullovers, etc.), and to play typical picnic games, while the womenfolk and girls, dressed in ankle-length frocks, are doing such “fun” things as preparing dinner, and tending to the little ones.  Tony is also there, ogling the kids with his “bonfire stories,” as they, situated in a circle around him, are eagerly snoring. And, of course, there’s Dannie himself, blessing the hotdogs, while his catered gourmet fare arrives by limousine at his private tent, located discreetly out of everyone’s sight.   

For other entertainment, there’s also the Sick-o-rama Cinema®, a larger-than-life SGG school computer screen playing X-rated flicks and animal-torture videos continuously – preferably to under-age children.  (Not to worry, though, because all are rated “boys will be boys” by Dannie.)  For the culinary-minded, there are, of course, restaurants available.  First, there’s the CopiousCabana, DannieWorld’s premier restaurant for gourmands (unfortunately, not open to the public, but only to Dannie and Tony).  This place is unique in that Lenten rules of fasting and abstinence are suspended there.  One can eat whatever meat he desires at this sit-down, all-you-can-gorge eatery, each of whose place settings features a conveniently placed feather and gagging spoon.  They, along with a discreetly adjacent Vomitorium®, make for an unforgettable dining experience for the discriminating epicurean degenerate.

Next to the Copious – and open to the general public – is the Grapes of Wrath®, a faithful representation of a depression-era soup kitchen, where patrons can sample everything from breaded fish sticks (with “mac and cheese” cooked to the consistency of school glue), to leftover “hors d’oeuvres” from last year’s SGG “lackey appreciation party” (held annually to reward “holy helpers” for their year-long slavery), with such treats as salami-and-cream-cheese roll-ups, and luncheon meat finger sandwiches.

The next magical land that one encounters is TradventureLand®, which contains a full-scale replica of SGG’s campus, where patrons board “cars” that transport them through a series of “features” that includes a church with a leaky roof (and a leaky bank account), raccoon-infested walls, and an unheated vestibule (complete with shivering patrons), plus a three-climate-zone rectory where Dannie and Tony stay warm and toasty, and a surrounding campus sporting several baby bunnies (some assembly required).

The biggest attraction in TradventureLand, though, is Pirates of the Cerebellum®, where patrons’ minds are gradually warped as they traverse through Sanborn Sandcastle, an imposing structure looming large out of a swamp (also known as Castillo El Moron, for a demented friar who incessantly tweets unintelligible invectives to passersby).  As they enter the castle, they first encounter Big Don, in an overhead pulpit, firing verbal volleys down on trembling traddies, as simulated fire-and-brimstone rain down from above.  Next, there’s a replica of a pirate ship, where the SGG school principal, dressed as Long John Silver, is flogging kids (and then having them “walk the plank”) for missing their homework, and where an incorrigible parishioner is being keel-hauled for attending an una cum Mass.  After that, patrons then encounter the Despository®, a kind of dungeon for the criminally insane, where that same demented friar is castigating prisoners who’ve committed such heinous crimes as wearing sports-logo headbands, or riding roller-coasters.

The next attraction is one that gauges how effectively Pirates of the Cerebellum has warped the patrons’ minds.  It’s called Gullible’s Travels®.  In this attraction, Dannie – on his way to some world-class resort destination to confirm a handful of candidates – is tearfully exhorting his Gerties to underwrite both his trip and his “high heating bills” (to see if they’re gullible enough to believe it).  The attraction is equipped with a patented Snicker Detector®, which – if it senses someone snickering at Dannie’s blarney (or showing any other detectable signs of cynicism or skepticism) -- diverts them back to Pirates for “re-programming.”

To round out TradventureLand, there is Dannie’s Little House of Horrors®, with his three cats -- Puccini, Vivaldi, and Caravaggio – gleefully dismembering baby bunnies, while Dannie looks on, busily taking detailed notes for his next Bishop’s Corner – and also nearby, the principal’s boys, drooling with fiendish delight, calling the “flay by flay.”  The action is not real, of course, but “virtual” (filmed on-location by those same boys).  This way, it conforms to SPCA “animal cruelty” standards, yet allows the boys to gratify the cravings of their baser instincts.

Lastly, there’s TomorrowLand, a vision of what the SGG/Brooksville cabal might look like in the future, if it remains on its present course: First, Big Don – after listening to too many of his hellfire-and–brimstone sermons, will finally go totally berserk -- and then, along with his crazed friar, spend the rest of his years in that dungeon for the criminally insane; second, Tony -- succumbing to all that BS that he’s been peddling for so many years, will become Barack Obama’s press secretary; third, the SGG school principal – after retiring as sadist emeritus at the school – will take over as chairman of the local chapter of the Hitler Youth; and lastly, Dannie – after staging so many pretentious pontifical processions – will finally realize his lifelong ambition: to be a float in the Rose Bowl Parade.

“But what about FantasyLand?” you may ask.  “Disney has its FantasyLand, so why not SGG?”  The answer is that there is no need for one, because SGG IS “fantasy land” -- especially if one expects to find real Catholicism there.  But, unfortunately, SGG is only “fantasy” in that respect.  It is not so much a “fantasy land” as it is a moral wasteland -- sadly real -- where hypocrisy and duplicity are the order of the day: where keeping Terri Schiavo alive is deemed “a grave burden on society,” yet watching porn is written off as “boys will be boys.”  It is a place where people are guilt-tripped into coming to Friday night Lenten services, while Dannie is away in sunny Mexico pigging out on “copious quantities of beef.”  In short, it is a place where Dannie and Tony do whatever they damn well please, while the Gerties are expected to “foot the bill” and to unquestionably “obey.”

And, actually, as for TomorrowLand, we should correct ourselves: there really isn’t any -- at least for SGG’s parishioners. The only “tomorrow” that they have to look forward to is more exploitation by the cult-masters -- and less money in their pockets. Naturally, the “tomorrow” that we’d like to see at SGG is one of a penitent Dannie and Tony mending their ways and stopping their exploitation – but that sounds more like FantasyLand.  The only “tomorrow” that Dannie wants is retirement in the desert Southwest.   And as for SGG’s parishioners, the only way that they can salvage their “tomorrow” is to vote with their pocketbooks and their feet: to STOP giving money to these parasites -- and LEAVE.  We hope, for both their material and spiritual welfare, that they do that – and soon.

While Rome is Burning…

There has been much in the news lately about issues that should cause much concern to Catholics: the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling legalizing “gay marriage,” and Planned Parenthood’s selling of “aborted baby parts” for profit, to name two.  This has given our clergy much about which to talk in their sermons.  Sermon after sermon has dealt with issues such as these, and the dangers that they represent.  And what has Daniel Dolan been sermonizing about during this same time frame?  Has he been speaking out against the Supreme Court’s decision on “gay marriage,” or Planned Parenthood’s use of aborted babies as “spare parts”?

The answer, in a word, is NO.  Dannie’s typical sermon deals with some event that happened in the distant past (i.e., the Middle Ages, or ancient times), and which usually involves someone being persecuted for the Faith -- usually by meeting a gruesome end (after undergoing several draconian ordeals along the way). More often than not, it’s an anecdotal piece plucked from The Lives of the Saints, or it involves something “miraculous” or “inexplicable” (such as the Loretto Chapel Staircase – a story that Dannie has repeated umpteen times).  His sermons, of course, are delivered with typical Dolanesque theatrics – dramatic pauses and gestures, and emotionally charged, über affectation.

So why does Dannie dwell on the past – and on such gruesome, grisly tales?  Firstly, Dannie’s whole emphasis has always been about the past: about “the good old days” with the “traditional” rites and rubrics – in other words, about “the show.”  He even digs up archaic rubrics* to make everyone think that what he’s doing is “authentic.”  And those anecdotes about long-dead saints?  That too is to keep his Gerties focused on the past.  And dwelling on the grisly ones?  That’s perhaps to make the Gerties think that, compared to these poor souls, their lot “isn’t so bad,” and that their “cross” isn’t so hard to bear -- and, consequently, that they should be tickled pink” to “give their all” for the cult center’s cause.**

The only time that Dannie ever mentions anything pertaining to the present is when he’s “Bergy bashing” (which is understandable, since Bergoglio is such an easy target; Dannie can always score a lot of points by bad-mouthing him).  But even here, Dannie manages to skirt the issues affecting us today.  Instead, he dings him by harping on the same tired old themes, laced with the usual buzzwords:  “On his way to one world Washington from Communist Cuba, Francis brought up the subject of his apostasy. Out of the blue, he declared, ‘I am not an antipope or antichrist.’  Well, what would you call him, a ‘pope’ who has the same agenda as Obama, two Marxists who walk hand in hand? ***

But, other than “Bergy bashing,” Dannie doesn’t want to mention current events, because that takes away from his “dwelling on the past” agenda.  Dannie must keep his Gerties focused on the past, because that keeps them focused on HIM.  He doesn’t want them to get involved with opposing “gay marriage” or Planned Parenthood.  He wants to keep them occupied in coming to his pontifical pageants and his processions – in coming to “the show.”  (And, of course, he “guilt-trips” them if they don’t.)  He also wants them to be totally absorbed – and to work hour upon hour -- in decorating and preparing the cult center for those shows (such as SGG’s Lenten Altar of Repose, which takes a small army of “holy helpers” to erect, only to be torn down after one day.)****

It is interesting to note that not only has Dannie failed to speak out against the Supreme Court’s ruling on “gay marriage” (other than to criticize the Kentucky woman who opposed it), but he (or Tony, for that matter) has never spoken out against homosexuality at all.  One of Tony’s sermons, however, did have some glowing words to say about a novel (Brideshead Revisited, by British author Evelyn Waugh), whose two main characters had what many critics allege was a homosexual relationship, and whose other characters were engaged in other immoral schemes.  (The book reportedly was, for a time, required reading at SGG’s high school – hardly appropriate, especially for a “traditional” high school.)

Rather than deal with real issues, Dannie and Tony would rather rail against “una cum” Masses, and invent things like “sedevacantism” to deny the sacraments to anyone who doesn’t “comply”; or, they’d rather spend their time writing lengthy tracts defending one-handed ordinations (or defending the brutal policies at their school).  And why?  To keep their parishioners thinking about them and their little fantasy world – that’s why.  In short, Dannie and Tony would rather ignore what’s going on around them in the real world, and concentrate instead on their insular little world -- and doing whatever it takes to convince the sheep that they’re “the only game in town.”  This keeps the sheep, and consequently, the revenue, in the pen.

The sermons that Dannie and Tony should be preaching are, again, not historical anecdotes about long-dead saints butchered or barbecued for the Faith, but about the threats facing us today.  While Moslems are overrunning Europe and terrorizing Christians everywhere, Dannie and Tony are condemning people for going to una cum Masses (or for not accepting sedevacantistism as “dogma”).  And while nations everywhere are pushing the homosexual agenda (including our own country's legalizing “gay marriage”), all Dannie could do was to criticize the Kentucky woman who opposed that agenda.  And while Planned Parenthood is selling aborted babies as “spare parts,” the SGG “theology experts” are deciding such “weighty” issues as how short a woman’s blouse sleeve (or hemline) must be before it is “sinful.”  (One of Dannie’s “assistant priests” even “determined” that wearing a sport-logo headband in church – and riding roller coasters – were mortal sins.)

These are the kinds of meaningless minutia that the cult-masters worry about, while the world around them is falling to pieces.  Do they not know what’s going on?  Are they that naïve?  No, they’re not.  The truth is, they really don’t care if the world is disintegrating, so long as their “world” doesn’t: as long as they can “hang on” until they have enough cash to retire to the desert Southwest, that’s all that matters.  (After all, if Terri Schiavo’s being starved and dehydrated to death didn’t faze them, why should anything else?)  Like two latter-day Nero’s fiddling while Rome is burning, they really don’t care what becomes of their parishioners after they’ve drained them of their cash.

A recent Pistrina article dealt with a letter sent in from an SGG parishioner, who stated, “not all Gerties are the ‘slack jawed, bug eyed’ mindless cult subhumans you describe. There are some good people down here with common sense who are not as blind or stupid as you think.”  The correspondent continued, ”Believe me they are waiting for the right moment to leave. The problem is that so much is at stake in some families, [e]specially with those with younger children.”  Well, we are certainly heartened that there are such concerned folks there; but we remind them that “there is no time like the present” to leave – especially “those with younger children”   (These are their formative years, when they’re most susceptible to “formation.”)  Others who had “much at stake” and who left saw no ill effects at all.  In fact, the opposite was true: they lost none of their old friends; and they (and their children) adjusted quickly to their new surroundings.

As we’ve said before, “why prolong the agony”?  Leaving SGG is not so painful as one would think.  In fact, it’s not painful at all.  And, for those with school-age kids, there are much better schools elsewhere in which to enroll one’s children (Immaculate Conception Academy is one); plus there are several good “home school” groups from which to choose as well.  Staying at SGG, for any reason whatsoever, amounts to throwing good money after bad.  “The right moment to leave” is NOW – so just leave.  But do us this one favor: “Do not go gentle into that good night.”  That is, do not go “silently.”  Let others know that you’re leaving -- and why.  Do not “aid and abet the enemy” (and “facilitate” their victimizing) by slinking away unnoticed.  Be vocal.  Spread the word.  But, by all means, leave.  As we’ve said before, “You’ll be glad you did.”

__________________________

* Remember his “Praegustatio” rubric about which Dannie “waxed poetic” in one of his Bishop’s Corners (mentioned in its footnote)?  It’s an archaic rubric that the Church (wisely) discontinued, for it consists of one of the Mass’s MC’s tasting the altar wine (before it is consecrated) to make sure that it’s not poison.  (Perhaps Dannie has good reason for resurrecting that rubric!  We wonder if he uses one of his lackeys as his “food taster” as well!)

** Yes, Dannie always wants his parishioners to “go that extra mile” and “bear your cross.”  And what kind of “cross” does Dannie bear?  Well, he goes on Lenten “apostolates” to Argentina and sunny Mexico in the winter (to pig out on “copious quantities of beef”); and he and Tony go to trendy Santa Fe to “rest,” while his Gerties pay their high heating bills.  (It’s really comical what Dannie claimed recently, in his Bishop’s Corner: “the generosity of faithful everywhere to my Bishop’s Fund makes such missionary journeys possible.”  We wonder, then, why the “Bishop’s Fund” doesn’t cover those high heating bills as well)

But who is Dannie trying to kid here?  The “Bishop’s Fund” a “separate pot” of cash?  (Sure, just as the U.S. Social Security Fund is a separate pot of cash; that is, it’s not separate.)  The “Bishop’s Fund” is just one more imaginary “device” invented by Dannie to squeeze yet more cash out of the Gerties.  Bookkeeping-wise, there are no separate “pots” at SGG, just one big one (which Dannie dips into on a regular basis to satisfy his many cravings).  To its parishioners, SGG’s finances are a mystery known only to Dannie and Tony (and, perhaps, to the school principal) -- a labyrinthine “black hole” which the parishioners are not permitted to see (or question).  The truth is, the cult-masters have no accountability AT ALL to SGG’s parishioners – for that or anything else.

*** Note all the buzzwords and phrases: “one world Washington,” “Communist Cuba,” “apostasy,” “antipope,” “antichrist,” and (of course) “Obama” and “Marxists.”  And Dannie loves to bash Bergoglio, because this is a “fail-safe” theme on which to expound: everyone (at least in the “traditional” world) is against Bergoglio, so this will always be a “safe bet.”

**** The Altar of Repose takes several days to erect -- and it seems to get more elaborate every year.  (Dannie doesn’t tolerate using the same design twice; each year, the altar must be completely “re-done” in a different “style.”)  The altar typically has 50 to 100 candles adorning it; and it gets so warm that the “guard of honor” men taking their one-hour turns kneeling before it (during Holy Thursday all-night adoration) often faint from the heat (and from oxygen deprivation).

“Just Say No”

Editor's Note: This article is the last of our "weekly" articles for Lay Pulpit.  After this, we will revert to our normal "bi-weekly" schedule, i.e., publishing only every other week.  Our next article will be published on October 17.

The SGG cult-masters’ obsession with “externals” includes not only “the show” (pontifical Masses, over-the-top processions, etc.), but also the “rules” that they promulgate to make SGG look like a model of “parochial perfection.”  In its printed brochures (and on its website), SGG portrays itself as having strict standards for “dress” and rules of conduct -- a kind of sanctified Shangri-La, where kids are neat, clean, and “well-behaved,” and where families are wholesome, well-dressed, and well-mannered: an orderly oasis in a disordered world – a kind of sanitized version of small-town, 1950’s Catholicism.  But nothing could be farther from the truth.

SGG’s rules for “dress” and conduct” are, like everything else there, “just for show.”  Firstly, their rules are not so much about “modesty” and “morality” as they are about manipulation and control.  Secondly, they are selectively enforced.  “Prominent” parishioners ("big “donors,” e.g.) are “exempt.”  One, for example, never wore a dress shirt the whole time he was at SGG (much less, a coat and tie) – even though, as an usher, he was supposed to “set the example” for others.  And as for “modesty,” another “prominent” parishioner wore dresses that, although they were “regulation length,” were so “tightly wrapped” that they “left little to the imagination.”

The fact is, Dannie and Tony really don’t care about “modesty” and “conduct” at all.  How could they, when they referred to the school principal’s sons watching porn and animal torture videos on the school computer (or one of them impregnating an SGG classmate) as “boys will be boys”?  (And why did those sons get no punishment at all for doing what they did, while another student got thrashed with a wooden paddle for missing a homework assignment?)  Again, it’s because all their “rules” are NOT about modesty and morality, but about manipulation and control.

Perhaps an example of one of their “conduct” rules will illustrate the degree of lunacy to which they resort: during the sermon, mothers with crying babies must leave the church, and go to the vestibule “crying room,” where they must remain until after the sermon is finished.  (Yes, they, and anyone who leaves, say, to use the restroom, are forbidden to re-enter church until after the sermon.) And while there, they must maintain monastic silence -- on hard benches with no chair-backs -- in a room that is neither heated in winter nor cooled in summer.  Anyone who violates this the “silence” rule or the “no return” rule is dealt with severely.* 

Add to that the kind of “morality” the kids are taught at SGG: it was perfectly acceptable for a helpless young woman (Terri Schiavo) to be starved and dehydrated to death (in Tony Cekada’s words, the cost of keeping her alive was a “grave burden on society”), yet things such as wearing a sport-logo headband in church or riding a roller-coaster were mortal sins.  The fact is, it’s perfectly acceptable to lie, cheat, steal, or to malign one’s fellow man at SGG, because there, one’s worth is measured NOT by how he treats his neighbor, but by how many Masses he attends, how many Hail Mary’s he says, or how many processions he signs up for. Like it was with the Pharisee in Christ’s parable, “saying all the right prayers” is what its all about.

The effect of all this “dualism” has been nothing short of catastrophic.  Its immediate effect was the decimation of SGG’s ranks: about half the congregation left after the 2009 school scandals; and since then, there has been a slow but steady decline.  Even for those who remained (most of whom were those whose children were not enrolled in SGG’s school, and who thus didn’t experience the brutality there), it has still had a disruptive effect on them and their families.  In some cases, spouses have left; but, more often than not, it’s their older children who have left (and, in some cases, have abandoned their Faith altogether).

It’s easy to understand how this could happen: when these youngsters witnessed Dannie’s double-standard behavior back in 2009 – how he dismissed blatantly immoral behavior as “boys will be boys,” yet dealt severely with others for minor (or non-existent) infractions -- they saw the hypocrisy of it all, and they reacted accordingly.  When they saw this sort of behavior being passed off as “religion,” it had its predictable effect: they became disillusioned and disenchanted – and they revolted (especially in those families whose parents were ardently “cultish”).  The more cult-like they were, the more their children revolted – and the more shockingly so.**

And, even among those who didn’t “revolt,” there was another outcome equally as bad: many of SGG’s parishioners who accepted Dannie’s behavior came to emulate it.  One instance involved a man who, sometime after his wife left him, decided to board with another family.  (She left, by the way, because of his slavish devotion to the cult-center, at the expense of his family.)  This other family’s mother, who had twelve kids to look after, had to do a little bit of sewing one Sunday.  The man told her that – because it was Sunday -- she was “committing sin” for “doing servile work.”  What made his accusation so ridiculous was that this man himself was doing his wash that very same day – a classic case of Dannie’s “do as I say, not as I do” philosophy.

In another instance, when Dannie’s outlandish claims about a deceased former parishioner (Bernie Brueggemann) drew an angry response from one of Bernie’s own sons, one of Dannie’s culties (in typical cultie fashion) condemned the son because he used the word “bullshit” to describe Dannie’s lies about his father.  She called him “un-Catholic” for using that word (as if she never uttered it herself!).  The fact that the son was totally right – and that Dannie had told a bald-faced lie – was totally lost on her. (See A Pristine Display of Hypocrisy.)  But that’s what happens when Dannie “rubs off” on people:  they become hypocrites.

The good news, however, is that things are changing.  More and more parishioners are recognizing (and rejecting) Dannie’s hypocrisy – and seeing through his “schemes” (including his constant harping about “donating” and “attending the show”).  They’re tired of paying for anything and everything: “excessive heating bills,” a new (and unneeded) organ for Tony, winter “apostolates” to sunny Mexico for Dannie, etc., etc. etc.  In short, they’re tired of being exploited.  They’re also staying away from “the show” (the High Mass); and attendance at other “extracurricular functions” (rosary processions, Lenten services, etc.) is dwindling too.  In fact, it’s so low that Dannie has had to resort to “guilt-tripping” on a regular basis to “shame” them into coming – to no avail.   

Dannie has left a legacy of shattered hopes, depleted pocketbooks, and even shattered families. This is no longer going unnoticed by SGG’s parishioners.  Much of Dannie’s credibility now gone, they are questioning him more and more.   Many, in fact, are just “hanging on by a thread,” ready to bolt when Dannie makes his next false move.  But the truth is, all of Dannie’s moves are “false.”  That said, the time for them to leave is NOW.  But many worry, “What will my friends say?”  Well, the answer to that is: Don’t worry.  Your “friends” won’t really care.  (Most, in fact, will probably be following your lead in short order!)  Leaving is not as painful as you think.  In fact, it’s not painful at all.  Follow the lead of the many who have gone before.    And as for “what Dannie will think,” the answer to that is: WHO CARES?  Dannie thinks (and cares) about no one but Dannie.***

So, “why prolong the agony”?  Take a cue from a popular anti-drug slogan of some years back, and “just say no” to Dannie and Tony.  Just leave.  You’ll be glad you did.

_________________________

* Another insane “rule” is the “no drink” rule: the church vestibule has a drinking fountain – but it is “off-limits” during Mass  (or at least was): once, when the school principal caught his own teenage daughter drinking from it, he chastised her for doing so – publicly humiliating her in front of everybody.  The girl, whose throat was dry and raspy from singing in the choir, went into the vestibule to get a drink of water during her “sermon break,” whereupon her father, the school principal – eager to show his “authority” – angrily pushed her away, and castigated her in front of everyone. 

The girl (actually, a young woman of seventeen or so) – astonished, red-faced, and close to tears at being treated like a child – quietly walked back into church.  We’re sure that those present admired her Christ-like forbearance in the face of such unwarranted humiliation – but that her father’s senseless act of cruelty only reinforced their suspicions about his reputation at the school.

** In many families, the children reacted simply by no longer coming to church.  But in some, it took a more ominous turn: one girl left home and had two children out of wedlock, while another became a lesbian.  In yet another instance, a girl not only became lesbian, but is even contemplating becoming a “trans-gender.”  And in just about every case, they were so "turned off" by the cult-masters' brand of "Catholicism" that they probably ended up losing their faith.

*** Many are afraid to leave SGG because they think, “Where will we go?”  That is downright ludicrous, because, in “Dannie’s neighborhood” (southwest Ohio), there are perhaps more choices available to them than anywhere else in the country.  There’s the SSPV (Immaculate Conception Church) – which, by the way, has a school that puts SGG’s rat-hole to shame.  And there are also SSPX and CMRI chapels, as well as “independents.”  Southwest Ohio is a veritable smorgasbord of “trad” chapels from which to choose.  And, regardless of whatever reasons Dannie dreams up to disqualify them, they’re all valid.