“Arrogance on Steroids”

Last week, Pistrina Liturgica had an article (click here) about an item that appeared in SGG’s Jan. 7, 2018 ’Corner:  Dannie’s request to form a  “CAT club” – a “Clergy Airport Transportation club,” as he put it.  In its article, PL’s emphasis was on how bad of a deal it was for Gerties to pay for a service for which they derived no benefit – and also on what an example of Dannie’s managerial ineptitude it was.  PL chose not --  consciously at least -- to mention what an example of Dannie’s arrogance this was – perhaps because they didn’t want to belabor the obvious.  However, we have decided to cover that base, by looking at it from that angle.

But first, let’s recap what Dannie said in his ’Corner about his “club”: “I would like to ask you to join our CAT club at St. Gertrude the Great. No, nothing to do with Caravaggio or Puccini, cat food or vet trips. CAT stands for some-thing like “Cars and Transportation,” actually “Clergy Airport Transportation,” I guess. In a word, it assembles our drivers who would be willing to give an airport ride or pickup for the good Fathers going about their mission rounds.” He then went on to lament, “We’re low at the moment, and nobody picked up Fr. Lehtoranta returning from his Milwaukee Christmas. I was mortified. It seemed a little unfriendly.  Cold.  And at Christmas.  He took a cab.” 

But why, one of Dannie’s apologists might object, is all of this an example of his arrogance?  Well, it should be obvious: that Dannie expects this as a “perk.”  It is common knowledge that Dannie himself must be chauffeur-driven everywhere (as if he is some kind of corporate magnate or mini-potentate, or as if he was physically incapacitated in some way – which he isn’t).  And now he expects a similar perk for his journeyman “clergy”: for them to be driven to and picked up at the airport (on whatever trips they’ve taken) by a pool of Gertie “taxi drivers.”  Dannie was, in his own words, “mortified” that “nobody picked up Fr. Lehtoranta returning from his Milwaukee Christmas.”  So now, Dannie has laid this new expectation on his Gerties – as if they don’t do “enough” already.

And more than "enough" they do. As it is, his Gerties are already swamped doing a variety of “volunteer” work: a small army of women doing sacristan work, cleaning, cooking – and, in addition to other personal laundry for the “clergy,” also washing and ironing SGG's altar linens (which must be spotless -- and changed on an oppressively frequent basis).¹   The men do a variety of “volunteer” work as well (though not so much – and not so regularly – as the womenfolk): janitorial work, yard work, and a lot of other “heavy” work that the women can’t handle.²  And, of course, every family, in addition to all of this, is tapped for the weekly collection (as well as “special” collections) -- and is expected to “tithe,” (as is pre-printed on the collection envelopes).

And now, in addition to all this, Dannie wants this “taxi” service.  Now if SGG were a “big-time” operation (and Dannie a major “prelate”), one might rationalize (or legitimize) Dannie’s unrealistic “expectations” in some way. But SGG is a pathetically small, jerk-water operation, and Dannie (and his “clergy”) are nobodies.  Besides, drivers for real prelates are usually paid for their services – and they certainly don’t have to provide their own car and their own gasoline.  At SGG, the drivers (as PL noted) are not only saddled with these expenses, but must incur the “wear and tear” on their vehicles as well.  Lastly, most clergy at real churches – and that includes pastors – either drive themselves, or take turns with their fellow clergy driving each other.  They don’t ask their parishioners to volunteer their time, their car, and their gas.  Such an “expectation” is absurd.

This, of course, is not the first instance of the dynamic duo’s “unrealistic expectations” – that is, of their arrogance.  They have a long track record of it.  In an earlier article (click here), we cited, amongst other instances of their arrogance, how one of SGG’s office staff had not only to bring in Dannie’s and Tony’s mail for them, but to open it for them as well – and Tony even expected her to shine his shoes for him.  (Needless to say, she didn’t.)  The “CAT Club” is just the latest “edition” of their arrogance.  And we’re sure that not only does Dannie expect his Gerties to provide “curb to curb” service to and from the airport, but that they provide it with all the pretentious deference that Dannie has come to expect as “proper protocol”: “greeting them in the proper manner,” handling their luggage for them, opening the door for them, etc., etc., etc. – in other words, do all the things that one expects from a servant.

That’s the key for Dannie: one must not only do the task, but be “subservient” in doing it – as if this were the High Middle Ages, and Dannie were some sort of feudal lord “prince of the church.”  But Dannie, this is not the “High Middle Ages”; and you are not a “prince bishop,” entitled to fealty from your vassals.  This is twenty-first century America, where people are not illiterate peasants bound by “fealty” to some feudal lord, but intelligent, free people with constitutional rights.  They are not your “serfs” – but you would certainly like them to be, wouldn’t you?

And indeed that is what has happened over the years at SGG: normally rational, intelligent people have, by degrees, been “conditioned” by Dannie to be his obedient, obsequious “serfs” – automatons to do his bidding.  The Gerties are “guilt-tripped” on a regular basis to come to the show more often, and to “do more and more for the cult” (which is merely the classic cult tactic of gradual “noose tightening” -- straight out of the cult “handbook” -- until one becomes so loaded down that he has no time left for anything else but the cult).

Gerties, Dannie’s “CAT Club” is just the latest round of that “noose-tightening.”  If you “give in” to that, Dannie will only think up another “expectation” – because Dannie is never satisfied.  (One need only witness his never-ending guilt-tripping about coming to “the show” as proof positive of that.)  in your heart of hearts, you know that Dannie will not stop with this “CAT Club,” but will come up with new "expectations" -- new ways to ways keep tightening the noose.  Gerties, don’t let that noose get any tighter.  Get out before it’s too late, and it chokes you – or you become a “casualty” in some other way (as Katie Bischak did).

Thinking back about what Dannie said in his ’Corner -- that “nobody picked up Fr. Lehtoranta returning from his Milwaukee Christmas” – it seems rather ironic, too, that Dannie was “mortified” (and thought that “it seemed a little unfriendly” and  “Cold”) that an able-bodied young man was so “inconvenienced”; yet, when Terri Schiavo was put to death by court-ordered starvation and dehydration, Dannie felt no such “mortification.”  Tell us, Dannie, what is more “mortifying”: missing a cab ride, or being put to death? 

Gerties, it’s time for you to get mortified – not just at Dannie’s intransigent, blasé attitude about Terri, but his blasé attitude about you.  To this tinhorn tyrant, you are just so much cannon fodder – expendable resources to be used at will.  Gerties, isn’t it time to come to the obvious truth that Dannie is an arrogant, uncaring, and self-serving opportunist, who doesn’t give a damn about anybody but himself – and that this “CAT Club” is just the latest in his long history of exploitation schemes?  Isn’t it obvious that Dannie’s “bottom line” always has been – and always will be -- money?  And isn’t it time, Gerties, that you “just say no” to this conniving huckster, before he tightens the noose even more around your necks? 

Do yourself a favor: leave the cult.  “Pull the plug” on this arrogant, pretentious nobody.  Don’t give him a “free ride” -- either figuratively or literally.  Get out now, before he takes you “for a ride.”  Keep your “cab fare,” and leave the cult.

Starve the beast!

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¹ SGG’s parishioners have always been expected to do their work for the cult on a volunteer basis; but the “principal’s” kids have – more often than not – been paid for their services.  Also, in much of the cooking that the women do for Dannie & Co., not only are they expected to donate their time, but are often expected to donate the food as well. 

² And for Easter, Christmas, and Lent (especially Holy Week), the workload is particularly unbearable.  Dannie’s Altar of Repose, for instance: every year during Holy Week, Dannie has his sacristan (and others) construct this altar – and it must be a new design each year.  The effort takes several people several days to do – and, after being up for one day, it’s all torn down the next. (See The Cult Masters: Mysogynists -- and More