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Sunday, February 19, 2017

10:30 Mass At St. Frances de Sales 2-12-17

This image was taken moments ago of the St. Frances de Sales parking lot. Mass has started and I'd say the impact of Father Chris LaBarge decision to support the Anti Trump Rally has impacted the Church, (as a whole) quite severely. Father LaBarge needs to stay out of politics if he wants the Church to survive. 

63 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is by law separation of Church and State and also goes for politics it has no place in a worship center.

Anonymous said...

hes a hypocrite.. that march goes against the catholic church beliefs... wow says a lot maybe hes not fit for his position in the church.

Anonymous said...

I am a christain and agree 100% STAY OUT OF POLITICS.

Anonymous said...

That is about right. Offend over half your congregation. He has done this on many an occasion. The school is a mess. The principal just resigned after enrollment has dropped significantly When my children attended there was a waiting list. The diocese does nothing. Chris needs to stick with what he is suppose to do. We could care less about his personal opinion so he needs to keep it to himself.

Anonymous said...

the church should be allowed to speak up regarding what the Bible teaches on such issues a same sex marriage, abortion and other moral issues. but to promote an anti-Trump rally goes far beyond the pale...not good under any circumstances. If the pastor and his follows that go along with him are protesting the 'illegal immigrant/refuge' issue, they may want to consider the following:
This man is SPOT ON...
Steve Roberge: There are a lot of posts reminding American Christians how they should treat refugees - with kindness, love, compassion, tolerance. Of course! Yet I see nothing about what constitutes a legitimate refugee, according to the biblical text.
So, here goes. According to the biblical text, refugees are to assimilate and observe the culture and customs of their host country (Ex. 12:19; 20:10; Lev. 22:18; Num. 9:14).
Refugees are to recognize and respect the biblical God (Lev. 24:16).
Refugees are to obey the laws of their host nation (Num. 15:15).
Refugees must be found innocent of intentional murder (Num. 35:15).
These are the refugees we are to treat with kindness, love, compassion and tolerance. (To know who they are requires a certain amount of vetting.)
Those who come here not to assimilate, but to violently rape and pillage, do not constitute legitimate refugees, but enemies. While Christians are to love and pray for their enemies (Matt. 5:43-44), the government's job is to kill them (Romans 13).
This was a comment I copied and pasted because it is clear to all who follow God's word...

Anonymous said...

There is no law separating church and state.

Anonymous said...

We can only hope the church folds up and the property is sold to someone that actually pays taxes on it.

Anonymous said...

The Catholic religion is extremely liberal so it's no surprise they would take this misguided and uninformed position.

Queensgirl52 said...

I'd be curious to see some photos taken from other angles.

Anonymous said...

If the Pope isn't staying out of politics, how can anyone expect this priest to stay out? Church is overrated. You don't need to go to church to commune with God. God will listen regardless of whether you haul your cookies to a church every Sunday morning. Shouldn't spirituality be a personal experiential journey anyway? You can do that any time, anywhere without assistance. If you live by the Golden Rule, that pretty much sums up what you should be without a lengthy, long-winded sermon.

Anonymous said...

People are waking up to the Catholic church, just as they are Jackie Welfonder and her betrayal of the Republican party. This church is everything that is against Christian, Catholic beliefs. The Church is turning against the teachings of Christ and what it was founded on. Get him out of there before its to late! More should leave and drop out so they can get the message loud and clear! Get back to the principals that the church was founded on!

Anonymous said...

For a religion that supposedly hates abortion and doesn't believe in birth control, the Catholics are bit too hyped on Liberalism swing gang. Doesn't make any sense at all. In fact, it's highly hypocritical if you really think about it.

Anonymous said...

It is absolutely not liberal. Just because a church leader is speaking his mind (and I'd agree, wrongly, if it's from the pulpit) doesn't mean he is speaking from the catechism. If you are not familiar with Catholic doctrine you should refrain from commenting.

Anonymous said...

i watch my shows on Sunday morning and i can pick which ones i like and choose accordingly to what they are teaching. If its not about what the Bible says and the teachings of Christ i turn them off and go to another that does! The church is for fellowship and faith cometh from hearing the word, you can get the word from Tv or from reading the Bible yourself and want fellowship? get involved in a good organization that helps the vets and or homeless! for Jesus said when you do this to the least of my brethern, you have done it unto me. And the homeless/vets will appreciate that help!

Anonymous said...

Funny. President Trump is doing away with the Johnson Amendment that says if religious leaders talk politics then they lose their tax-exempt status and here is a priest talking out against him. Is anyone getting that hypocritical self-damning nuance?

bryan said...

Who will take responsibility if this protest causes property damage or much worse. Do you people understand where this can lead. If you are a responsible adult you may realize how dangerous this may be.

Anonymous said...

ARE YOU REALLY TRYING TO DESTROY THIS CHURCH??? GOD is watching.

Anonymous said...

It's sad. If he talked strictly about Jesus and His teachings, people could decide about politics for themselves. But the "social justice" garbage..if you do what Jesus tells us to do, you'll do right by your brethren. Just encourage your flock to live by Gospel teaching, fight against the murder of babies and the sick and elderly, and the rest will take care of itself.

Anonymous said...

11:29 Many in the congregation take advantage of the new bike lanes and cycle to church. I bet the trike bike parking area is full since it is pretty much all old people that still go to mass. Everyone else is getting ready to down a few bloody mary's at brunch. Oh snap, I forgot. That only happens in civilized places. Can you even get a drink in Salisbury before noon on Sunday?

Anonymous said...

1153. They have already lost there soul. It obvious which side of the evil globlist war they are on..The cathlolic church DOES NOT speak for real christains.



Anonymous said...

11:53 that's ridiculous. The real destroyers are the Catholics-in-name-only who encourage radical politics. People are fed up with wishy-washy sermons and are disgusted by the appearance on the church's FB page of the announcement of the anti-Trump riot being planned.

I believe its appearance there was a mistake, but not unusual for this parish. I've watched attendance dwindle, and am afraid one day Muslims will take over the buildings here. Why don't clergy realize people are starved for Jesus Our Lord and His crystal clear teachings? We don't need pop-culture or liberation theology, we need Jesus. Preach the gospel and we'll be here in large numbers.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing 11:12. What you post is the truth.

Anonymous said...

Um, the Catholic Church IS liberal. Otherwise you wouldn't have all these priests taking "liberties" with little boys. Funny how the church minimizes THAT. Clean up your own house and religion before espousing your values on others.

Anonymous said...

02/12/17 at 11:53 AM

It's evident the church is destroying itself from within. God is watching.

Anonymous said...

The Church has survived and outlived the Roman Empire and every government since then and has flourished despite the efforts of many of those governments to destroy them.

Anonymous said...

There is no law of separation of church and state. there is the Johnson Amendment which Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson ignore but hopefully that'll be repealed. I just wont attend a church that is liberal and goes against the word of God.

Anonymous said...

this church should be sold to gillis- gilkerson for $1 so they can build affordable housing

Anonymous said...


On a day-to-day basis a church, of any sort, is like a club. Its direction is driven by those who come to meetings and ascend to positions of influence. Where there is a vacuum persons with views you or I disagree with may get a forum.

If the in-fighting gets serious a faction breaks away and sets up shop elsewhere. Newark, MD had two Methodist churches a literal stone throw apart due to such a disagreement. The same minister served both congregations. In recent years they have drawn closer but the impasse lasted decades.

Catholics don't have that option structurally or theologically. It's a top-down structure that has accepted more bottom-up input as a consequence of the priest shortage, and events in the larger world.

I'm a cradle Catholic and used to contribute more time when kids were young. In subsequent years much less due to issues of personal convenience. In broad brush terms I'm a classical liberal which means today I'm viewed as conservative!

I don't follow St. Francis' FB page; never viewed it but don't take exception to it noting that there was a protest of some sort being planned. There are contentious issues in society and churches do get involved for a variety of reasons including that they're comprised of people.

The FB note posted on SBY News was a notice. Not a sponsorship. Not an endorsement. Not a disavowal. I don't fault the pastor for listing it.

Catholic teaching and practice strongly opposes abortion. It also seeks to see that humans are fed, sheltered, educated, have access to medical care, etc. No conflict with those objectives. How to enable people to achieve those goals is the issue and nobody has a perfect answer.

The Democrat party has chosen to become advocates of abortion on demand up to the point of delivery of the infant. For me, and many others, it is a litmus test failure they cannot overcome in any other manner on any other question.

St. Francis and the other Catholic parishes are the only churches where you truly see all peoples together in the pews. All colors, all nationalities, many languages bound by a common world-wide faith. That is very powerful on a daily, practical level.

With the influx of Hispanics to our area (legal and illegal both, I'm sure) have come more parishioners from those heavily Catholic areas. Lots of Koreans, too.

The President's temporary EO ceasing refugees from a small number of African and Middle Eastern countries has been spun by the MSM as more far-reaching than it is. The local 'snowflakes', young and old alike, still restive after the defeat of the abortion advocate Clinton have seized on this as a way to have a group hug and draw attention from WBOC and Gannett's shrinking rag.

Better they devoted their time to hands-on outreach to the less fortunate.

Anonymous said...

Poor decision for Father Chris to allow St Frances to be listed as a supporter of the bash Trump group on their website. This is not going to end well.

Anonymous said...

St Frances de Sales will be a mosque in less than ten years.

Anonymous said...

Look if this is not the church for you and your faimly go elsewhere. My faimly and I truly enjoy the one we attend.

Baltimoron John said...

The hardest thing about being a Christian is having to live with other Christians.
Why all anonymous?

Bonnie

Anonymous said...

You don't need a church to pray , I quit my church over a year ago because of a liberal preacher spewing his left wing agenda. Pray to your God and send your money were it will do the most good. Bricks and mortar make any difference.

Anonymous said...

My granddad was catholic but never went to church because all they do is try to extort money out of their congregation. He read the Bible every Sunday morning and did his own Rosary without assistance. He was onto something.

Anonymous said...

They don't extort any money... U never have to give anything

Anonymous said...

It is sponsorship plain and simple. You can act like it is not or does not matter, but it is and does.

Anonymous said...

Baltimoron John is your real name moron!

Anonymous said...

There is no law saying a church can't be political.

Our government can't endorse a religion.

Separate issues.

Anonymous said...

Currently, the law prohibits political campaign activity by charities and churches by defining a 501(c)(3) organization as one "which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public ...Sep 16, 2016

Anonymous said...

Ask the good father if he would have had a anti-Obama rally announcement on his site. Then ask him if he thinks his church should start paying taxes. From IRS regs - Currently, the law prohibits political campaign activity by charities and churches by defining a 501(c)(3) organization as one "which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public. Perhaps the a screenshot of the announcement should be sent to the IRS.

Anonymous said...

No one in their right mind should step foot in that place. If you do you are stepping into satans den. They believe in aiding and abetting criminals. Just because they don't like a law doesn't mean they don't have to abide by it.

Anonymous said...

I was there for the Confirmation services this weekend - it was refreshing to actually have a dynamic speaker there (the bishop) instead of the same old stale service. The way the parish has been run has caused me to lose all interest in attending mass. Besides the few times I've been there over the last few years, it seems all they are interested is money. With the amount of kids there for the service it almost seemed like a "confirmation" Assembly line. I hope someone told the Bishop while he was here just how downhill things have gone.

Anonymous said...

Been a parishioner at SFDS for 20 years. Pretty sure things are just fine.
By the way, the bishop was here yesterday and many people attended his Saturday services instead of Sunday this week.

Anonymous said...

8:17 what, specifically, has gone downhill?

Anonymous said...

Is mass out? No,but your hats on crooked.

Anonymous said...

817, to be fair, the reason there were so many children in the confirmation line is that they lowered the grade/age to 8th from 10th grade to receive the sacrament. This was not a surprise, but expected as to so many in line.
And, the bishop is a witty man, full of energy. The rehearsal the night before was fun and jovial.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
hes a hypocrite.. that march goes against the catholic church beliefs... wow says a lot maybe hes not fit for his position in the church.

February 12, 2017 at 10:40 AM

100% accurate! He is not fit and should be removed!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
That is about right. Offend over half your congregation. He has done this on many an occasion. The school is a mess. The principal just resigned after enrollment has dropped significantly When my children attended there was a waiting list. The diocese does nothing. Chris needs to stick with what he is suppose to do. We could care less about his personal opinion so he needs to keep it to himself.

February 12, 2017 at 11:08 AM

I've been noticing they have been begging and advertising to get people to attend. I wouldn't put my kids in that school.

We tried for several years to get the church to put up a high school in the area and the flat out refused to do so. Then they built another low grade school in Worcester County instead of building a high school. Why would you take us into 8 years of school and then dump us into the public school system in "High School." I knew then that the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington had some serious issues. The sad thing about this "High School" issue is that people many years before us have been trying very hard to get a Catholic High School in Salisbury and failed.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
The Catholic religion is extremely liberal so it's no surprise they would take this misguided and uninformed position.

February 12, 2017 at 11:20 AM

It is far from being extremely liberal. It is actually somewhat conservative.

Anonymous said...

Joe, part of the problem is that when Chris LeBarge came here I started seeing that ugly Susan Hargreaves Parker showing up and then the next thing you know she got on the Parish Council and started working with Chris LeBarge on some things in the Church. Now she is helping out with the RCIA that brings in new Catholics and that has been down a lot. The few that are there now aren't the best either. Like I said the few. Some of the decent ones stopped before it even got started because of her. There are only 2 people involved in the RCIA process where there has always been many.

On a side note, I sit behind Susan Parker during Mass and she looks the other way when it is time for the offering. What do you think of that. She comes into the church and takes over the politics and tries to influence everyone and then refuses to make any offerings to the church. Typical cheapskate liberal. What happened to their tired mantra "Pay your fair share." I guess that doesn't apply to her. That Whacko is WHACKED!!

Anonymous said...

over my dead body.

Queensgirl52 said...

Anonymous 7:14: I know Susan Parker only in passing. I don't have a dog in this fight. If you look at the parish website, you'll see that online giving by automatic deduction has been available for some months. Perhaps Ms. Parker is taking advantage of that. In any event, it's not your business or mine who gives, who doesn't and how much is given.

Anonymous said...

You keep talking about treating folks with respect.
Well I am sorry but the folks we are trying to keep out like to cut off heads. Perhaps all of you would take some in....I THINK NOT!!!!

Anonymous said...

I've been thinking about this whole mess over the past few days, and have decided to stay, even though I thought I was done. A few ideas here:
-The people saying you don't have to support the Church are misguided. It's one of the things you're supposed to do. I give by automatic withdrawal. But there's usually a second collection, and for that I drop money in the basket.
-Be sure, though, that if you give nothing to Saint Francis, you should be supporting the Church somehow through a ministry that your conscience will feel good about.If you don't support Our Lord somehow, someday you will have to answer for it. To Him.

The RCIA program here as in most parishes is pretty sad. Very watered down, and they do a good job of weeding out people who are attracted to the Church's perennial teachings. If you show up and let it out that you are strongly pro-life, opposed to homosexual behavior, and don't believe women can be priests, be ready to have them make you feel like you're in the wrong place. The program is run by women who are typical liberals, that is to say, not very Catholic. These are the types who grab power in parishes these days. But persist anyway if you are convinced that this is the one Church Jesus founded. Once you're in, those women have no power over you.

Even if the pastor spouts liberation theology, going on about the "poor" as if there aren't poor Eastern Shore natives right under his nose, if he attacks the military, or the Republican candidate, or says the Navy should be a food distribution service for people who hate us, just IGNORE it. Because once he's done, the prayers of intercession are said, and the meat of the Mass starts.

During that part of the Mass, Our Lord is made present, at the words of consecration. He is not there just as a symbol, He is there under the form of bread and wine. It's a miracle, one that Christians believed before heretics tore the Church apart. And even the most worthless, morally low, and fatally confused priest makes this happen at Mass. IF he says the words of the consecration with the intention of confecting the Sacrament, making Jesus truly present, and if he is using proper matter, (pure wheat and wine) then Jesus is there and wants to be part of you, in a way He can't be just by praying to Him.

Don't believe it? You aren't called..yet. But it may be that you'll read the Fathers of the Church, and see that this is the Faith, as it was handed to us from Our Lord. And then you won't let the evil liberals keep you out, even if RCIA stinks to high heaven with sick ideas. Once you are Catholic, you can receive the Body and Blood of Our Lord and no one, not even a confused pastor, will stop you.

This is why I have decided to keep coming to Mass, in spite of my upset at the post on FB of this silly rally, in spite of the pastor and the officious women who are unfortunately given too much say around St Francis. If conservative, that is to say, TRUE Catholics would stay and refuse to roll over, this parish could SHINE.

Anonymous said...

OK...probably no one will read this at this late date...BUT....there is a local church with a known child molester running things and the religious community know his name and do NOTHING. Too afraid to get charged with legal action. So this may be your church... HINT..it isn't the Catholic Church.

Anonymous said...


The propagation of "church stay out of politics" mentality is one of the ways how these Leftists took over the Church!!

While good people were going about their business and worshiping and serving God and defending other people's rights to free speech ( even if they disagreed with them), the Liberation Theology Marxists were sneaking into positions of control very gradually over time - just as they did in our government.

Most people don't realize ( because we have been so dumbed down) that we must honestly credit the very existence of our nation and form of government to countless Church Sermons by very brave pastors and priests who were inspired to understood the intersection of Liberty and Free Will granted by God.

The end result was enough support in the Colonies (along with divine intervention no doubt ) for a small ragtag army to defeat the greatest military power on the planet and establish the most free, morale, Godly and prosperous society the world has ever seen.

America has done some wrong - no doubt , but too many of us let that become a tool of the Left to tear us down to nothing so they can enslave us all in the name of building their "anti-God heaven on earth".




Anonymous said...

It doesn't look like his following agrees

Anonymous said...

The resignation of the principal is a terrible blow for the school. He is a very good leader and role model. Most parents are devistated by the announcement. Without him, I imagine that enrollment will drop even more. Tuition is very high and more than regular families can typically afford.

Anonymous said...

After reading all the comments here. It seems to me that commonsense should prevail. Here it comes now get ready for it "YOU DON'T GO DOWN ON A SINKING SHIP YOU GRAB A LIFE BOAT AND GET OUT'.

Anonymous said...

Saturday nite mass @ 5:00 PM was as full as usual and good service.

Anonymous said...

11:12 Thank you so much for giving us the
" Words of Law from our Bible!"
Sure Clears the Air on the Issue!!!

Anonymous said...

lmao at some of these posters. the principle was let go because enrollment fell dramatically under his tenure. Great cheerleader but not a great administrator. of course who wants to deal with untold number of women who have nothing better to do then gossip in the parking lot! lets be serious, bad enough listening to your own wife telling you what to do, you want to listen to hundreds of others wives telling you what you are doing wrong also?
God speed Rob!

Anonymous said...

Leader my ass! He's obviously got you fooled. It's funny how so many families and staff have left since this "leader" and "role model" became principal, don't you think?