Bishop Schofield removes Episcopal vicar from Atwater post
By SUE NOWICKI
December 28, 2007

ATWATER -- Father Fred Risard, vicar of St. Nicholas Episcopal Church here, received an unwelcome e-mail on Christmas morning from the Diocese of San Joaquin. It said that the holy day was Risard's last day of service at the mission church and that arrangements would be made for him to pick up his personal things.

Risard said he'd known for months that his days with the San Joaquin Diocese were numbered. But in an earlier conversation -- he thinks it was in September -- with Bishop John-David Schofield, he said he was told he could remain in his post until the end of 2008 -- earlier if he found another job.

However, when Schofield arrived at the church Sunday to help celebrate the Eucharist and give the message, he said before the concluding blessing that, contrary to speculation among parishioners, he wasn't there to close the church or to fire the priest. Then he added that the priest had to go simply because of dwindling funds from dwindling worshippers. the rest