Matt Kennedy+: Letter to the People of Good Shepherd

Update April 18, 2008

Dear Good Shepherd,

As you know by now, the Diocese of Central New York has filed a lawsuit laying claim to our property and assets.

This is, to put it mildly, a disappointment. We had hoped that our negotiations would prove successful even as late as last month.

Our last meeting with the bishop was on February 27th. Don Dean, John Chaney and I had been scheduled to meet with the bishop and his Canon to the Ordinary, Karen Lewis. You may remember that our first two proposals to the Standing Committee of the diocese were turned down and, subsequently, the tension had been somewhat heightened. We had hoped that the late February meeting would result in a breakthrough and, possibly, a new sense of trust, mutual respect, and charity.

But instead of the amicable meeting we had requested, the bishop met us in his conference room with two of his attorneys. He presented a document entitled “Stipulation of Settlement” that gave Good Shepherd a six month window to vacate the building, the rectory, and relinquish all of our assets. After the initial six months, the Stipulation of Settlement indicated that if we had not yet moved, we might be permitted to stay on a month to month basis, subject to the will of the diocese, for a second (and final) six month period but only if we paid $1700.00 in rent each month. the rest