In recent weeks, some parishioners around the diocese have received invitations to attend sessions hosted by canon lawyer Philip Gray regarding Bishop Patrick Neary’s All Things New pastoral planning process. These sessions are being organized independently from the Diocese of St. Cloud, and Bishop Neary stressed the importance for the faithful to have clarity about their nature and their relationship to the Church’s legitimate structures of authority.
Gray is a canon lawyer who has offered similar presentations in other dioceses undergoing pastoral planning. In those dioceses, as in the St. Cloud Diocese, his sessions are not sponsored, endorsed or authorized by the local bishop or diocesan leadership. The group publicizes social media sites and includes documents and a mandate asking people to sign. Bishop Neary asserts that such groups hold no ecclesial authority and do not speak on behalf of the Church.
Bishop Neary has not invited, supported or collaborated with this group or its presentations. While the bishop and his curia respect the right of the faithful to seek information and express concerns, it is essential to understand that these sessions operate entirely outside the diocesan planning process and do not represent the bishop’s vision or the discernment of the All Things New committees.
The All Things New initiative has been a year‑long process of prayer, consultation and careful study involving hundreds of parish leaders across our Area Catholic Communities. The proposed mergers and structural adjustments have been shaped through broad collaboration with the people of the diocese, reviewed by the Committee for the Affirmation of Plans and brought before the Presbyteral Council in accordance with Canon Law. According to Father Matthew Crane, Vicar for Canonical Affairs for the Diocese of St. Cloud, the scope and detail of these consultations meet and perhaps exceed what is required by Canon Law prior to the merging of parishes.
Father Crane expressed great concern about this meeting.
“While I have no objection to people utilizing the services of a canon lawyer, especially to exercise their rights in the Church, I find it very troubling that Mr. Gray puts forward statistics without citation. The business about two-thirds of active Catholics leaving with every merger and such – and claims the bishop has committed multiple canonical infractions. I’ve sacrificed a wife, children and personal autonomy to dedicate myself to service of the Church, and I have answered the more particular call to carry out that service by making sure everyone knows and follows the Church’s law. It’s very frustrating when a fellow canon lawyer, a fellow professional, simply claims I’ve done wrong without presenting any evidence or even more specific details of any kind.”
“They do not have access to the full scope of diocesan and parochial data, pastoral realities or canonical responsibilities that guide discernment at every level,” he said.
For this reason, Bishop Neary encourages the faithful to rely on official diocesan communications, their pastors and their ACC planning teams for accurate information.
“Pastoral planning is never easy, and it is natural for people to feel anxious or uncertain during times of change,” Bishop Neary said. “I remain deeply committed to listening, communicating transparently and walking with the faithful through this transition. I am grateful for the dedication, prayer and goodwill shown by so many throughout the diocese.”