Thinking back on my days of doing apostolate at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville, Virginia, I am reminded of both joys and difficulties.
The joys are begin with the sense of belonging and accomplishment of the part of the young ladies being mentored and nourished while part of their own youth program. They were so proud raising money for the orphanage in Russia, helping with various events at the parish, bonding and building positive Christian friendships at their social events, and feeling like had a home at their Church.
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| Bill Gavin - "I want them to have fun in there" |
He was never in the office because he was part-time, and he cared less about their program. Worse is the means by which he showed it.
My typical day as a mother of six, was to rise and pray. Then I would attend daily Mass at Holy Trinity, followed by time before the Blessed Sacrament. Usually I would put in 5 to 7 hours in the Adoration Chapel during the week because it brought me great joy and peace.
Sometimes I would have a bit of business to conduct at the parish, which I would while there. Sometimes I would visit with the other parishioners and say a brief hello to the priests as well as they moved on with their day. Logging my time over the years of volunteer ministry there, I would say my time every Friday night plus apostolate work and organizing was well exceeded 500 hours on that program, plus at least an equal number helping out the parish in other ways. I loved helping out the kids intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and with their apostolic endeavors.
Never heard a word from Bill Gavin the whole time. If they had a staff meeting and talked about youth work, I never knew about it. Despite efforts to let him and the pastor know what we were doing, I never heard back from either.
Then once after an evening Mass, Bill Gavin out of the blue approached me and said, "I think you are wasting your time."
He never explained what he was talking about.
Yet, honestly, what kind of thing is that to say to someone, let alone a youth group volunteer running a ministry the pastor specifically wished to have?
A good time later, he told me he was excited for the teen girl youth group that I suggested and the parish approved. It involved a popular young chastity speaker from Cincinnati, who at the time was giving a year to the church in the DC area as a missionary, where she also got a taste for the spiritual development of the teen girl. She wanted to do more direct youth work, and her passion and talent were so obvious that we went ahead with the suggestion to let her work with our youth.
"I'm excited," is what Bill Gavin said to me when I met him in the parish office after hours. He then wanted me to strongly consider being a chaperone for World Youth Day. Of course, I would have to pay for it and ultimately I felt I could not get away, but generally he seemed friendly and cooperative.
Then a few days later, he messaged me on Facebook questioning this chastity speaker's affiliation, and mine. A phone call followed, and I was told there would be no advertising of this weekly group. Suddenly, he told me I could, "bring cookies," at which time I received my first official migraine. He then began to spew about how, "we all have to move on, I will someday too."
To which I thought, "Move on from what? Who is he to tell me what I am to do with my life?" What an abusive man, and he is married with children.
Affiliation with what, you ask? Being Catholic? Maybe he should have cared about was my fidelity to the Church.
If the answer was something he did not like he apparently would not proceed with any youth work which promoted or assisted teen girls with chastity and spiritual development.
Hey...it's just the among the most pressing problems of our day with the youth...
Turns out he said this often to parents of his high school youth ministry, when they actually had a great deal more to offer. He treated them as any teacher would, and any parent reading this would know what I am talking about. You know, "Shut up and let us raise them."
As a member of the Youth Apostles, he was not wanting anyone else involved. The weekly group for young ladies would be word of mouth only. Of course the concern is that the group would not have the reach, but he did not care. Yet they went on for years about how thy admit they need women to reach the teen girls.
He only cared about his politics.
In his own teen youth ministry the teen girls sat against the wall completely out of place, but the boys were completely engaged. Of course there was nothing like a little smooching in the hall allowed as well, since, as Bill put it, "I want them to have fun in there."
Well they had fun, alright.
We, meaning the very people he did not want too many people knowing about working with the teen girls, ended up rescuing a baby from abortion out of Bill Gavin's youth program. What else would a guy want, huh? (You're welcome, Fr. Peffley.)
Lots of other stories to tell....
Bill Gavin has been a teacher at Bishop Ireton in Arlington. I have no idea what he is like as a teacher, but as a youth minister he is horrible and damaging to our girls. The Diocese of Burlington, Vermont has no idea the wretched person they have hired.
Makes you wonder whether diocese really understand who they hire and how they will behave. I have compassion for the Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, because I doubt they know.
And isn't the hiring of rude and poor employees at parishes an incessant problem?
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