Filipino parishioners protest against pastor, demand ouster

By Timothy Pratt

Wednesday, June 18, 2003 | 9:47 a.m.

A group of mostly Filipino parishioners has begun what it says will be a series of weekly protests outside a Las Vegas church to voice grievances with the church's pastor and with how the diocese has handled the complaints in recent months.

The group is calling for the removal of the Rev. Robert Petekiewicz as pastor of Our Lady of Las Vegas Catholic Church.

The first protest took place Sunday.

Though the group is focusing on four articles in church bulletins in May and July last year that some say defamed Filipinos, its members say parishioners of diverse racial and ethnic groups also have voiced grievances since early last year.

The complaints range from what the parishioners describe as the arbitrary dismissal of parishioners from activities such as choirs and the Ladies Guild to Petekiewicz allegedly calling a parishioner "the church's number one hemorrhoid" when she complained about having her cheeks pinched, according to testimony taken by a representative of the diocese at a May 2002 meeting.

The case, several parishioners said, has caused as many as several hundred members of a parish of about 4,000 to worship elsewhere. They also say that the conflict has led parishioners to doubt their faith and themselves.

Shortly after the meeting, assistant pastor the Rev. Pat Maccarone was transferred, parishioners said.

The Diocese of Las Vegas would not comment on the transfer or any aspect of the parishioners' complaints until later this week, according to spokeswoman Rachel Wilkie. Repeated calls to Our Lady of Las Vegas were not returned.

It's one of many cases nationwide of parishioners complaining about their church and is an example of the increasing polarization within the modern church, said James J. Bacik, associate professor of spiritual theology at Fordham University and author of a book titled, "Tensions in the Church: Facing the Challenges, Seizing the Opportunities."

The problem, Bacik said, is when one side or another in a conflict within a congregation insists that it is right.

"What is needed in the church is dialogue ... no one can monopolize the truth," he said.

The conflict at Our Lady of Las Vegas has hurt dozens of parishioners.

"We're still trying to pick up the pieces for the average person (in the parish) who got hurt by these incidents," said Donna Reich, a nun who was a spiritual guide for the church's Ladies Guild and who left the parish after 10 years of membership to start a women's group outside the parish with at least 40 other women who also have left.

"I try to teach others that you can't let this get between you and God ... but these people put their faith in these men," she said.

The first article the group cites was published in the May 19, 2002, bulletin under a headline in the Filipino language Tagalog with a translation "If the shoe fits." It gives the author's name as "St. Agericus."

It said "Filipinos themselves" attribute the following characteristics to their own nationality: "(They) are 'untrustworthy ... TWO-FACED...calculating ... conniving, USERS, know-it-all (sic)."

Three other articles followed in a similar vein. Several parishioners, including A.R. Saqueton and Barry Reisig, wrote letters complaining about the articles.

After an early December meeting between Rev. James J. Bevan Jr., a vicar for the Las Vegas Diocese, and the local chapter of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, Petekiewicz agreed to apologize in the Dec. 29 edition of the bulletin.

But Saqueton found the apology -- in which Petekiewicz said he "did not personally monitor" the columns -- "self-serving and insufficient."

Saqueton, who is Filipino and moved to Las Vegas from California 3 1/2 years ago to retire, said he was incensed by the articles, the apology and other incidents, including the abrupt cancellation of a Wednesday night Mass dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help -- an event of great importance to the more than 100 Filipino parishioners at the church.

"I just couldn't swallow it," he said.

Now Saqueton is one of the organizers of the weekly protests he says will continue until the pastor is removed.

Maria Deluca Parker, a 68-year-old parishioner who said she has been with the church for 24 years, was at the protest outside the church Sunday.

She was also present at a meeting 22 parishioners called to air grievances with Bevan on May 3, 2002. Another meeting with four parishioners was held in September.

One of Deluca Parker's concerns was what she characterized as "getting the runaround" from Petekiewicz when she sought an explanation for the cancellation of an event called Jesus Day, for which she had been preparing her 8-year-old grandson. The parishioner said the pastor called her "evil." After that incident, she said, she "cannot look him in the eyes as a priest."

To this day, she said, she still hasn't been able to meet with Petekiewicz about the incident.

Though she still goes to Mass at the church, she said she also attends other Catholic churches, including Christ the King and St. Francis de Sales.

"It's very hard for me to listen to (Petekiewicz) get up there and say beautiful things," Deluca Parker said.

"I told him after one sermon, 'I need for you to practice what you preach,' " she said.

Others providing testimony complained about the pastor's lack of accessibility and what they perceived as an arbitrary abuse of power.

Joan Ramos, a parishioner since 1983 who was involved in fund-raising for the church, complained about a "lack of communication ... or return phone calls or meetings when you request them."

She said she was removed from fund-raising with no explanation and found out about the change in the church's bulletin.

Several people said they communicated their concerns to Bishop Joseph A. Pepe of the Las Vegas Diocese.

But they said, aside from the May 2002 forum, the diocese has not arranged for a meeting between the pastor and those parishioners with concerns, and in most cases has responded with form letters.

"This has been mishandled completely from the start," Reich said. The nun also said that as many as a few hundred parishioners may have left the church due to their concerns.

"The diocese should have had the pastor call a general meeting and had an open discussion -- but this never happened.

"Instead, they chose to ignore the problem and tell (parishioners) things would get better, but they don't."