“After all of this and many more positive things that he has done, launched and created … how does the diocese pay him for pronouncing an inclusive word?” parishioner Maria Moran said.
“If he made a mistake in wording, believe me, it was not intentional, it was not lack of heart, faith or education, it was a simple human mistake that I believe Jesus himself would quickly forgive,” parishioners Terri and Steve Flynn wrote via email.
“This is a travesty to be crucified for the use of WE instead of I,” they added
Another parishioner, 17-year-old Brisa Lomas, wrote a letter to Thomas Olmstead, the bishop of Phoenix, asking him to reinstate Arango at St. Gregory. She credited him for inspiring her to attend Mass and restoring her faith.
“If Jesus was in charge of The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, I know in my heart that he would forgive Father Andres for this honest mistake.” she wrote.
In a statement, the diocese acknowledged that Arango’s reassignment had upset people. “Fr. Arango is a priest in good standing and has led many people to a deeper relationship with Christ in his pastoral work at Saint Gregory Parish, but now he is committing himself to this vital and important pastoral outreach to the people of God – helping and healing,” the diocese said.
The diocese declined to say whether Arango resigned as pastor, as the priest said in a note posted on the diocese’s site. Some parishioners believe Arango was forced to quit the post.
In a petition to the diocese, parishioners requested a town hall meeting at the church to hear their views and demand answers to the diocese’s decision to invalidate thousands of sacraments. It also included a spreadsheet with hundreds of examples of how Arango positively impacted their lives.
The diocese declined to say whether it planned on holding such a meeting.
Church officials are trying to identify people baptized by Arango. It has set up an FAQ section on its website to confront issues related to the botched baptisms and created a form for people to fill out to start the process of getting valid ones.
Before serving at St. Gregory, Arango was pastor at Saint Jerome Catholic Church in Phoenix and the St. Anne Roman Catholic Parish in nearby Gilbert. Earlier, he served in San Diego and Brazil.
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Henao reported from Princeton, New Jersey.
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