Dear Editor,
Some of my staff members misunderstood my instructions which were typed out and on the bulletin board and neither of them read it as was written.
My message was as follows: “The Town Hall meeting scheduled for Sunday, March 26, has been canceled. Unfortunately, some actions on the part of members of the planning group or invited members misrepresented the intent and spirit of what was planed and it was and affront to our Catholic faith and traditions.”
At the time I wrote this and also mentioned it at Mass I did not know it was relocated to the hotel on Route 58.
The clarification is simple:
Neither St. John’s nor the parish nor I was hosting the event.
The North Fork Spanish Apostolate and the Southold Group were sponsoring it and they were using our space since the NFSA often uses our premises for activities.
I was informed by Sr. Margaret Smyth, that she and the leaders had moved the event off our site, not because I told them or asked them to do so.
I had actually asked Sr. Margaret that I be given five minutes after any presentation that offended Catholic Values for a rebuttal statement and had already prepared a statement and had printed material to hand out when I was informed it was not longer being held here.
Whatever lead the organizers to move the event was not my doing and you will have to ask them for their reasons.
I appreciate your efforts to educate the community and your support for us/me/the parish in the past.
In the future I would ask that you communicate with me directly before printing something about me.
Thank you.
Peace,
Rev. Larry Duncklee
Editor’s response: We reported that a staff member at St. John’s, on behalf of St. John’s, contacted us to say the pastor canceled the event. When she contacted us to say she had misunderstood what you’d said, we updated and revised our story.
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