The following follows up on our previous story, “Most courageous” parish priest plans to leave San Diego.
In his 25 years as a priest, Father Richard Perozich worked with the diocesan advisory board on Natural Family Planning, started a Courage chapter for people with same-sex attraction seeking chastity, did prison ministry, worked on ecumenical and interfaith efforts, and learned Spanish.
The “most satisfying” part of being a priest was when Perozich could be “used as an instrument to draw someone to the Lord,” he said. The “best part of being a priest is when one of your people tell me that something I did or said brought you closer to Jesus. Sometimes it can be something I said in a homily, in Confession, [or] in counseling.”
In 2014, Perozich announced to his parish that he was not going to attend a convocation of priests because the speaker was Father Timothy Radcliffe, OP, who has said sodomy can express Christ’s “self-gift.”
Radcliffe “shouldn’t even be given a forum to speak because of his previous expressions on sexual issues and marriage and homosexuality,” said Perozich. “So if you’re going to do that, regardless of who’s going to speak, I’m not going to go.”
He said he didn’t receive any pushback from the diocese for refusing to go.
Perozich said he’s always hopeful about the future, but “realistically,” it doesn’t seem that there will be doctrinal clarity any time soon in the Church.
“I don’t see much ability for that to happen because people are asking for changing of language in the Church,” he explained. “For example, our bishop asked that one of the things in the catechism be changed regarding homosexuality” because calling it “disordered” is “a philosophical term and people misunderstand it as a psychological term.”
“You really can’t change those things because they’ll change the meaning,” said Perozich. And the whole purpose of changing language about actions like same-sex activity is so “that you can indeed change the meaning, change the morality.”
The trend of clergy promoting homosexuality doesn’t seem likely to change, Perozich said.
Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky, recently spoke at a New Ways Ministry conference. New Ways Ministry openly dissents from Church teaching on marriage and sexuality.
Father James Martin, SJ, recently named a communications adviser to the Vatican, just published a book that subverts Church teaching and encourages people to say “gay” or “LGBT” instead of “same-sex attracted.”
“Based on that, if those are the kind of people who are coming in, then [we’re] going to get more and more of it. Pope Francis is allowing this to happen. If he didn’t believe it, he wouldn’t allow it to happen,” said Perozich.
Perozich said he finds it “repugnant and reprehensible” to use the language of the gay rights movement.
“I don’t identify people by their iniquities,” he said.
Perozich hopes another priest can take over Courage (the priest who succeeded him has died), but he’s not sure if anyone’s willing.
“I just don’t know that anyone else is really that interested or wants to put themselves out against an administration, not just in our diocese, but against the movement in the church that seems to be stronger among those who have authority over us,” he said. “I really don’t care. For me, the truth is the truth. I need to sleep at night.”
However, “I’m not gonna put down Bishop McElroy,” said Perozich. “I don’t agree with some of the things he says, but those are his emphases in the Church and they’re not mine.”
He’s not going to become a “hermit,” but will simply live a quiet life of reflection. Perozich said he’ll be happy to return to San Diego to help at times if his brother priests need him to, and that he is willing to help out at his new Hawaii parish if the pastor wants him to do so.
He said he has joked with the pastor of his new Hawaii parish that he’s willing to hear Confessions on the beach with a Vatican flag on the back of his chair, but that his purpose in moving to Hawaii isn’t to start a new ministry. He plans to slow down.
“I just need to maintain my own integrity spiritually,” he said.
Full story at LifeSiteNews.
Thank you for your service to the Catholic Church Fr. Perozich. I you could on occasion chime in CCD it may help many of us.
Makes sense. St Benedict Option. One’s first duty is to save one’s own soul.
They will be happy to be rid of us, anyway.
And then they can do whatever they want.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for sending our San Diego diocese such a good, faithful, and holy priest, Fr. Perozich, for so many years. We were so blessed to have him here. With our Blessed Mother, watch over and guide him as he begins this new restful chapter of his life. Listen to Father’s good, beautiful, and truthful homilies here: https://richardperozich.com/homilies/.
Our Church is being infiltrated by Marxists and the good priests are being silenced. We, like Fr. Richard, are responsible for saving our own souls. Know your Catechism, spend time in Adoration, say your rosary and seek out “good priests” for Spiritual Direction”. Expect difficult times ahead but stay close to Jesus and Our Lady. We all know who wins in the end.
Paraphrasing St. John Chrysostom, “the path to hell is paved with the skulls of bishops”. To quote Jesus: “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (the Church)”.
What is disoriented with the Catholic Church in San Diego that a priest doing what priests are ordained to do being as regarded as outstanding?
No need to respond. The facts speak for themselves.
Once again, my prayers are with Father Perozich. The Benedict Option is the only way a faithful priest can be a true priest without compromising with the devil and the wicked world. These two factions are tearing the Church apart, and are punishing priests who remember why they were ordained. Serving God with joy has been replaced with serving sin. This epic in the Church will be known for Her downfall, and her faithful going underground in order to survive.
Therese, you have brought up a very significant point. Just to do the almost minimum that a priest is supposed to do in today’s world is heroic. To pray the Liturgy of the Hours daily, to pray the Rosary and celebrate Mass everyday now seems extraordinary, when in fact, before V2 it was considered normal. I know of some priests who say Mass only on Sunday, and never pray the Rosary and hardly ever pray the Breviary. One pastor in Dallas said that when he goes on a month long vacation, he neither celebrates Mass nor does he attend Mass. Many priests go to nightclubs, gamble, dance and drink heavily, and are proud of this. They are priests just to get a pay check. Hurrah for Father Richard., He is trying to serve God, and I commend him.
Just look at the other articles on this website and you will easily surmise that things are rotten in the state of the Church. Bishops allowing unrepentant sodomites to receive Catholic funerals, selling aborted baby parts, transgender allowing practices at Catholic institutions, the conservative Cardinal removed from the Congregation of the Faith, and last but not least, this fine holy priest retiring. This is not the sign of a healthy strong Catholic Church. It is a sign of the diabolical disorientation that has enveloped the Church, and is eating away with Her like acid. Much to pray for and many sacrifices to perform. Ave Maria Purrissima !
May God go with you Fr. Perozich. The Benedict Option is just fine, just do not do any St. Simon Stock kind of pole climbing to get away from it all and keep in touch.