The February 9 bulletin of Christ the King Church in Pleasant Hill contained this message from the church’s pastor, Father Brian Joyce:
“As I have recently informed our Parish Council that on the last Thursday in February, I had a meeting with Bishop Barber, where we came to a mutual decision, that this is the year for me to retire. Given my health issues and decisions that need to be made that impact the long range future of the parish, I have agreed to step down as of September 15th of this year. Sometime after Easter we will know who my successor will be. I will share much more with you on my return from Panama. In the meantime, our Parish Council will be developing transition information, recommendations and input for the next pastor.”
California Catholic Daily has covered Father Joyce extensively. In 2002, Father Joyce made news among Catholics nationwide when he presided over what has since become known as the “clown mass.” While that particular episode, which was caught on video, is perhaps the best known of Father Joyce’s offenses, others, more serious because more ongoing, have seriously marred his pastorate.
On April 25, 2008, CalCatholic reported that Father Joyce was one of the speakers at the 10th Annual West Coast Regional Call to Action Conference, held that year in San Jose. At the same conference a workshop was given by Victoria Rue, Juanita Cordero, Kathleen Kunster, and Jane Via called Women Priests at the Grassroots.
That title that proved to be an accurate description of what was happening at Christ the King. Cal Catholic stories from May 2011 through July 2013:
– “Lesbian Catholic Priest: Bay Area womanpriest has new venue for Masses”
– “New High Holy Day? Proponents of women’s ordination to celebrate Feast of Mary of Magdala at Pleasant Hill parish”
– “Women’s ordinations identify rotten parishes”
– “Finishing schools for excomunication”
CalCatholic documented the presence of the Women of Magdala group at Christ the King. Women of Magdala exists to promote the ordination of women as priests in the Catholic Church, which in effect means to promote excommunication. All four of the women listed on the Women of Magdala website were prominent parishioners at Christ the King. One of the four, Gwen Watson, was pictured with Father Joyce at the 2010 Call to Action conference in Santa Rosa. Our reporting – and the trend at Christ the King – culminated with the July 19, 2013 article “Finishing Schools for Excommunication,” which noted the ordination on September 18, 2011 and thus the automatic excommunication, of Christ the King RCIA instructor Maureen Mancuso. The excommunication of one of his parishioners did not deter Father Joyce. The January 15, 2012 bulletin of Christ the King – after Mancuso’s excommunication – carried a blurb for a book discussion with Mancuso and women’s ordination proponent Gary Macy. The discussion was “sponsored by Christ the King Women’s Book Study.”
On January 20, 2014 (10 days before Father Joyce met with Bishop Michael Barber) in the article “The manipulation of the manipulation: Pope Francis words continue to be exploited,” CalCatholic reported on what was perhaps the final straw. In his December 29, 2013 parish bulletin Father Joyce lied about the Holy Father’s words, when he attributed this to Pope Francis: “Speaking of gay couples, he has said, ‘Who am I to judge.’”
While Father Joyce’s departure is good news for the Church, one hopes Bishop Barber’s delay is not imprudent. September 15 is a long way off, and Father Joyce shows no sign of mending his ways. In his February 2, 2014 parish bulletin Father Joyce revealed that he had spent “much of this past Friday with Father Roy Bourgeois.” Bourgeois was dismissed from the priesthood in 2012 for his 2008 participation in the invalid ordination of a woman and a simulated Mass.
Unfortunately, Fr. Danielson in Pleasanton was given the same opportunity to choose his successor and St. Augustine remains a disaster. Joyce believes he can do the same thing and this will prove a big mistake.
Thank you California Catholic Daily for your reporting in the service of the Catholic Church.
Another CCD witch hunt piece of “journalism.” Leave the sensationalism, hyperbole, and twisting of the facts to the maladroit Bill Donohue and his misnamed Catholic League. Good luck in retirement, Fr. Joyce, and thank you for your valuable service to the Church and her people.
Witches they seem to be. The Gay mafia if a very effective weapon of the Evil One against the Church. Cal Catholic Daily is a great source of news for some of us.
Witches? Really? What century do you live in? Should we expect to see burnings any time soon?
PJT obviously is well in tune with turning the Church into a gigantic clown mass. Bill Donohue has the intestinal fortitude to stand up to those who hate the Catholic faith, both inside and outside of the Church!
Gosh, PJT. I’d never heard of this priest or parish or their issues before reading the above piece. Can you please cite exactly which facts have been twisted? Thanks.
You have got to be kidding!!!!!!
valuable service? Service for who?
As far back as 2008, Fr. Joyce was active in Call to Action and the Women Priests movement. The clown Mass should have been the last straw. The bishop must have been aware of his activities and is to blame for tolerating this heresy for at least five years. The parishioners could have transferred to other parishes, ceasing to support Christ the King parish. With a sharp reduction of income and the parish unable to pay its expenses, the bishop would get the message that something was wrong.
Pray for our Bishops. There are a few good ones out there.
Since Diocese Bishops can not know everything that is going on in his Diocese – we each have a responsibility to report scandal, heresy, schism, sacrilege, and other abuses to the appropriate Diocese Bishop (and if necessary to the US Papal Nuncio and the Vatican).
Be certain to document the abuse with date, time, location, and if possible an internet link or paper or picture as proof of the abuse.
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For accuracy, Documents that can be used are: the Bible; Catechism of the Catholic Church (Second Edition); Code of Canon Law; GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) for the Ordinary Form of the Mass; 1962 Missal for the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.
Most of these can be found on the Vatican web site.
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Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi
“as we pray, so we believe, so we live”
Maureen Mancuso, Maria Eitz, Roy Bourgeois, Brian Joyce. Birds of a feather…these are all names that are well known ‘womanpriest’ dissenters in the SF Bay Area. Add to that, professor Gina Hens-Piazza from SC Univ.and the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley (of course), who has co-taught (most recently in July, 2013, during their annual Mary Magdalene-fetishes) with Joyce courses on women and ordination.
(Joyce’s associate, Dr. Hens-Piazza has a fascinating little book out called “Nameless, Blameless, Without Shame: Two Cannibal Mothers Before a King.” It purports to be a modern scriptural ‘assessment’ of the Bible’s violence and makes relationship to the violence of today, of course connecting it with the oppression of women and therefore inferring why women must be ordained. Of course Dr Piazza is a fully salaried professor of the ‘Pontifical Graduate School’ at Berkeley.) All fellow travelers, of course.
Well, it took Bishop Barber 9 months, but it looks like he’s moving in the right direction.
Great news from Oakland. As for delay, Barber was installed in May, 2013 and Joyce is gone September, 2014. That is practically light-speed!
Already more than Bp. (now Abp.) Cordileone did in his entire tenure in Oakland.
No excuse for any delay.
Our Bishops have a huge chore ahead of them, replace those who deny the teachings of the church while not decimating a parish. The years which allowed some many of the ordained to stray hopefully are over and with guidance from Rome California Bishops will protect the laity as they teach salvation.
Sorry to say but this appears to be natural attrition rather than an intentional strike against heterodoxy in Oakland. I believe that Fr. Joyce is the last member of his seminary class (SPS ’63) to retire. It was a liberal group to be sure, although Bishop Daniel Walsh did a lot of needed cleanup in Las Vegas and Santa Rosa.
He pushed the envelope until it burst…..
Why it has taken six years to do anything is beyond reason. Working almost anywhere else (including the laity working for the Church) and you’d be gone in a flash and without a retirement.
If these types of priests want female priests, gay marriages, etc, kick ’em out and they can become Episcopalian or some other heresy.
What is wrong with Bishop Barber? Fr. Joyce should have been suspended years ago, and then dismissed as a Catholic priest. What scandal he has caused. And what of the poor catechesis visited upon his unsuspecting parishioners? So many California Cathoics know little of what the Church actually stands for, and what is expected of them to attain salvation. Further, giving Fr. Joyce some room to “name a successor” makes absolutely no sense. But, then, what does the Vatican care about what bishops do? Not much, unless they “turn” Traditional. Bishops Barber should apologize to the parishioners of Christ the King. Perhaps that church can be turned over to a Traditional order of priests and sisters. Catholic Readers — You need to demonstrate some righteous anger at priests like Fr. Joyce (and to negligent bishops, too). The time has come to clean house now, not by giving these guys so long to continue their apostasy while waiting on a cushy retirement. Think of the cost to the souls of impressionable Catholics at that Church. And think of what Luke asked: “But yet the Son of man, when he cometh, shall he find, think you, faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8) (DRV). These parishioners need to be protected by their bishop, who should not be at all sensitive to a clown-priest. That is what your crozier is for, Excellency, to fight off the wolf, as he goes to kill the lambs.
You would wonder what made Bishop Barber come to this decision? He had no qualms about approaching Gov. Jerry Brown to give him the Body of Christ
at Bishop Barber’s installation as Bishop of Oakland. Fr. Joyce should have been given his walking papers yeas ago. Why has the Diocese tolerated him all these many year? Bishop Vigneron should Bishop Cordioleone have excommunicated
Fr. Joyce without hesitation. He has caused nothing but scandal his many years as pastor at Christ the King. The Church should be closed and an exorcist called in to rid the building of it’s evil spirits.
Amy, good comment – To answer your question as to why the Diocese tolerated him, and others, is to define the ‘Old Boys Club’. This club starts at the top and filters on down to our level. Sad, but true. The two Bishops you mentioned did nothing in Oakland and it took a promotion to get them out but I have high hopes for Bishop Barber. A few more months will tell the story.
What’s wrong with the Church? Why does it seem only the laity can see this kind of problem? Can you imagine how many souls have may have been lost while the “Old Boys Club” sat by and watched? Someone needs to bear the consequence.
Fr. Michael, I do not like to disagree with you but we did not see the clean up you mention in your comments with regard to Bishop Walsh and the Diocese of Santa Rosa. The Diocese was just about bankrupt when Bishop Walsh retired. One incident cost the diocese several million dollars and it could have been averted if Bishop Walsh had acted quickly instead of letting the guilty priest flee the country to Mexico. We are now blessed to have Bishop Vasa for which we are so grateful. We could not have a better Shepherd in the Diocese of Santa Rosa. God Bless Bishop Vasa.
Most US Bishops FAIL to correct public SCANDAL, SACRILEGE, HERESY, and SCHISM by other Catholics, and organizations that advertise themselves as “Catholic” within their own Diocese.
They therefore participate (aid and abet) in these sins, and help cause the loss of the Souls of others.
CCC: ” 868 Sin is a personal act. Moreover, we have a responsibility for the sins committed by others when we cooperate in them:
– by participating directly and voluntarily in them;
– by ordering, advising, praising, or approving them;
– by not disclosing or not hindering them when we have an obligation to do so;
– by protecting evil-doers.”
I would not want to be in their shoes when they are judged by Jesus.
Wow, maybe there is hope for this Diocese. Perhaps Bishop Barber will be able to do what then-Bishop Cordileone did not do – put a stop to the pro-homosexual and deadly antics of the Catholic Association of Lesbian and Gay Ministries, headquartered in Berkeley at the site of all of the dissident schools of religion.
I do not attend CTK, but I was raised at CTK and remember when he started. Yes Fr Joyce has a few blind spots, but he is a tireless worker, he is well prepared, he is intelligent and he is a good administrator. Most importantly Fr Joyce has preserved the Holy Eucharist at the center of the church and the mass, and there are kneelers in the packed Masses. all that matters is the Holy Eucharist. Yes I have seen a lot worse.
IF – Fr. Joyce does NOT adhere 100% to the following 4 things – –
1. Holy Scripture (Catholic Bible);
2. Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition;
4. Code of Canon Law;
5. GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) for the Ordinary Form of the Mass,
then as a Priest he is schismatic, heretical, and/or in the state of sin.
No Cardinal, Bishop, or Priest can teach the Faith according to his own whims and desires.
He denies Church doctrine. Unacceptable!
Do you know who else keeps the Holy Eucharist at the center of their mass? Satanists. While I do not accuse this priest of Satanism, he is guilty of profaning the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist by his heresy. Jesus, Who is The Holy Eucharist, said, “If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my words.” He also said, “But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of scandals. For it must needs be that scandals come: but nevertheless woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh. ”
Rather than defending this man’s scandalous behavior, you should be praying for him to come to repentance for himself and all those ‘little ones’ he has led into heresy with him.
God have mercy on him, and on his bishops who allowed him to continue scandalizing their flocks. God have mercy on us all.
Keen observation, Pamela. Too many seem to think it is only those who do not believe in the Real Presence that indulge in all manner of liturgical abuse. In reality, I’m of the mind that those who twist and pervert the mass do so precisely because they know Our Lord is present.
They take untold pleasure in using the very authority and freedom God has given them to demean Our Lord. The very Lord who humbles Himself to answer the call of Consecration only to watch the subsequent scandalizing of His beloved sheep. I doubt even Judas would have conceived of such protracted and sadistic betrayal of love.
Reminds me of the stories of Iraqi torture houses where the fathers of families are bound and forced to watch the perversion of their own, dear children, and then their wife before they themselves are ultimately and ritually abused. Satanic.
Well prepared for what? Intelligence and good administrator are not the qualifications for the priesthood. He should be working at a department store or………. Why don’t people who can’t accept church teaching leave and join a congregation that allows them to do what ever they please. Obviously they are no longer Catholic.
I can’t imagine anything much worse than a “clown Mass.”
Rose: completely concur, except have you ever seen the photo of Bergoglio as our pope wearing a clown nose? Yeah, can’t wear the red shoes, but sure can put on the clown face: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2488748/Pope-Francis-dons-red-nose-congratulate-newlyweds-volunteer-clown-therapy-charity.html
Fr Michael’s observation is one I have noticed — it seems some of the most avant-garde of the Catholic progressive movement are those that were finishing the theologate during the years 1962-1968.
I think of Fr. T, a well-known Phoenix Franciscan, now retired, ordained in 1963, who loved to comment on “how Muslims and [presumably active] homosexual individuals would be in the kingdom of heaven, and some good Catholics would not be.” Fr. R, an equally well-known Phoenix-area priest of a different order, ordained in 1968, taught that worship should be “therapeutic and transformative” (yack!), and Jesus was a transformative person (Dont cross that man, he had a very untransformed bad temper, by the way). The late Fr. Richard Purcell, a Franciscan here in SF, ordained in 1967, trained in all the old ways, yet he spent the last years of his life actively gay, telling people if God did exist, he could not be known, “we dont know who Jesus really was,” “sex is good for everyone, even priests and religious,” and he was a regular advocate that Catholics should march in the annual Gay Pride March after Mass (You can read his biography ,”Conversations with Richard Purcell: The Adventures and Reflections of a San Francisco Renegade Priest” that documents all this and much disturbingly more, so you dont have to depend on my account.)
The zeitgeist that blew through the Church in the 1960’s, whatever Spirit of the Age it was, undoubtedly “transformed” Brian Joyce and many of his ecclesiastical fellow sojourners. How much longer, O Lord?
I hope he “turns back”. What a scandal for the Church. God have mercy.
This priest is a flaming homosexual…the lesbian wannabe priests are equally as obnoxious…next
FATHER BRIAN JOYCE is a priest for the 21st century. He is the type of priest that will help bring the Catholic Church into the 21st century. He is closer to following the style of Pope Francis than any priest I have ever met. Christ The King is a great parish because of his teachings. Why is it necessary to be mean spirited like the Cal-Catholic Daily. Is this the teaching of the church? I say no. Brian Joyce deserves more as he goes into retirement. He has been a good disciple of Jesus.
There it is—a voice from the far side.
Joyce supporters always sound like Moonies: brainwashed by a personality-of-cult.
[332.] “It is a mark of the evil spirit to assume always the appearance of an angel of light. He begins by suggesting thoughts that are suited to a devout soul, and ends by suggesting his own. At first, he will suggest good and holy thoughts that are in conformity with the disposition of a just soul, then, little by little, he strives to gain his own ends, by drawing the soul into his hidden deceits and perverse designs.”
[333.] “We must carefully observe the whole course of our thoughts. If the beginning and middle and end of the course of our thoughts are wholly good and directed to what is entirely right, it is a sign that they are from the good angel. But the course of thoughts suggested to us may terminate in something evil, or distracting, or less good than the soul had formerly proposed to do. Then, it may end in what weakens the soul, or disquiets it; or, by destroying the peace, tranquillity, and quiet which it had before, it may cause disturbance to the soul. These things are a clear sign that the thoughts are proceeding from the evil spirit, the enemy of our progress and eternal salvation.”
—4th & 5th Rules, Rules for the Discernment of Spirits, 2nd Week, Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
I agree with Doug Brown. Father Brian Joyce is/was loved by his parishioners!
Any Mass I attended at CTK, Saturday evenings or any Mass on Sunday, was always full.
Good Heavens…..I totally agree with Doug Brown just a few remarks above mine. What would Jesus do???? I think He and Fr. Joyce are great friends. It’s not about judging….it’s about love.
-Judge not least ye be judged.
-Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
-$25K a week in the collection.
Catholicism, like most religions, is open to all. We are one big dysfunctional family as noted clearly in this writing and the comments. I’m a parishioner who is happy to see a parish that serves the poor.
And for the commenter who said that Fr. Brian lied about what the Pope said about gays, I guess you don’t believe what the Catholic Voice reported either. But who am I to judge.
Ann:
The article, not a commentor, said that Fr. Joyce lied about what Pope Francis said. Joyce wrote that the Holy Father said “Speaking of gay couples, he has said, ‘Who am I to judge.’” If you can find a link where the Holy Father mentions “gay couples,” please post it.
Fr. Brian Joyce is an exceptional man. Parishioners of Christ The King are from many cities of the East Bay who have searched for a spiritual home and have found it in this Pleasant Hill parish. Is Brian traditional? No. Is he open minded, highly intelligent, inspiring, welcoming to all of God’s children? YES. This church may not be for everyone, but the 4,000 families of this parish feel extremely blessed to have had Fr Brian as their pastor for over 25 years. He makes going to mass a joy and has brought many TO the Lord. “All Are Welcome In This Place”. If you want a strict, formal environment, go elsewhere. Come worship here, before you judge.
good luck Nancy, you won’t find worship before judgement here at CCD. Worship always takes a back seat to judgement with the neo-pre-vaticanII-crowd.
Jim Jones followers adored him, too, Nancy. This wolf in sheep’s clothing has obviously led you to a very dark place. You sound so mean-spirited and judgmental…a “Christian” to tell others to go elsewhere is not speaking like Christ, by any means. May God have mercy on us all, for satan never sleeps and is always prowling the earth to capture unwary souls. It’s scary to think how truly far from the path people can go and think they’re on the road to heaven. God gives us brains to discern His truth, and through reading the Bible and the CCC you can find your way again. We must judge constantly throughout our lives…if we do not judge we become ‘useful idiots’ for the manipulative and ‘oh-so-nice-butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-my-mouth” sociopaths.
Dana, I think you give Brian Joyce way too much credit and very little to the”useful idiots” . I don’t think he will be mixing up the koolaid anytime soon. As for myself, I worship in this Catholic church because of the community here and the open environment created by Brian and the other priests. I have never experienced this joy in my 60 years of being Catholic until now. I “don’t buy” all of the church dogma, or all of our priests opinions. I can think for myself. Many of the comments on this website are very judgemental and cruel. It is easy to be defensive of our pastor, whom is so loving. Yes, I’ve heard his opinion woman should be allowed to be priests. He welcomes gay people, as he welcomes everyone. These ideas are seldom mentioned nor are they preached. We have a beautiful mass with reverence and joy and always some laughter. I believe he has the right to express his opinion. The clown mass…well I didn’t see it, and it sounds very inappropriate to me. Bad judgement in my opinion. But let it go. It was years ago. I agree with you…we should all seek the truth directly from God’s letter to us, the bible. I do my bible study through a non-denominational study, not the Catholic church. So really, I’m not “so Catholic” but a strong believer in The Word. God bless you.
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