It was reported in the series on the "New Evangelization" (that appeared in Catholic Family News in early 1999) that Bishop Bruskewitz has introduced the Systematic Integration of the New Evangelization (SINE) into his diocese. SINE, according to Father Kenneth Boyack’s testimonial which is part of the SINE packet, encourages ecumenism, pentecostalism, and Small Christian Communities. The same Father Boyack, in his book Creating the Evangelizing Parish, also recommends books by Father Art Baranowski on Small Christian Communities1. Regarding these small communities, Father Baranowski has blatantly explained: "We must begin again as church, reinvent the church, re-found the church — with a different structure and leadership. Small faith communities are no longer an option but a necessity... The refounded parish will be formed of clusters of communities relating regularly with the home church under the direction of parishoner leaders."²

Father Baranowski, a member of the Call to Action syndicate, is a zealous promoter of Small Christian Communities which is part of the progressive program of Call to Action, a group that Bruskewitz had excommunicated in his diocese. Thus, on the one hand, Bruskewitz excommunicates Call to Action members. On the other, he permits Call to Action practices like Small Christian Communities to flourish in his territory. Call to Action is a bit like Freemasonry. They don’t care whether you like them or not, so long as you adopt their program.

In truth, anyone who looks to Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz as a pillar of traditional Catholic orthodoxy is in for an avalanche of disappointment. A brief survey of the literature that flows from the bishop’s diocese display Lincoln Nebraska as a showcase of novelties like ecumenism, pentecostalism and polka masses.

What appears here is not meant to be a "condemnation" of Bruskewitz. Traditional Catholic moral theology forbids us to judge a man’s moral motives. However, according to the same moral theology, we may judge a person’s actions.³ And Bruskewitz’s actions, when judged against the perennial teaching of the magisterium, display him in many respects as a sad creature of his age. Hence, it is the height of groundless optimism to look to him, as one short-sighted priest publicly proclaimed, as another St. Athanasius.⁴

In the area of ecumenism, a practice consistently condemned by the perennial magisterium,⁵ Bruskewitz is very much up-to-date. He has taken part in such ecumenical activities as being present for the consecration of Methodist "bishop" Joel Martinez,⁶ presiding over an ecumenical church service with an Anglican "bishop" and Lutheran ministers, attending an interfaith prayer breakfast,⁷ preaching in 1993 at a Methodist Church on Wesleyan campus during one of its services, and holding an interfaith Seder Supper at the diocesan Cathedral with Christians and Jews during Holy Week, 1993.⁸

Not only does Bruskewitz practice this novel ecumenism, but the faithful are urged to do the same. Catholics within the diocese of Lincoln are regularly encouraged to attend Protestant churches to hear Protestant preachers. The Saint Mary’s/Assumption Church bulletin, under the heading "Sermon ala Carte", recommends that Catholics attend sermons at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church,⁹ Congregation Christian Church,¹⁰ Redeemer Lutheran Church,¹¹ and First Congregational Christian Church.¹²

As for inculturation, the peculiar novelty of "Polka Masses" feature in parishes within Bruskewitz’s diocese. These Polka Masses consist of a Novus Ordo liturgy accompanied by the oom-pah, oom-pah, oom-pah music of a live Polka band playing in the church. Parishes in Bruskewitz’s territory that have held these Polka Masses are Immaculate Conception parish,¹³ SS Mary & Joseph Church,¹⁴ SS Cyril & Methodius Church,¹⁵ Saint John’s Parish,¹⁶ and Holy Trinity Parish.¹⁷

The Charismatic movement, which is Protestant in its origin and practice, is firmly entrenched in the diocese of Lincoln, with Bishop Bruskewitz’s obvious encouragement. The Servants of Christ the King, a "Catholic Charismatic Prayer Community" based in Lincoln, regularly organizes charismatic conferences in this region. The group organized the "Come Holy Spirit" rally on October 29, 1994 at which Bruskewitz delivered the opening address.¹⁸ In 1996, this same Servants of Christ the King Community held a conference featuring Ralph Martin and Peter Herbeck from the bizarre "Renewal Ministries" of Ann Arbor.¹⁹

More recently, on March 21. 1998, a Pentecostal F.I.R.E. Rally²⁰ was held at Pius X High School in Lincoln. It featured charismatic Fr. John Bartolucci, Fr. Michael Scanlon, Ann Shields and Ralph Martin. The event was promoted in Lincoln’s diocesan newspaper²¹ and at this gathering, Bishop Bruskewitz was the main celebrant and homilist. After the event, the same diocesan newspaper gave the Pentecostal gathering an enthusiastic, glowing report.²²

By contrast, in 1974, in a scathing criticism of the charismatic movement, the staunchly orthodox Archbishop Dwyer of the United States rightly warned, "We regard it bluntly as one of the most dangerous trends in the Church in our time, closely allied in spirit with other disruptive and divisive movements threatening grave harm to unity and damage to countless souls."²³ Today, however, not only does the "conservative" Bruskewitz condone the charismatics, but he allows them to commandeer a Catholic high-school for their rootin’ tootin’ rallies, thus promoting pentecostalism to unsuspecting Catholic teenagers.

We close this litany of ecclesiastical silliness with a quote from the May 1998 DCCW Insert²⁴ published in Bruskewitz’s diocese. This flyer contained a special note from a spiritual moderator, Msgr., Adrian Herbeck, who said that "we can’t see the wind, but we can see the effects of the wind. The Holy Spirit works the same way. The bible is full of stories of people ‘feeling’ the effects of the Holy Spirit." The flyer goes on to say that since 1998 was proclaimed the year of Holy Spirit, Msgr. Herbeck suggests "getting the children excited about the Holy Spirit by doing activities involving the wind such as flying a kite or blowing bubbles."

(1) Creating Evangelizing Parishes, page 198. Also, for a more complete treatment of "Small Christian Communites", consult "Catholicism Dissolved: The New Evangelization" by John Vennari, two cassette series from Oltyn Library Services, 2316 Delaware Ave, PMB# 325J, Buffalo, NY 14216, $14.00 post-paid..

(2) Cited from HLI newsletter warning against dissent, 10/24/97.

(3) This traditional distinction is usually found in pre-Vatican II Moral Theology manuals in the section on First Principles.

(4) Speech by Father Joseph Fessio, Christefidelis Conference, NJ, May 11, 1996.

(5) For the finest pronouncement of the consistent papal teaching condemning ecumenism, see Pope Pius XI’s encyclical Mortalium Animos, "On Fostering True Christian Unity":

(6) Martinez was installed as Methodist "bishop" in 1993.

(7) "Lincoln Bishop Looks Back on Busy First Year", Lincoln Journal Star, May 15, 1993, p. 13.

(8) "Seder Supper Unites Jews, Christians for Celebration", Lincoln Journal Star, March 20, 1993, p.5.

(9) Saint Mary’s/Assumption Church Bulletin, David City, NE, Feb. 18, 1996.

(10) Ibid., March 9, 1997.

(11) Ibid., March 15, 1998.

(12) Ibid. March 29, 1998.

(13) Ibid., Sept. 6, 1998.

(14) Ibid., July 26, 1998.

(15) Ibid. June 12, 1995.

(16) Ibid., Sept. 3, 1995.

(17) Holy Trinity Parish flyer, Brainard NE promoting its Ham & Chicken Dinner for Sunday, August 23, 1998. Polka Mass advertised at 10:00 a.m.

(18) "Come Holy Spirit" Rally flyer, Servants of Christ the King, Lincoln, NE.

(19) "What is the Spirit Saying to the Church" promo, Servants of Christ the King, Lincoln Nebraska.

(20) F.I.R.E , which stands for Faith Intercession Repentance and Prayer, is a charismatic group that tours the country and the world with its Pentecostal rallies.

(21) Southern Nebraska Register, Feb. 20, 1998, p. 9, Ibid., March 13, 1998, p 9.

(22) Ibid. Apr. 10, 1998, p. 2.

(23) Cited from Joseph Fitcher’s The Catholic Cult of the Paraclete (Sheed and Ward, NY, 1974), p. 40.

(24) David City Deanery Council of Catholic Women, The DCCW Inserts, May, 1998, David City, NE.

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Updated: August 16, 2000

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