Oversight 
or an excuse?

Terri Simon’s editorial article in the Bureau County Republican newspaper on Jan. 29 quotes Monsignor Stanley Deptula saying, “ if some sacred articles were left behind, it was a complete oversight.”

A youngster, Randi Lind, of Spring Valley, a former St. Benedict parishioner who was raised in the church made comments about those sacred items that were left behind. Those items were a Bibles, candles with Jesus’ picture on them, banners depicting Jesus that hung near the altar, a green garment, (vestment) that a priest would have worn at Mass, and other items.

Did Deptula and his crew make an — honest oversight, a simple mistake, or was it just an excuse? Deptula explains the church was cleaned out, after the electricity had been turned off, though Deptula and his crew clearly “thought” they had removed all sacred items.

He speaks saying — “My heart breaks for the people of Ladd.” There were some people in Ladd possibly not Catholic that wanted to make a strip mall out of the church property. And what kind of crew goes and cleans out a church of sacred items during the night? Didn’t they have flashlights? You have to wonder how they moved around in the dark.

It is my estimation that (if) the Diocese of Peoria and Bishop Jenky were not concerned about closing St. Benedict’s Church and keeping it holy ground, then they would not be concerned about some sacred articles that Randi Lind made comments about.

Read the second formal message of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Garabandal, where she states, “Before, the cup was filling up. Now it is flowing over. Many cardinals, many bishops and many priests are on the road to perdition and are taking many souls with them.” You have to wonder if the time is now.

Carlo Olivero

Dalzell