March 06, 2008

Purported visionary bows to a diocesan injunction 

By STEPHANIE BARRY sbarry@repub.com  

SPRINGFIELD - The weeping Madonna at 33 Garland St. has shed its last tear.

Purported messages from the Virgin Mary and St. Francis of Assisi delivered through a postal carrier also have been quieted, per order of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield. 

After an investigation into a home-based Catholic prayer group called "Seeds of Hope," run by Neil Harrington Jr., the diocese recently took the unprecedented measure of effectively shutting it down.  

“The authenticity of the 'messages, stories and devotions' purportedly made by Our Lady and St. Francis 'via Neil Harrington Jr.' has not been proven. Therefore, the content of those ... is not to be disseminated by word, writing or any other means," according to a recent statement by the Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, bishop of the Springfield diocese.

It was not the first time Harrington was ordered to keep his visions to himself.

A father of six, Harrington said he intends to comply with McDonnell's order.  

"We're not going to be functioning as the Seeds of Hope, even though it's very hard and very painful," Harrington, 47, said during a telephone interview yesterday.

He declined to address the statue that had an uncanny habit of "weeping" oil tears in the middle of the night, or the "visions" that came to him.

The bishop's directive came after two former members led a vigorous effort to discredit Harrington, who has claimed a direct line to the Virgin Mary since the early 1990s. He has memorialized the visions in pamphlets such as: "Ten Missions from the Almighty God," which denounces abortion and encourages donations.  

Victor Valois Jr., Harrington's most vocal critic, met him when the two worked as postal workers, Valois said. They buddied around and were on the same softball team, but neither was religious.  

“The religion thing came out of nowhere," Valois said during an interview.

Valois' now-roommate, William Fortin, said he and his father traveled to Harrington's father's house in Enfield in the early 1990s. Word about Harrington's "visions" and a weeping Madonna were drawing faithful from across the country.

"We were looking for miracles," Fortin said. 

The Hartford diocese ultimately banned Harrington from preaching about his visions.

Nonetheless, Fortin and Valois joined the Springfield prayer group and were among the so-called "Inner Twelve" key members, they said.  

The pair said they became disillusioned with Harrington after internal tensions erupted and upon discovering the group's former "spiritual leader," the Rev. John Szantyr, had been stripped of his priestly faculties in the late 1980s and was charged in Worcester Superior Court for allegedly molesting altar boys in the 1980s.  

That case is pending.  

Valois and Fortin argue that Harrington used his "visions" to manipulate members and has accepted money from members, including Fortin's father, Ernest, who suffered a stroke and is now in a nursing home.  

"He told us St. Francis was angry with us when we went public with the news about Father (Szantyr)," Fortin said.  

Harrington said Ernest Fortin, a retired psychiatrist, did give him money when he ran into credit card trouble.  

"We were good friends, best of friends ... and he wanted to help out my family," Harrington said, adding of Valois and William Fortin: "They've made me out to be a dirty rotten scoundrel, which I'm not."  

Harrington also added that he and other Seeds member performed thousands in much-needed work to Fortin's East Longmeadow home after his father became ill.

Harrington vowed that the group will no longer convene on Thursday nights as they have for 12 years. Surely friends can meet without the intervention of the church, he said, but Seeds is no more.  

He offered the Madonna to the diocese. They refused.

February 28, 2008

Seeds of Hope prayer group told not to disseminate messages

By Terence Hegarty, Iobserver .com

SPRINGFIELD – Stating that the authenticity of the “messages, stories and devotions” being propagated by a local prayer group, which contends that they are of divine origin, “has not been proven,” Springfield Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell has forbidden the group from disseminating the material.

An investigative team, charged last November with looking into the Springfield-based prayer group known as the Seeds of Hope, recently completed its review.

The results of the review prompted Bishop McDonnell to send Neil Harrington Jr., leader of the group, a letter dated Feb. 21 stating that, “The content of those messages, stories and devotions is not to be disseminated by word, writing or any other means to any person.”
(The complete statement can be read at www.diospringfield.org/communications/publicaffairs.htmll)

According to Diocesan Spokesman Mark E. Dupont, the team was formed late last fall in response to “questions and concerns of several area parishioners” that Seeds of Hope was operating in a manner that could be harmful to Catholics.

The two-member team was made up of canon lawyers, Sister of St. Joseph of Chambery Carol Cifatte and Father Daniel Foley. Each has an extensive background in church teaching. Sister Cifatte is vice chancellor for the Diocese of Springfield and Father Foley is the former judicial vicar for the diocese.

The Seeds of Hope had been holding a weekly prayer cenacle and other activities focusing on messages reportedly from the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Francis of Assisi and miraculous phenomena.

Harrington, a Springfield resident, claims that Mary appeared to him and related messages to him in his parents’ Enfield, Conn., home from 1991 until 1997.

Harrington distributed these messages for more than a decade in the Archdiocese of Hartford and in the Diocese of Springfield. In 1995, Harrington was told by the archdiocese not to distribute messages.

However, The Catholic Observer found, through Internet searches last fall, that the messages were readily available online. Also, a recent paid advertisement offering “spiritual books” promoting “Traditional Catholic Teachings” appeared in the Diocese of Providence, R.I., diocesan newspaper, The Providence Visitor.

“Situations like this do arise in dioceses from time to time,” said Dupont. “While the intentions of these groups can many times seem innocent, history has shown that abuses and misrepresentations can give way to confusion among the faithful and sometimes scandal. For this reason the church, rightfully so, exercises extreme caution in handling these matters.”

The Seeds of Hope was in the media spotlight last September when it was reported that a priest who had been forbidden to act as a priest since 1988, due to credible sexual abuse allegations, had been celebrating sacraments at Harrington’s Springfield home.

In late September, Bishop McDonnell received evidence that Father John J. Szantyr, a priest of the Diocese of Worcester, Mass., who is facing criminal charges of molestation in Worcester District Court, had been celebrating Mass in Harrington’s Springfield home.

Bishop McDonnell immediately sent a letter to both Father Szantyr and Harrington letting each know that this cannot continue and that Father Szantyr is forbidden to “undertake any sacramental functions.”

Seeds of Hope critics, including some former members of the group, contend that, aside from Father Szantyr’s celebrating sacraments at the Seeds of Hope, there are other things that have gone on there that conflict with church teaching.

They expressed grave concerns that materials distributed by the Seeds of Hope are fundamentally flawed regarding several aspects of the Catholic faith.

“The bishop takes quite seriously his role in giving clear guidance to the local Catholic community with regard to authentic church teaching,” said Dupont. “He wants to assure the faithful that any group claiming to be in communion with the church abides by its teachings and communicates those accurately.”

February 28, 2008

                                                                                                      Contact

                                                                   Mark Dupont

413 452-0648 or 413 478-8516 

 for immediate release

Diocese of Springfield issues statement on Seeds of Hope 

SPRINGFIELD- A diocesan team, charged last November with looking into a Springfield based prayer group known as the Seeds of Hope, has completed its review.  Based on the findings of the diocesan team Springfield Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell has informed Mr. Neil Harrington, Jr. the leader of this group, of the following measures; 

-          The authenticity of the “messages, stories and devotions” purportedly made by Our Lady and St. Francis “via Neil Harrington, Jr.” has not been proven.  Therefore, the content of those “messages, stories and devotions” is not to be disseminated by word, writing or any other means to any person. 

-          The publications of “Seeds of Hope” are not approved for use in any way, shape or form publicly or privately in the parishes, institutions and among the people of the Diocese of Springfield and no solicitation on behalf of “Seeds of Hope” is to be made within this diocese.  

Bishop McDonnell also informed Mr. Harrington that the Diocese of Springfield, in fulfilling its obligation to the faithful, would provide public notification of these actions.  He concluded by reminding Mr. Harrington of his very own pledge to abide by the Bishop’s final decision and his expectation that Mr. Harrington will respect and follow this decision.

November 14, 2007

Former Seeds of Hope member sends open letter to Neil Harrington Jr.

Ms Tara Kozub has written to Neil Harrington Jr. in regards to his actions over the past few months.

Tara and her husband David were both members of the Seeds of Hope at one time. He husband David was one of the so called chosen men by Neil. In 2002 when Tara was informed by Fr Rocco, of the Worcester Dioceses that John Szantyr was not a priest in good standing, under his wife's urging David left the group. 

Fr Rocco however failed to disclose that sexual abuse accusations were the factor behind the removal of Fr John Szantyr's faculties.

Her letter begins, I am writing on behalf of those of us who are profoundly concerned and saddened over your actions and statements as they pertain to your self-proclaimed heavenly mission.  Unfortunately, you have calumniated and slandered those who genuinely seek truth in this matter, and as such, rather than bring my concerns to you in a more private way, I have chosen to address you publicly to avoid giving you yet another opportunity to distort the truth. 

For many years I have hoped and prayed for the truth to be revealed as to the nature of your purported private revelations.  As you well know, years ago, I asked my husband to leave your group, the Seeds of Hope, because of my grave concerns and the substantial evidence I uncovered that suggested your alleged visions and messages were not of God.   

Consequently, I, and others, have seen firsthand how you react to anyone who questions your authenticity.  You have not responded in a manner consistent with Church teaching.  On the contrary, you have made it abundantly clear that there is no place in your mission for healthy skepticism or dissent of any kind.  You have consistently responded to your critics in a manner that has been both prideful and emotionally charged.  Obviously, this type of response only further weakens your cause and contributes to the skepticism of your critics 

In all charity I want to encourage you to examine your conscience as well as the teachings of the Church with regard to all “private revelation”.

The letter makes further reference to the actions of a true visionary and appropriate behavior.

November 11, 2007

Neil Harrington Jr. exposed for making disingenuous statements regarding his knowledge of accused Priest.

Within the operation for the Seeds of Hope ministry numerous spurious statements have been presented by Neil Harrington Jr. in regards to his actual knowledge concerning the status Fr. John Szantyr.

On August 29th Neil called Bill Fortin stating:" I know Fr. John, I've known him for a long time. I know his situation".

When asked by Worcester TV station channel 3’s, Jennifer Egan in a September 28th interview, Neil Harrington stated he could not remember the last time Fr John Szantyr conducted services in his home.

Several eye witness statements place Fr John Szantyr performing a Eucharist celebration on Pentecost Sunday, June 4, 2006 in Neil’s home. This service was conducted just months before the September 12th court date in which Fr John Szantyr claimed to a Worcester District Court while sitting in a wheel chair that he was not competent to stand trial.

In a November 2nd Catholic Observer article, Neil stated to Fr Bill Pomerleau “There is no way we at the Seeds of Hope understood this Fr. John had his faculties taken away,” He acknowledged receiving a letter from Bishop McDonnell on September 30th which was the first time he was aware of Father Szantyr's situation.

Neil’s own words demonstrate Neil intentionally mislead Bishop McDonnell of Springfield and Fr Bill Pomerleau of the Catholic Observer as to his previous knowledge regarding Fr John Szantyr.

In a newly discovered video Neil can be heard speaking of his interaction with the Hartford Diocese Commission organized to investigate Neil's presentation that he receives apparitions.  Neil appears boisterous as to his so called religious aptitudes.