The Voice has received telephone calls, emails and voice messages all concerning Neil who is influencing his associates to contact the Voice declaring he is being falsely persecuted.

The Tuesday night prayer cenacle in Enfield was not the Seeds of Hope ministry. No comparison of the two separate entities, which did occur for four years, can be accurate as the subject matters were separate. 

Between 1994 and 1998 Neil’s Seeds of Hope ministry did meet in a few different locations.  All of these locations were within the Springfield Diocese.   

Neil’s Seeds of Hope ministry in which Fr John Szantyr was publicly projected as the “spiritual director” focused on “twelve chosen men” shortly after the 1998 purchase of Neil’s 33 Garland Street home, the Seeds of Hope ministry has been solely housed in this location.

Not one person who has contacted the Voice can actually supply any of the requested information Neil was asked to make available.  Instead they appear to be blindly following Neil in an almost cultist loyalty. Neil has instead tried to twist words with no real purpose other than to escape facing the true issues at hand.

Most notably is that Neil has failed to agree to allow test of his so called weeping “Blessed Virgin Mary” statue that he was given by John Szantyr as a birthday present.

Several Catholic priests in both the Springfield and Worcester Dioceses have claimed they do not believe Neil is a visionary and have pointed out incorrect statements in his so-called messages he produces for distribution. For example, Jesus says of Himself in the gospel of John (14:6): “I am the Way the Truth and the Life”, whereas Neil says in his purported message from Jesus that He says: “ I am the Way the Truth and the Light”.

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s office confirmed on September 26, 2007 receipt of a public charities complaint and the matter is currently under review by a staff member.  

The Massachusetts State Police have conducted interviews concerning the conduct of John Szantyr and Neil Harrington regarding isolated confessions with young adolescents as well as other matters.

The Catholic diocese of Springfield has issued a cease and desist letter to John Szantyr forbidding the celebration of the Eucharist in Neil’s Seeds of Hope chapel. 

The Catholic Observer, the Springfield diocesan publication is currently in the process of writing an article to notify all those faithful Catholics’ in Springfield that in fact Neil’s messages and books are not sanctioned by the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

October 7, 2007

Call from Neil Harrington's home, using Seeds of Hope phone number made by unidentified Seeds member.

Saturday night at 9:44PM a phone call was made to the Worcester Voice in regards to the letter sent to Neil Harrington Jr. regarding his message which stated he wanted to talk to the Worcester Voice on September 22, 2007. (Hear message below)

Based on this phone call another letter has been sent to the Seeds of Hope followers for clarification of what appeared to be nothing more an attempt to present twisted facts in order to avoid accountability.

As the phone call originated from Neil Harrington's home his failure to speak based on the fact he represents himself as "the head"  appears questionable at best.

The letter reads in part: I was surprised and taken back that you, supposedly an informed member representing the Seeds of Hope contacted me without any prior knowledge of Neil’s request to speak to the Worcester Voice. Your excuse of Neil being too busy as a reason for his failure to inform you furthers the point that the members of the Seeds of Hope are not knowledgeable of Neil’s actions.  Further after stating you had read the articles about Neil on the Voice web site, you admitted that you had not listened to the message clearly posted at the beginning of the article.

Badgering, denying and failing to deal professionally with concerns regarding the Seeds of Hope ministry only further supports the need for an official investigation into the actions regarding Neil Harrington Jr.

October 4, 2007

Neil Harrington Jr. "The head" of the Seeds of Hope has been sent a letter after leaving a message to former Seeds member: he wishes to contact Worcester Voice to tell his side.

According to phone records at no time did Neil Harrington Jr. call the Worcester Voice since he left his message on September 22, 2007 with former Seeds member William Fortin.

In order to assist those who are suffering in faith, due to Neil's actions a letter was sent to Neil allowing him the opportunity to present his version of truth.

The letter begins, I write to you in regards to your messages that you wish to speak to the Worcester Voice. You stated you want to “tell your side of the story” and so the Worcester Voice wishes to extend to you the opportunity.   

I am reaching out to you in the spirit of God’s Love, to allow you to set forth in truthfulness and honesty your account in the following as a fellow pilgrim in Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Neil, you have stated the Blessed Mother Mary has called John J. Szantyr a blessed priest and she has thanked him for his blessings that he has given to the people who have gathered at the prayer cenacles. 

In charity and as a member of Christ’s Body I ask: “How can it be that the Blessed Virgin Mother would not know Fr John Szantyr has been acting in direct contradiction to his Bishop’s sanctions and the teachings of our Roman Catholic Church?    

Also, it is the right of the faithful to know if Fr John Szantyr has a letter from a Bishop that grants him faculties. I am asking you to produce this letter for all to see.

Neil is further asked to allow testing of the so called tears of his Blessed Virgin weeping statue, supply documentation related to the claims of his alleged physical healings and financial records from the Seeds of Hope regarding his position of supporting the homeless and tax exempt status.  

Within the letter it is made very clear that requesting truthfulness is in no way synonymous to "religious persecution" and any such claims on Neil's part would be deceitful.  

Neil unbeknown to his followers has been constantly harassing former members of the Seeds of Hope with threats to bear false witness, intimidation and verbal assault.

 Message recorded, August 30, 2007

William Fortin has stated Neil telephoned him in July 2006 on two occasions and was upset with Vic for informing some of the members of the Seeds of Hope about his own sins that he had confessed to Vic. Neil said that Bill should throw Vic out of his home for speaking of this. Neil knew at the time Vic had no income for many months while he was waiting for his retirement to be processed.

  Message recorded, September 29, 2007

This practice of Neil's has also been reported by other former Seeds members when Neil was questioned as to the validly of his so called visions.

Neil's Pentecost 2007 message has been read in the Wednesday night Marian prayer group lead by Henry Zepir, at St Catherine of Siena as well as other messages Neil claims were given by Blessed Virgin Mary.

In August, 1995 the Hartford Diocesan Commission was established to review Neil's so called weeping Blessed Virgin statue. While the four priest commission sat in the Enfield Ct. "apparition room" during the Tuesday night prayer cenacle which had consistently for over a year yielded some type of phenomena, the Blessed Virgin Mary statue failed to weep. 

Every week Neil claimed during the Tuesday night Enfield Ct. prayer cenacle which usually lasted 6:30 to 8:30pm, that he received a message from the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Neil claimed in published newspaper reports that the Blessed Virgin Mary in her message of August 29, 1995 stated "it was the hour of her last apparition". 

Several months later after the Enfield crowds disappeared, Neil claimed he recovered his memory more accurately and that the Blessed Virgin Mary had included in her message "for a time" but Neil had omitted those three key words.

September 10, 2007

John Szantyr has already been identified in 2006 as participating in a prayer group in Wolcott Ct. This prayer group centered on locutions which is hearing audibly voices of a spiritual nature. In this Connecticut group Fr John (Szantyr) was regularly seen in layman’s clothing.   

New information has now identified Fr John (Szantyr), as he likes to be called performing Eucharistic celebrations, confessions and blessings all while dressed as a catholic priest, in the Springfield Massachusetts home of Neil Harrington Jr.  

Fr John Szantyr had his faculties to act as a Catholic Priest removed in January, 1988 after sexual abuse allegations were brought to the attention of the Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts. Under church rules he is not allowed to celebrate Mass, hear confessions nor wear priestly garb. 

It all began when Fr John (Szantyr) gave a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Neil Harrington Jr. as a gift early 1990's. The statue was placed in Neil’s father‘s home on Maple Road, Enfield Ct.  

The statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary allegedly began to shed tears in a second floor "apparition room" within his home according to Neil Harrington Sr.

Neil Harrington Jr. claims he began having apparitions of the Virgin Mary during the rosary at the weekly prayer cenacle at his parents' house. In 1994 Neil Jr. claims that the Virgin Mary herself chose Fr John (Szantyr) to be his spiritual director. Since that day Fr John (Szantyr) has been the only spiritual director that Neil has had.

Neil Harrington Jr.

According to a September 2, 1995, Hartford Courant article, when the Archdiocese of Hartford, set up a fact-finding commission to study the Harrington prayer group. Visionary Harrington suddenly received a message from the mother of Jesus; she would no longer be visiting him.

After the fact finding commission in Hartford began commission member Fr. Vittorio Guerrera informed Neil Jr. to not disseminate anything about his alleged apparitions and messages until further notice and this ban has never been lifted. Despite this directive Neil Jr. has chosen to continue to speak in churches and disseminate messages in booklet form and now has a mailing list of over 2,000 people.

After Fr. Guerrera's directive, Neil Jr. moved the weekly prayer group sessions for the Seeds of Hope to 33 Garland St. in Springfield Massachusetts. This home was purchased in 1998 by Neil Jr. and his wife Linda. 

Within his Victorian style home the attic was converted into a prayer room complete with statues, religious artifacts and a wooden altar to perform Mass.

In Neil’s messages in which he claims have come from heaven, they have called Fr John (Szantyr), a “blessed priest and a spiritual vessel.” In separate messages Neil Jr. alleges that he receives from St Francis, Fr John (Szantyr) is referred to as “Blessed Padre John.”

August of 1999, members from Vision of Christ. COM visited the Enfield home of Neil Harrington Sr., to examine the weeping statue. Included within their article are assertions from Fr John (Szantyr) claiming he has no doubt the apparitions are valid. Father John (Szantyr) also informed the Vision of Christ representative he felt the Virgin spoke to him.

The 1999 article makes no mention that the prayer group sessions were no longer held in the Enfield Ct home. Fr John (Szantyr) is identified as a Priest with no mention of the fact he was no longer in good standing. It appears the Vision of Christ personal had no idea that the so called weeping statue was brought to the  Enfield Ct. prayer session staged particularly because of their visit.

Along with the change in location the focus of the group was also changed. The main focus of the Thursday night prayer session became a few chosen men. Neil Jr. claimed these men were chosen by heaven to complete Saint Francis's mission and our lady's mission.

Neil Jr. further claims God through St Francis has named him 'the head" of the group and his spiritual director Fr John (Szantyr) "the heart".

April 25, 2006, Neil Jr.’ s weeping statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and eight members of the Seeds of Hope, arrived in Bayou Black Louisiana, at the home of Attorney Joe Waltz Sr.  

Seeds of Hope members made four Catholic Church appearances between April 26 - 29th where they set up tables in the back of the church in which Seeds of Hope prayer books and other religious articles were displayed. Baskets were set out for donations.

In each Catholic Church Neil’s statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was revealed and individuals were allowed to approach the statue to pray. Seeds of Hope member, Robert Carter offered those who chose to have a rose pedal that was rubbed against the statue as a relic.

The diocese of Houma-Thibodaux took no stance on the validity of the alleged weeping statue whatsoever, according to Louis Aguirre, director of communications for the diocese.

While in Louisiana, Joe Waitz Sr. called Fr John (Szantyr) using his cell phone. Joe Waitz had gathered a group of individuals in the church court yard who suffered from an array of physical ailments. Audible by speaker phone, Fr John (Szantyr) under the guise of being a healing priest prayed for those who believed he was a Priest in good standing. 

The Seeds of Hope group returned to Massachusetts having obtained seven thousand dollars in donations.

June 4, 2006, Fr John (Szantyr) donned a priestly chasuble as the yearly celebrant of the Feast of Pentecost in the attic chapel in the home of Neil Harrington Jr.

Fr John (Szantyr) heard Confessions in a spare bedroom before Mass began.

Fr John (Szantyr) was able to climb the three flights of stairs to the attic chapel without assistance.

During celebration of the Mass, Fr John (Szantyr) was able to read scripture as well as count the number of people who were going to receive Communion and then count out the hosts he was going to use.

At 3 pm there was the recitation of the Holy Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet. Fr John (Szantyr) participated completely in both.  

Later before Fr John (Szantyr) left, he changed into another type of priestly garb and proceeded to bless every room in the Harrington's home of which there were twelve rooms on three floors. 

Fr John (Szantyr) was accompanied at the Mass of Pentecost by Robert Cantoni of Naugatuck, CT.

Robert Cantoni three months later on September 12, 2006, acted as a wheelchair attendant and pushed Fr John (Szantyr) into the Worcester District Courtroom 411, where Fr John (Szantyr) presented himself as being incompetent.

Within one hour of the of the Worcester Court proceeding. Both men were photographed in the Sturbridge Massachusetts Turnpike Rest Area.  Fr John (Szantyr) was observed walking unassisted and carrying on a normal conversation with Robert Contoni.

This is part 1 of a series on Fr John J. Szantyr