Bishop Charles Patrick Crawford of New Jersey Marks Three Decades of Priestly Ministry
Our prayers and best wishes go out today to Bishop Charles Patrick Crawford of the Old Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, as he commemorates his 30th Anniversary of Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood. His Excellency was ordained on May 31, 1975 at St. Jude's ORCC in Brick Township, NJ, by the late Archbishop Joseph P. Napurano.
I first met the good Bishop shortly after his ordination. In 1975 I was an ORCC seminarian and he became one of my instructors. Later, after I was tonsured a cleric, he was elevated a monsignor and named Vicar General of the ORCC English Rite Archdiocese of New Jersey. When Archbishop Napurano suddenly vacated his Diocese six years later, Msgr. Charles Patrick Crawford was soon consecrated as the ORCC Tridentine Rite Bishop for New Jersey.
I first met the good Bishop shortly after his ordination. In 1975 I was an ORCC seminarian and he became one of my instructors. Later, after I was tonsured a cleric, he was elevated a monsignor and named Vicar General of the ORCC English Rite Archdiocese of New Jersey. When Archbishop Napurano suddenly vacated his Diocese six years later, Msgr. Charles Patrick Crawford was soon consecrated as the ORCC Tridentine Rite Bishop for New Jersey.
His Excellency was consecrated a Bishop on May 17, 1981 by Archbishop Leonard Curreri and his two co-consecrators in Paterson, NJ. Myself and several other clergy immediately incardinated into his newly erected Diocese. Over the course of those years I was raised to the remaining Minor Orders and Major Orders and ordained to the Holy Diaconate at his hands in 1984. While assigned to his parish, I also served as his diocesan chancellor before my transfer to Pennsylvania where I was ordained a priest in 1990.
All tributes and festivities planned for this week have been canceled because of the recent death of his mother who lived with the Bishop all of his life. The late Mrs. Mary Kelly Crawford reposed on March 21st - just two days shy of her 87th birthday. She became ill on the Feast of St. Patrick (their Diocesan Feast Day) and went home to our Lord four days later during Holy Week. Her beloved son was then priviledged to give her Extreme Unction (Last Rites) and to celebrate her Requiem Funeral Mass.
Therefore, in lieu of other plans (gratulatory and condolence messages can be e-mailed to him instead) the bereaved Bishop will celebrate a private Mass of Thanksgiving today in his oratory chapel at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Paterson, NJ. We join with His Excellency in thanking God for giving us a loving, dedicated mother who nurtured his vocation and gave The Church a fervent Traditional Catholic priest - and through His Holy Office: other clergy and faithful. (This is why Motherhood is the HIGHEST role in The Church and surpasses even the Pontificate.)
When Christ called His Apostles, He said to each one of them: "Follow Me!" (Matt. 4:19; 9:9; Mark 1:17; 2:14; Luke 5:27; John 1:43; 21:19). The good Bishop has been doing just that ever since his youth... AD MULTOS ANNOS, Bishop Charles Patrick!
The priest continues the work
of redemption on earth…
The Priesthood is the Love
of the Heart of Jesus.
(— The Curé of Ars)
The clergy and parishioners of
The Diocese of New Jersey
and the Northeast Province
Congratulate Bishop Crawford on his
30 Years of dedicated Priesthood.
posted by Fr. Steve @ Tuesday, May 31, 2005
2 comments
2 Comments:
To Whom It May Concern:
Your article on Bishop Charles P. Crawford strongly intimates that he was conssecrated by one Bishop Joseph Napurano of the Old Roman Catholic Church. This bishop had one of the most horrible reputations that could ever exist. Most people wouldn't receive consecration from him if they were on fire.
As a matter of fact, "Msgr." Crawford left his jurisdicition because the two of them could not net along at all.
He was consecrated a bishop some time later by another bishop, not of the Old Roman Catholic Church.
Before you print information about any of these bishops you should always investigate their claims. In most cases they are untrue.
In the service of the Truth,
Anonymous
To my respondent below:
CORRECTION -- Nowhere did I "strongly intimate" that Bishop Crawford was consecrated by the late Archbishop Napurano. (Not that it would matter if he was.)
In fact, the first sentence of the third paragraph states, >> "His Excellency was consecrated a Bishop on May 17, 1981 by Archbishop Leonard Curreri and his two co-consecrators in Paterson, NJ." << (Archbishop Napurano was NOT one of his co-consecrators. However, ALL those bishops also have an ORCC lineage of Apostolic Succession.)
Your opinions are dually noted. And like certain parts of our anatomy, everyone has one. However, your ASSumptions were wrong. And let me also state that my corroborated information is indeed factual and true, or this self-respecting, professional journalist would not have published it. Besides, I was also part of that Church History and lived it.
However, I was tonsured a cleric by Archbishop Napurano and Bishop Crawford was ordained a priest by The Holy Spirit through His Excellency of beloved memory. I also served at many priestly ordinations conducted by the late Bishop. Each and every one of them was and is VALID beyond any possible reproach. To that I can testify under oath.
If Archbishop Napurano were still alive -- and if I were a Bishop-elect again -- then I would be honored to receive an Episcopal Consecration via his hands. To wrongfully imply that such a consecration would be "invalid" (unless one sought same via the sacrilege of $$$ SIMONY $$$) is, as St. Augustine taught, to invoke the grave sin of HERESY. I served as the late Bishop's cleric for almost six years. He was a good priest, although one of the worse administrators I have ever encountered.
As to your unqualified remarks that, "the two of them could not get along at all..." = FALSE. We all had our differences and clashed often, but we all always got along -- just like the one big happy family that we once were. Our weekly Sunday dinners after The Holy Eucharist was a joyous agape. I doubt if you sat there among us. If you did then you are like Judas.
May his soul, and those of his beloved family members, rest in peace. And may the cowardly, uncharitable words of the respondent below NOT stand as an indictment of His Excellency before The Judgment Seat of our LORD. Rather, let us remember that, "it is both a good and wholesome thing to pray for the dead." (2 Maccabees 12:42 )
-- Rev. Msgr. Stephen J. Tyminski
(PS: NEVER AGAIN!!! From this point on, I will NOT allow anyone to post anymore comments here "anonymously". Only cowards, imbeciles and bullies do that anyway.)
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