Dear Fr. Pat supporters:

Please see the letter below, written to Bishop Jugis by Voice of the Faithful Charlotte in support of Fr. Pat. His life has been hanging in the balance for far too long and we need resolution now.

Please do two simple things in loving charity and support:

1) SHARE THIS PETITION with at least 3 people who have not yet signed and would like to do so, in solidarity with Fr. Pat

2) SEND A QUICK EMAIL to chancery@charlottediocese.org to make your voice heard.- It can be a brief email, simply stating that you support Fr. Pat Hoare and respectfully request that the procrastination ends so we can move forward with reinstating him to active priestly duty. Let us not grow weary of fighting the good fight for this man of God who has given his life to the calling of Jesus Christ.

THANK YOU!

February 6, 2023

His Excellency Peter J. Jugis
Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte
1123 South Church Street
Charlotte, NC 28203-4003

Dear Bishop Jugis:

It is with deep concern that we write this letter regarding Father Patrick Hoare. As active members of Voice of the Faithful here in Charlotte we are confused as to why Father has not been restored to his ministry as Pastor of St. Matthew Catholic Church.

If you are familiar with our mission, you will know that we are committed to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse and to supporting priests of integrity. That is our mission statement. In discussing this over three years absence with parishioners of St. Matthew and St. John Neumann and former members of youth ministry we find nothing but high praise for Father. His leadership, pastoral role, vision and loyalty to you, Bishop Jugis, appear beyond reproach.

In your letter you state de facto that there is no sexual abuse involved with Father Hoare. We at Voices of the Faithful are very relieved to hear that. Respectfully, the rest of your letter would indicate opinion rather than fact as we read it. We have been informed, informally, that this holdup is because Rome has been involved. It would appear that this might have been solved more expediently had it been handled locally?

We are even more confused since our inquiries have uncovered the fact hat Father must have been respected by his brother priests since he was elected to the Presbyteral Council for twelve years, a singular compliment in our opinion.

As a local Voice of the Faithful group, we cannot find a reason not to support Father as a priest of integrity. His parish eagerly awaits his return, as evidenced by many letters of petition on his behalf. This diocese misses his leadership and the church needs priests like him.

We have no way to reach Father for explanation so we respectfully ask for your response to clarify our concerns.

Respectfully,

Rosemarie Tong, PhD Board Chair, Voice of the Faithful Charlotte

Donald Garbison, Executive Director, Voice of the Faithful Charlotte

 

UPDATE Statement from Father Patrick Hoare

January 24, 2023
STATEMENT FROM FR. PATRICK HOARE, PASTOR OF ST. MATTHEW CATHOLIC CHURCH, CHARLOTTE NC
On the weekend of January 21-22, 2023, a letter from Bishop Peter Jugis was read at all the Masses at St. Matthew Catholic Church. The same letter was distributed electronically that weekend to all registered members of the parish and shared with all members of the St. Matthew Catholic School community on Monday, January 23, 2023. The subject of the letter is my current status as pastor of St. Matthew Catholic Church, an office to which I was appointed by the Bishop in July, 2017.
First, I am grateful for the Bishop’s desire to communicate the status of the canonical proceedings in a timely manner. In fact, it has been more than 2 ½ years since the Bishop last communicated with the parish on this very important subject. The statement’s phrasing regarding allegations is inaccurate and implies an objective finding of fact that has not occurred, and, furthermore, the letter does not reflect the totality of the results of the canonical appeals to date. The Bishop himself has stated that there's no credible allegation of sexual abuse has been identified, and the Diocese has not received any allegation of sexual abuse during my ministry in the Diocese. The Dicastery for Clergy and the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura have reinforced that finding in their own independent reviews. Because of the ongoing status of my appeal, I cannot, at this time, be more specific about the inaccurate statements on the part of Bishop Jugis. My legal representatives in both the United States and Italy continue to work on my behalf. It is very unusual for a priest to publicly question the statement of his bishop, and for three years I have been silent, but I feel I must respond because this letter has caused real and unjust harm to my reputation.
As the Bishop states, there is still a canonical action in progress, which I pursue both as a matter of justice but also reflecting my reasonably founded hope of a positive outcome for myself, the people of St. Matthew, and the Diocese of Charlotte.
I do not have access to the communication channels that the Bishop enjoys as our Diocesan shepherd, and so I am less able to share information, and, as I said, I do not want to jeopardize current proceedings. I will also continue my efforts to reach out to the Bishop for an equitable resolution to the situation on a local level, to avoid the inevitable delay that comes with a Vatican process.
I have never ceased to pray daily for the parishioners of St. Matthew Parish, as well as the people of the Diocese of Charlotte, whom I have served faithfully as both a member of the clergy and a lay minister for more than 28 years, and most especially children and vulnerable adults who have endured abuse. I also continue to pray for the Bishop in his challenging role as our spiritual father. I stand in solidarity with my brother priests who suffer profoundly due to false allegations. Thank you so much to those who have provided me with overwhelming support during what has been a most painful process. Please continue to pray for me, for all victims of abuse, for all faithful priests, for Bishop Jugis, and for the Diocese of Charlotte.
Fr. Pat Hoare
cc: Mr. Robert J.B. Flummerfelt, J.C.L., Esq.

 

UPDATE EFFECTIVE 1.14.23

We, the people who stand in solidarity with Fr. Patrick Hoare, are requesting the Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte, The Most Reverend Peter J. Jugis, provide us with an update as to the status of Fr. Pat's temporary removal from priestly duty, most importantly, his role as Pastor of St. Matthew Catholic Church. After more than three years of his absence, we are still awaiting the return of our beloved priest, spiritual director, and pastoral shepherd, Father Pat.

The last communication from you that we received regarding this matter was a letter on July 1, 2020 which stated “no specific incident of sexual abuse of a minor was identified based on the evidence presented” and “I want to emphasize the diocese has not received any allegations that Father Pat committed abuse during his ministry in the diocese”. The letter then goes on to share an opinion of perceived possible “boundary violations” and “questionable judgment” based on uninvestigated allegations. Such a statement is not only an unfair attack on Fr. Hoare’s character, but also contrary to the overwhelmingly positive reputation that he has enjoyed for years among the parishioners of the St. Matthew community and the diocese at large, in particular with the parents and children of young families.

Considering that there never has been any actual basis for suspicion that has since put Father Pat's life on hold and denied countless people the blessing of his ministerial gifts these past 3+ years, we have continued to stand by him and pray for his return.

The last communication we received stated “a final determination of his status will be shared at a later date.” In the meantime, we expected to hear periodic updates about our beloved pastor, but have heard nothing. This is not only a matter of justice for Father Pat; his continued absence from ministry has deprived us of our pastor's presence and affection at our baptisms, weddings, funerals, and Eucharistic liturgies. He is our Father and we want him back.

In a monumental move and giant step in the right direction, it is our understanding that at least 2 Vatican reviews have affirmed that no guilt has been found. This only affirms what his parishioners have always known to be true.

We trust you understand our position...after several years of waiting and especially in light of this recent statement by the Vatican, we deserve and respectfully request an update from the diocese. As always, we continue to pray for the return of our shepherd and spiritual leader, Father Pat.

Kind regards,
Friends of Fr. Pat Hoare

ORIGINAL PETITION - JUNE 2020

We, the undersigned members of St. Matthew Catholic Church, request and urge the Diocese of Charlotte - specifically Bishop Jugis - to return Fr. Pat Hoare to our parish as quickly as possible. During his brief but greatly appreciated leadership we have observed in Fr. Pat:

1) Absolutely no suggestion or indication that he has acted inappropriately, nor that he has failed to treat anyone with respect or done anything contrary to our Catholic values or beliefs

2) His strong voiced opinions decrying the harm done to the people of our universal Church family by the illegal and immoral conduct of wayward clergy

3) His effectiveness in engaging in, with the utmost integrity, all aspects of parish activities, including faith formation, youth development, community outreach and stewardship. 

Given the inarguable absence of any clear and convincing evidence that the allegations made against him are true (we do NOT believe they are), we fear that any action by the Diocese OTHER than returning Fr. Pat to St. Matthew will imply or be interpreted as an unfair and unjustified declaration of guilt. Both he and the St. Matthew family he shepherds have suffered these past 7 months in his absence, and we pray for his prompt return.