BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Members of Buffalo's Catholic community are responding one day after 7 News sat down with the leader of the Diocese of Buffalo, Bishop Michael Fisher.
Five parishioners in Western New York have sent a letter to the Vatican asking Pope Francis to remove Fisher from his post.
WATCH: 'I came here to be their shepherd': A call to remove Buffalo's Bishop Michael Fisher
Some Catholics are now asking "Where is our shepherd?"
“I think that there's just an immense lack of trust now,” remarked Sara Schumacher, parishioner, school parent. “Transparency would be key. I know some what of is happening is a need. Some of it is a desire, but I think it would make a huge amount of difference if there was just some honesty and some transparency."
Sara Schumacher is a parishioner at St. Andrew’s church in the Town of Tonawanda. She is also a school parent at St. Andrew's Country Day School.
A couple of months ago I broke the story that the Diocese of Buffalo is closing the church and school at the end of June. Heartbroken and outraged, many parents told me the bishop needed to be there.
“I think it would have been much better received if there had been a trail of honesty leading up to it and his voice was more clearly on it. I think him being in-person would have been more than ideal,” reflected Schumacher.
"We had we had competent staff people who were there who assured me that they were able to take care of that,” explained Bishop Michael Fisher.
That was Bishop Fisher's response to not appearing at St. Andrew’s for the closing announcement.
I met with him on Thursday when I was granted a sit-down interview.
“Parishes have also been told that it is ‘our responsibility’ to help pay back for these child abuse cases through the bankruptcy,” Buckley described. “Well, we have to be a Catholic family. We have to be together on this. If we're going to get out of this. this is our moment, to bring healing to those who have been harmed,” replied Bishop Fisher.
The bishop says there will be more hard decisions to make about more potential closings as the diocese works its way out of bankruptcy following more than 900 child victim abuse cases against the church.
"And it's not going to be easy. It's going to be painful,” Bishop Fisher noted. "Even if we weren't in bankruptcy, we would have to be doing what we're doing. we don't have enough priests."
"Do you feel the shepherd is missing when it comes to the bishop’s leadership?” Buckley asked.
“Unfortunately, that is all I can really come down to at this point, yes,” Schumacher replied.
“They feel they're being lied to. They feel there's a lack of transparency from here,” Buckley asked.
“No, we're trying to get all the information we can so that we can provide that to the people,” Bishop Fisher responded.
"It's having short-term negativity, so I cannot even fathom what the long-term negativity will be and that's a lot of the worry,” Schumacher commented.
