Phoenix Law and Order

Monsignor Fushek, LifeTeen founder, arrested

A charismatic priest who once held a high position with the Diocese of Phoenix was arrested this morning.

Monsignor Dale Fushek, once the highly popular, magnetic pastor of St. Timothy's Catholic Church in Mesa, was being booked at the Madison Street Jail, according to Bill FitzGerald, a spokesman for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

An official with Maricopa County Superior Court says Fushek is facing 10 misdemeanor counts. He is charged with three counts of assault, two counts of indecent exposure, and five counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Fushek founded Life Teen, a popular Catholic youth ministry that swept the nation, in 1995. He also served as vicar general under former Bishop Thomas O'Brien.

FitzGerald said a news conference is scheduled at 1:30 p.m.

Lots of LifeTeen dissing below, with some dissenting voices. Lifeteen liturgies are problematic for some, and, like any youth ministry program is fraught with potential issues and risks. But compared to what preceded it - the horrible Zanzig Sharing program and its imitators, LifeTeen is infinitely superior. It's also Eucharist-centered and doctrinally sound. And if you take a look at the LifeTeen website, I seriously doubt many of you will find much to argue with. Of interest, for example, this commentary by a teacher at the Long Island high school that cancelled the prom.

In the extended post, an excerpt from the charges:

COUNT 2:

The Introduction is hereby incorporated by reference. DALE JOSEPH FUSHEK, on or between the 19^{th day of June 1985, and the 19th day of June 1987, encouraged or contributed to the delinquency of MARC TROPIO, a minor, by engaging in a pattern of conduct on the property and premises of St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, while defendant was a priest at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, involving numerous sexually related discussions as well as physical contacts made with MARC TROPIO. The sexually related discussions included questions by defendant about MARC TROPIO’S masturbatory conduct and/or other sexual activities. At the time of many of these discussions, DALE JOSEPH FUSHEK misrepresented them as part of the Catholic sacrament of confession. The physical contacts included defendant inviting MARC TROPIO into his bed then engaging in kissing and snuggling. Said contact was unwelcome by MARC TROPIO, in violation of A.R.S. §§ 13-3612, 13-3613, 13-3614, 13-707, and 13-802.}

COUNT 3:

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The Introduction is hereby incorporated by reference. DALE JOSEPH FUSHEK, on or between the 22nd day of December 1984 and the 22nd day of December 1988, encouraged or contributed to the delinquency of CARL MAWHINNEY, a minor, by engaging in a pattern of conduct on the property and premises of St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, while defendant was a priest at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, involving numerous sexually related discussions with CARL MAWHINNEY about his masturbatory conduct and/or other sexual activities. At the time of many of these discussions, DALE JOSEPH FUSHEK misrepresented them as part of the Catholic sacrament of confession, in violation of A.R.S. §§ 13-3612, 13-3613, 13-3614, 13-707, and 13-802.

COUNT 4:

The Introduction is hereby incorporated by reference. DALE JOSEPH FUSHEK, on or between the 9th day of March 1987, and the 9th day of March 1990, encouraged or contributed to the delinquency of MARC OLSEN, a minor, by engaging in a pattern of conduct on the property and premises of St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, while defendant was a priest at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, involving numerous sexually related discussions with MARC OLSEN about his masturbatory conduct and/or other sexual activities. Defendant asked MARC OLSEN about his sex life, discussing erections and masturbation before inviting him to join him in a hot tub on the property and premises of St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, in violation of A.R.S. §§ 13-3612, 13-3613, 13-3614, 13-707, and 13-802.

COUNT 5:

The Introduction is hereby incorporated by reference. DALE JOSEPH FUSHEK, on or between the 9th day of March 1989, and the 9th day of March 1990, in the presence of MARC OLSEN, exposed his genitals and was reckless about whether MARC OLSEN, as a reasonable person, would be offended or alarmed by the act. Specifically, the defendant while a priest at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church invited MARC OLSEN, age 17, back to St. Timothy’s Catholic Church rectory and suggested they use the hot tub on the property and premises of St. Timothy’s Catholic

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Church. Defendant then pulled his pants off and stood naked, exposing his genitals and watching MARC OLSEN change into a swimsuit, in violation of A.R.S. §§ 13-1402, 13-3821, 13-707, and 13-802.

Comments

[pacatholic]

I'm beginning to become immediately suspicious anytime one of these guys is described as "popular and highly charismatic."

Is it just me?

[Colleen]

I don't think it's just you pacatholic. Sadly, it's too easy to think the worst regardless of what adjectives are used.

I feel such sadness for the many - especially the young - who's faith will be shaken because of this. Or the many who will feel justified again in having jettisoned the faith due to the ugliness and horror and pain wrought by the scandals. And the embarrassment of many of us. The horror of contemplating souls who would fall prey to such degradation.

[Old Zhou]

The lay Jesuit missionary to Alaska who is in the news this weekend wasn't particularly "charismatic," nor was the lay Franciscan missionary to Alaska also in this weekend's news.
But they did destroy the faith of a whole lot of children in the 1960's and 1970's.

It is amusing how everyone is passing the buck on them. They were affiliated with relgious orders, so the bishops won't claim them. But they were also "lay volunteers" so the orders won't claim them. Nobody is responsible. The Church is devastated. Nobody is responsible.

[Minn-Ray]

I don't necessarily think that being "popular and highly charismatic" are the only personality characteristics of child molesters.

The dominant personality traits that go with being a homosexual pervert have to be hubris (excessive pride and arrogance fueling the feeling that they'll never get caught) coupled with a phenomenal amount of stupidity and absolutely zero self control.

Aren't these people aware that there are a million attornies out their dying to get their hands on them while the perpetrators have their hands otherwise occupied?

And all these whining Bishops and theologians who want to protect the perverts must have the financial knowledge of your typical four year old.

And the Bishops who aren't whining, why aren't they screaming from the pulpits at their brethren to STOP IT?

Fushek's support group is probably already formed and well-funded.

[Old Zhou]

More on charges against Fushek.

The former vicar general of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix was arrested Monday on charges he fondled boys and asked them questions about sex that he misrepresented as being part of confession.

Monsignor Dale Fushek becomes one of the highest-ranking priests to be charged in the sex scandal that has engulfed the church. The vicar general is the highest-ranking administrator of a diocese next to the bishop.

Fushek was charged with three counts of assault, five of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and two of indecent exposure.

[belloc]

Founder of Life Teen? Have any of you ever been to a Life Teen Mass? It's a veritable abomination of desolation.

Confirm Quo Primum, Holy Father. Do it now. Please.

Sancte Pius V, ora pro nobis.

[Patricia Gonzalez]

Dear Lord, here we go again... Will it ever end? Pray, pray, pray.

[JP]

Prehaps, in the end, all social associations that Catholics have used for decades, if not in many cases centuries, are to be stripped away. Many parents no longer trust thier priests with thier children, many parents also have become disillusioned with the Parochial Schools - not because the schools are dangerous, or cannot teach, but because they no longer teach a Catholic cirriculumn. Most of the famous Catholic univsersities are Catholic In Name Only; and even some chapters of the Knights Of Coloumbus have fallen away.

It is as if Christ is saying, "You are Catholic not because of the schools, clubs, and social institutions. You are Catholic because I want you to be Catholic. As long as there is one Priest to celebrate Mass you will be just fine. Be thankful you have Priests; be thankful you have confession;be thankful you have The Mass. Everything else is gravy."

[Bob]

Has all this sort of gone on from Time Immemorial, and we just didn't know about it?

[Dale Price]

Pray for the kids in LifeTeen--a lot of them are going to be devastated by this.

[JC]

Dale,
You hit on precisely the problem with things like LifeTeen--they're so "personality" based and "emotion" based that people's faith gets devastated by stuff like this. . . .

[chris]

Life Teen: Evangelical Protestant Lite. Contemporary worship without the challenging preaching.

[Mike Petrik]

Life Teen has indeed swept the nation, but I personally doubt that many kids have ever heard of Fushek let alone his arrest. While I don't care for the aesthetics of the Life Teen Mass, the liturgy can be and has been adusted to render it proper. If the kids like it (and not all do, but some do), then fine with me.
I do agree that "popular and charismatic" should send off alarm bells.

[Mike Petrik]

chris,
I have no doubt that Life Teen Masses rarely include challenging preaching; but the same can be said for most Catholic Masses pretty much anywhere.

[chris]

When I was a bit younger and less wise, I actually joined the "music ministry" in my former Parish's Life Teen program. I only lasted a couple months though, after finding the selection of songs very problematic doctrinally. Many were chosen from CCLI, and included a lot of sola-fide affirming songs, some of which we even played.

I could not continue in good conscience, for theological reasons. Over time, the whole "let's dumb everything down and present the Mass as entertainment" spirit of the whole thing really put me off, too.

But Mike is right, the preaching wasn't any better or worse than at a regular Mass. The homily was the same homily that was given at all of the regular Masses. So in that vein, I don't mean to suggest that the preaching is worse in Life Teen. Preaching could be better and more challenging across the board. But lackluster preaching in Catholic Parishes is a particularly poor match to contemporary rock and roll praise and worship.

[Ken]

"let's dumb everything down and present the Mass as entertainment"

Which immediately puts you at a disadvantage, trying to compete with 100% entertainment programs on their home turf.

[Ambrosius]

Mike said, If the kids like it (and not all do, but some do), then fine with me.

Mike! Come now! Young people need to have their sensibilities formed; they are young and inexperienced! Why should their youth, inexperience, lack of taste, and sloth be catered to? Is that or has that ever been the Christian message?

Sorry to go off a bit, but that is precisely the attitude -- let's make the kids happy! -- that is just cover for ceasing to do the hard duty of teaching children to be adults.

[Jason]

Life Teen: Evangelical Protestant Lite. Contemporary worship without the challenging preaching.

What are you basing this accusation on? Although I do not particularly care for the Liturgical style of Lifeteen, it has led many Catholic teens to a profoundly orthodox and Eucharistic faith. This may not be the case universally, of course, as much of it depends on the local youth minister. But Fushek's arrest does nothing to discredit the overall soundness of the program.

[Marc]

>"let's dumb everything down and present the Mass as entertainment" <

The popular culture views reality through the lens of entertainment.

Christ didn't say:
On this rock I will build my entertainment
center.

[Jenn E]

Hi all, I don't post but I frequent this blog mostly . . . Oh yeah not the "I confess . ."

I just wanted to throw two cents in,
when I reverted about 5 or more years now, it was the St Tim's parish that my DH took me to because it's where his friends took him when in HS - mid eighties. He was atheist at the time. He feels that if it wasn't for the example of the teens inviting him (and they did go to daily Mass while in public HS too) he wouldn't have converted to Catholicism when I felt called to my return journey. He doesn't ever remember Fr. Fushek at the Life Teen meetings. It was "run" by a few dedicated parents and they would have guest speakers.
Yes, Fr. Fushek was the priest for the first Mass I attended in a long time and yes I did get a headache. We ended up at another parish that I love! My husband converted there. He feels he wouldn't have stepped in to a Catholic church ever if it wasn't for Life Teen. The teens there (St Tim's) were definitely emotionally involved - They loved Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament like I have never witnessed outside of AZ (we've been gone four years now). There would often be tears when receiving Him. The teens, everyone really - was so involved with the Mass. So, I thank the Lord for using anything that could pick up scraps like us and bring us back to the fold!

The parish that we ended up at - flourishing, great priest, reverent, orthodox but the music didn't give me headache and Jesus did have a prominent place then - now he is moved back to the place of honor - front and center.

I'll be joining you in prayer - we do remember a couple that went to St Tim's simply for the good preaching. There will be many whose "faith" will be challenged. I especially pray for the victims, I imagine there are alot more than we have heard of - the man was so well loved it has got to be very hard on the victims to be able to confront such evil. I do pray the victims are strengthened with this arrest.

[Gen X Revert]

I went to the 5 PM Mass a nearby parish not knowing it was a LifeTeen Mass. It was like most parish Masses except the music group was up front, on microphones and the lead singer spoke on mic like he was in a comedy club, even bantering back and forth with the Priest a couple of times. It was pretty awful, although the preaching was not any worse than at any other Mass. I wonder about the ability of these types of groups to really form young Catholics. As far as Fushek, these allegations are not new, but I am glad to see him finally charged. I hope that with Bishop O'Brien in jail for murdering a man, and Fushek out of the picture perhaps things are looking up on Arizona. Perhaps even the hot tubs on parish grounds will be removed?

[chris]

"Here we are, now entertain us."

Say what you will about Kurt Cobain. But you can't deny that he had modern teens figured out.

And to Jason, I'm basing this, I confess, on my experience at only two Life Teen parishes. My follow-up post about sola-fide songs is also another piece of my experience.

[didymus]

"popular and charismatic."

Cardinal Francis Arinze: "There’s “a lot of ignorance, a lot of temptations to showmanship for the priest, who celebrates facing the people. If he is not very disciplined, he will soon become a performer. He may not realize it, but he will be projecting himself rather than projecting Christ.”

Give me unpopular and reverent every time.

[marie]

Jason - you are in denial.

It's hard to imagine how Father Fushek's arrest could not reflect on the "relational ministry" advocated by Lifeteen. As I sat at yet another introduction to the program this year, featuring a video of Fushek, the "founder and inspiration of Lifeteen" gushing on about how great his program was and how it finally allowed teens to know Jesus, it made me laugh. I could see that "the teens" would not be learning much about humility from Father Dale. Then we were told that no parents could even drive other people's kids to Lifeteen events without taking the VIRTUS program. However, we were supposed to happily entrust our kids to this guy's trademarked program, and all the Lifeteen CORE members who would, through trademarked "relational ministry", become so important in our kids' lives. No more.

[Yvonne]

I have a teen-- and those of you who do or have had.. Would any of you ever send your child to a LifeTeen Mass?
My son was asked ONCE to go and he politely turned his friend down, it's not his style, perhaps because it's not our families style?

The kids who attend LifeTeen--are their parents more charismatic Cursillo type folks? or non-practicing Catholics?

It just makes me curious what type of teens are interested in this entertainment Catholicism.

[MS]

I choose to never attend the LifeTeen Mass, so I can't say what it's problems are. But the Dallas diocese has only a handful of seminarians right now (there were zero ordinations this year, there'll be zero next year, and maybe two the year after that) The only seminarians we do have are guys who have come from the LifeTeen programs. And so far, they look like a good group of guys. So I hesitate to dismiss the program and all its fruits completely.

[John]

I am no SSPX but after much thinking I am conviced that the NovusOrdo (NO) is hopelessly compromised and cannot be reformed.

First, the NO has become a battle ground. Catholic minimalists and worse see it as totally malleable for their purposes.

Bishops refuse to catechise their flocks about the eucharist. One very rarely hears teaching coming from chanceries and if some should seep out it comes from a dissident nun or priest and not the bishop. Their favorite agent-in-residence in parishes is the "music minister" and DRE without much theological education or education at all. In most places these functions have replaced the priest who is distracted with often inconsequential matters.

Read the reports from the bishops' recent conference, it is enough to make one cry.

[CV]

Based on marie's comment, it's hard not to be struck by the many rich (albeit sad) ironies here.

Msgr. Fushek coined the term "relational ministry," huh? How, um, ironic.

And apparently in some dioceses these days parents can't even drive teens to Msgr.'s Fushek's trademarked LifeTeen events without VIRTUS training? The mind reels...

[Old Zhou]

Relational Ministry.
Relational Ministry.
Relational Ministry.

Does that mean anything to Catholics?

The LifeTeen model is relational youth ministry, Catholic edition.

Dean, K. C. and Foster, R. (1998) The Godbearing Life. The art of soul tending for youth ministry, Nashville, Tennessee: Upper Room Books. 221 pages. An influential exploration of youth ministry that argues against ministry as something we 'do' to someone else. Instead, it is approached as 'a holy way of living toward God and toward one another' (1998: 9). The writers argue for a shift from a focus on program to relational ministry: 'contact ministry, showing up, hanging out, earning the right to be heard' (ibid.: 26) and then on to incarnational ministry.

Youth ministry focuses on relationships, not only because of who teenagers are but because of who God is. God is a relationship - Christian tradition uses the relational language of Father, Son and Holy Spirit to describe the persons of the Trinity - and this God's love is so generous that the Godhead alone cannot contain it. Significant relationships with other Christians matter because they teach us something about what God is like - the One who can love us in spite of ourselves and who loves us passionately enough to suffer willingly on our behalf.

McDowell, S. and Willey, R. (eds.) Josh McDowell's Youth Ministry Handbook. Making the connection, 2000, Nashville, Tennesee: Word Publishing. 262 pages. Collection of fifty short pieces that while taking on some of the language of relational ministry is shot through by a model of young people as being in deficit. Interesting as an insight into a fairly aggressive evangelical approach to ministry.

Chapter 8 is "Relational Youth Ministry."

Relational youth ministy is, basically, feeding the sheep to the wolf if the minister is willing and enabled to abuse them. This seems to be the case with a lot of Roman Catholic youth ministers, unfortunately.

However, in an evangelical Protestant setting where (1) there is no hierarchy to protect ministers who are abusers, (2) there is very real, very swift, very severe accountability of ministers who are abusers and (3) there is a greater likelihood (but no guarantee) that the youth minister might have actually had some spiritual conversion and real spiritual life (including fear of God), then this can be a very effect, very profitable ministry model.

However, I would NEVER attempt to use a relational youth ministry model in a Roman Catholic environment. The job really falls to parents, or very well supervised (and carefully watched) youth ministers.

The relational youth ministry model is also not sacramental, and not particularly directed toward "mature Catholic life" and is often raterh negative in outlook, tending to create ministers who, after some years, view youth as "broken" vessels that they must fix. It becomes a power game.

I believe it is quite possible that a number of these cases of Catholic priest (a.k.a. youth minister) gone over to the dark side are cases where the (deviant) priest/minister actually believed he was "relating to," "helping," "ministering to" the youth he was abusing in areas of the youths concern (sexual immorality, desires), and that a the priest/minister actually believed this was helpful/therapeutic. That is why they have so much trouble believing that what they did was wrong or sinful.

[dymphna]

Screaming now.

[Lexington, KY]

The LifeTeen Mass here in Lexington, KY(at our Cathedral mind you) is frightening.

The last time I went they were having an extended announcement period which then disintegrated into a "skit". I had to leave.

Out of the 300 or so attendees (who want to hold hands, wear their gym shorts and sing campy praise and worship songs) only about 30 are teenagers. The rest, including all but one of the "praise band" are old, aging hippies... Do teens listen to the folk music of the 60s?

If you won't at least bow during the Creed or make the Sign of the Cross when you enter the Church, why do you insist on holding my hand or waving at me from across the church during those sappy choruses?

Sadly, all of this right happens right under the bishop's nose.

Let's pray the LifeTeen Mass is shelved next to Father Greeley's latest novel and feed these "teens" some real food!

[Tom H]

Seems that the overly gregarious, popular, or 'fun' ones often turns out to be the ones to be afraid of. This is true not only of the ones in religious life, but in the population in general.

I have been a youth minister at my parish for about 10 years now. I'm 46 years old - far from a youth myself. After each one of these cases comes up, I always fear that some are saying 'What about him? He is always doing something or another with the kids at church."

[CV]

I confess.

Even when I was a teen I hated skits.

Anybody else hate skits?

[Tom Kelty]

Sad, very sad and frightening. Who said of Satan,"That he will lead astray even the elect..." What a crushing injury the victims will suffer for their entire lives. Christ did warn that for those who scandalize the innocent, "It would be better if they had a millstone tied around their neck and were cast into the sea." No amount of money can truly compensate them. The Bishops heard warnings years ago from Thomas Doyle, an Attorney and from Richard Sipe a Psychologist. Their answer was damage control maneuvers which vary slightly from diocese to diocese. The main culprits have not been identified formally or punished in any way. Total Accountability and Transparency are still aspirations not realities. My hope and prayer is that the lack of ordained catholic clergy brings us to a point where the non-ordained (who actually pay all the bills) will become closely involved at the Parish and Chancery level....That we finally throw off the useless and harmful miasma of the myth of Absolute Power which infuses so much of church decision making. We need to review the whole concept Of Infallibility, the impact it has within the church and the stumbling block it is to church unity.
Somewhere in his training this sinning cleric learned how to abuse power and not get caught...at least for a while.

[Jason]

Jason - you are in denial.

It's hard to imagine how Father Fushek's arrest could not reflect on the "relational ministry" advocated by Lifeteen.

I'm supposed to believe that Youth Ministers who use Lifeteen are unwitting child molestors? That Fushek somehow embedded child molestation into his program, and these adult leaders are duped into it?

I have no personal connection to Lifeteen. I have no reason to be in "denial". But I do know people, youth and CORE members, who have experienced the completely orthodox vitality of a Lifeteen program, and are by no means quasi-Protestant, hippie Catholic kids with no foundation.

[Old Zhou]

LifeTeen has a product which is just too ironic:

LT [LifeTeen] TV 9: Heartburn - The Effect of Relational Ministry.

The "heartburn" is supposed to be that of Lk 24:32 on the Road to Emmaeus. But, given that it is too often corrupt priests leading the disciples down the road to perdition, rather than Emmaeus, the "heartburn" today is of a very different sort.

The description of the video includes:
Learn how to approach teens more effectively in your community...

Right. Just what deviant middle aged priests and lay youth ministers need...

A word of advice from a person with experince in the evanglical world: "relational ministry" should only be engaged between peers, never between a minister/disciple pair with a significan age, maturity, power or authority difference. NEVER between clergy and youth. NEVER.

[Radactrice]

The Teen Life Masses I've been to have been just fine. Not in the same category as a papal liturgy, but the kids were reverent, the homily decent, the music tolerable. And the kids were there, participating. That alone is something positive.

[Thomas]

I don't see why everyone is ragging on Teen Life. At my parish, St. Thomas More in Houston, I consider the Teen Life mass one of the real hightlights of parish life. People show up to participate in the Mass and they don't mind that the pastor stretches the liturgy to one-and-a-half hours. And the homilies are solidly orthodox too.

[Bob]

Even when I was a teen I hated skits.

Anybody else hate skits?

Me too.

[MS]

John,

I don't see how a Tridentine mass would eliminate what you are talking about : "Bishops refuse to catechise their flocks about the eucharist. One very rarely hears teaching coming from chanceries and if some should seep out it comes from a dissident nun or priest and not the bishop."

Why would this change if we all reverted to Tridentine masses? It seems to me that we would still have bishops who refused to teach and to catechize, and on top of that, we'd have masses no one understood.

[amy]

Well, this is an example of a post I probably shouldn't have opened for comments. There's really not so much to say, so of course it ends up being about Novus Ordo v. Tridentine. So...