Tag: OLMC

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Cardinal Tobin Installed as Sixth Archbishop of Newark

Cardinal Tobin

January 6, 2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Newark NJ,His Eminence, Joseph William Cardinal Tobin, C.Ss.R., was installed as the Sixth Archbishop of Newark this afternoon before an overflow crowd at Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, at a Mass attended by six Roman Catholic cardinals and some 60 archbishops and bishops from throughout the country. Some 500 priests and deacons from the Archdiocese, neighboring New Jersey and New York dioceses, and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, as well as civic leaders and representatives of New Jersey’s Jewish, Protestant and Orthodox communities, were in attendance. Some 2,000 people attended the standing-room-only service.

Also in attendance at the Installation were members of Cardinal Tobin’s family and guests from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, where he had served previously as Archbishop.

The Most Reverend John J. Myers, Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Newark, welcomed all guests to the liturgy on behalf of the priests, religious and laity of the Archdiocese. Immediately following the welcome, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, The Most Reverend Christophe Pierre, read the mandate of His Holiness, Pope Francis, authorizing Cardinal Tobin to take canonical possession of the Archdiocese of Newark, a faith community of some 1.5 million Catholics in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties.

Reverend Monsignor Michael A. Andreano, KCHS, Chancellor of the Archdiocese, presented the mandate to the College of Consultors of the Archdiocese of Newark, who examined it and affixed the archdiocesan seal. Cardinal Tobin then was led to the cathedra, the throne of the bishop of the diocese, and presented with the staff, the sign of his pastoral office.

Those in attendance greeted him with thunderous applause after the formal seating, and representatives of diocesan groups, leaders of religious communities, and government officials extended personal greetings to Archbishop Myers.

Those not able to be present at the installation were able to view the ceremony via a live broadcast of the entire liturgy provided by NetTV, the media arm of the Diocese of Brooklyn, and aired on EWTN and other Catholic television networks, as well as streamed live by News12.com.

Pope Francis named Cardinal Tobin to lead the Archdiocese of Newark, one of the largest archdioceses in terms of population in the United States, on November 7, 2016. The Archdiocese extends over 511 square miles, and is geographically the smallest archdiocese in the United States. Some 877 priests serve in the various parishes and other ministries in this local Church of Newark. Permanent deacons, religious Sisters and Brothers total 1035. The Archdiocese of Newark encompasses 214 parishes, 96 private Catholic and parochial schools, four Catholic universities colleges, three Catholic hospitals, and almost 40 health care, ancillary care and medical centers, sanatoriums and hospices, homes for the invalid and aged, and centers for other human services. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese is considered the largest non-governmental social service agency in the state of New Jersey.

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Catholic Online reports that new priests will be expected to be familiar with and promote efforts to reduce carbon emissions

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Catholic Online reports that new priests will be expected to be familiar with and promote efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

New priests to learn about global warming as part of formation

…

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) — The Catholic Church is intimately concerned about climate change. The Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences is the world’s oldest, longest running scientific mission. That body, which advises the pope on matters of science, has concluded that global climate change is real and is caused, at least in significant part, by human activity.

This is important to the Church because creation care is part of our mission. We are called to be stewards of creation. It’s also important because climate change can exacerbate the ills of poverty. Poor people in much of the world are the most vulnerable to changes.

…

Unfortunately, the issue is politicized. In the late 1970s, when the issue threatened the financial interests of the fossil fuel industry, the political lobbies, chiefly in the United States, financed a massive political disinformation campaign to manufacture the illusion of dissent within the scientific community.

We know because this manipulation of public opinion has been caught and documented. The fossil fuel industry funds nearly all of the climate change skeptics, going so far as to commission questionable studies, to financing think tanks, and even paying individual bloggers. The deception continues today.

…

But what does this have to do with the Church?

The Church has a responsibility to care for people, and the environment. And care for one is also care for the other.

Now updated guidelines for the formation of clergy says new priests should understand this as well:

“Protecting the environment and caring for our common home — the Earth, belong fully to the Christian outlook on man and reality. Priests should be “promoters of an appropriate care for everything connected to the protection of creation.”

The new guidelines suggest that in the future, priests will also have a good grasp of the global climate change problem and will share this with their congregation.

…

Read more: https://www.catholic.org/news/green/story.php?id=72433

From the Vatican website;

The Gift of the Priestly Vocation

… For some time now, experts and researchers, active in different fields of study, have turned their attention to the emerging planetary crisis, which is reflected strongly in the current Magisterium regarding the ‘ecological question’. Protecting the environment and caring for our common home – the Earth – belong fully to the Christian outlook on man and reality. They constitute in some way the basis for a sound ecology of human relations. Hence they demand, today above all, a “profound interior conversion. It must be said that some committed and prayerful Christians, with the excuse of realism and pragmatism, tend to ridicule expressions of concern for the environment. Others are passive; they choose not to change their habits and thus become inconsistent. So what they all need is an ‘ecological conversion’, whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evidence in their relationship with the world around them. Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience. Therefore it will be necessary for future priests to be highly sensitive to this theme and, through the requisite Magisterial and theological guidance, helped to “acknowledge the appeal, immensity and urgency of the challenge we face”. This must then be applied to their future priestly ministry, making them promoters of an appropriate care for everything connected to the protection of creation. …

Source: https://www.clerus.va/content/dam/clerus/Ratio%20Fundamentalis/The%20Gift%20of%20the%20Priestly%20Vocation.pdf

Whats next? Excommunication of scientists whose theories aren’t approved by the Pope?

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Conservative cardinals challenge Pope over teachings on family

Mt_Carmel_Church_theridgewoodblog

By Philip PullellaNovember 14, 2016

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Four conservative Roman Catholic cardinals on Monday made a rare public challenge to Pope Francis over some of his teachings in a major document on the family, accusing him of sowing confusion on important moral issues.

The cardinals – two Germans, an Italian, and an American – said they had gone public with their letter to the pope because he had not responded.

The pope has clashed before with conservatives who worry he is weakening Roman Catholic rules on moral issues such as homosexuality and divorce while focusing on social problems such as climate change and economic inequality.

At issue are some of the teachings in a 260-page treatise called “Amoris Laetitia” (The Joy of Love), a cornerstone document of Francis’ attempt to make the 1.2 billion-member Church more inclusive and less condemning.

In the document, issued in April, he called for a Church that was less strict and more compassionate towards any “imperfect” members, such as those who divorced and remarried, saying “no one can be condemned forever”.

Most critics have focused on what the pope’s letter said about the full re-integration into the Church of members who divorce and remarry in civil ceremonies.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/conservative-cardinals-challenge-pope-over-teachings-family-135235466.html

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New Archbishop Named for Newark Archdiocese

Mt_Carmel_Church_theridgewoodblog

November 7, 2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Newark NJ, The Most Reverend John J. Myers, Archbishop of Newark, today announced to a gathering of local journalists and Archdiocesan employees and guests in the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart that His Holiness, Pope Francis, has accepted his request for retirement under Canon 401 §1 of Canon law, and has named His Eminence, Cardinal-elect Joseph W. Tobin as the Sixth Archbishop of Newark.

Prior to this announcement, Cardinal-elect Tobin had been the Sixth Archbishop of Indianapolis. On October 9, The Holy Father named him to the College of Cardinals.

In making this announcement, Archbishop Myers stated: “Today it is my honor and pleasure to present to you His Eminence, Cardinal-elect Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.

“I am very happy to welcome him in the name of all of us in this great Archdiocese,” he continued. “I know that he will find that the 1.5 million Catholics within the four counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union are rich in faith, have a great love for the Church, and are committed to living and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Archbishop Myers then stated that he has known and worked with the Cardinal-elect on a number of occasions over the years both within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and through the Congregation for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in Rome, where His Eminence had served as Archbishop Secretary from 2010 until his appointment as Archbishop of Indianapolis in 2012.

Archbishop Myers also noted that both he and Cardinal-Elect Tobin share a regional kinship. “The Archdiocese of Indianapolis, from which he will join us, and the Diocese of Peoria, from which I originate, share a boundary – a friendly boundary, I might add. The Midwest experience might have some influences, as I am sure you soon will learn.”

Cardinal-elect Tobin addressed the gathering by stating: “Two weeks ago, I learned that Pope Francis was entrusting to me the pastoral care of this storied Archdiocese. Two week earlier, I discovered that the Holy Father had named me to the College of Cardinals. I am not sure my central nervous system can take much more news. You will forgive the occasional stutter or facial twitch.”

Reflecting on the change in assignment, he said, “I have understood that God has called me to live my baptism as a missionary disciple: one who is called by Jesus to be with Him and be sent forth to preach and to heal.”

Although he stated that he had no immediate vision for the future of the Archdiocese, Cardinal-elect Tobin shared that there were three principals that will guide his ministry as he discerns with the people of this local Church of Newark the way forward.  “The criterion by which I can to be judged is whether, by word and actions, I led people to a deeper love for Jesus, who is the merciful face of God. My first conviction is that I am called to watch over the unity of this Archdiocese and to encourage in charity the journal of all toward an ever-greater knowledge, faith and love of Christ.

“My second conviction is that the love of Christ is made manifest through His Body, the Church. In describing the mission of the Church, the Holy Father outlined the tasks of the Archdiocese of Newark: to heal the wounded hearts, to open doors, to free people to say that God is good, God forgives all, that God is our Father, that God is tender, that God is always waiting for us.”

His Eminence then added that he believes “that the Church in every age is challenged to reproduce the double miracle that accompanied her birth.” Referencing the miracle of the day of Pentecost – that people form many lands heard the Good News proclaimed by the Apostles, each in his or her own language, as well as the subsequent miracle of the ability of the many different people who constitute the Church retain the richness of their cultures while discovering a principle of unity. “This principle,” he said, “is nothing less than the Holy Spirit.” He recalled that he “grew up in a multi-cultural neighborhood of Southwest Detroit. I was a little jealous of classmates that went home and spoke a different language, ate different food, thought differently. My service of the Church obliged me to live many years in cultures different from the Irish-American ambient of my family. So I am excited to lead an Archdiocese where the Eucharist is celebrated each Sunday in 20 languages. The Holy Spirit will help us prolong the double miracle of Pentecost.”

The Cardinal-elect then expressed his gratitude to “the power of the Gospel, which has brought about remarkable growth of Christ’s Church in this Archdiocese and enabled its generous contribution, past and present, to American society and to the world; to Pope Francis, for his leadership of the Church and the example of his life, which teaches me how to be a bishop; to Archbishop John Joseph Myers, for the 15 years he has spent laboring for the good of the Church, and; to my beloved Archdiocese of Indianapolis – her Clergy, Religious and Faithful – in thanksgiving for all we have been able to do together, for the love and respect we share, for the unit that we will continue to enjoy in the communion of saints and the Breaking of the Bread.”

He concluded his remarks with a reference to the American Catholic novelist, Walker Percy, who wrote: “Never has there been a more fertile harvest for the seed and the harvest the Lord spoke of.  All that is needed is a bearer of the Good News who speaks of it with such authenticity that it can penetrate the most exhausted hearing, revise the most jaded language.

“I invite the Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Religious and Faithful of the Archdiocese of Newark,” he said, “to pray for me, that in my service to you, I might speak of the Good news with such authenticity that you may recognize in my words the voice of the Good Shepherd.”

A Mass of Installation for the new Archbishop is expected to take place on Friday, January 6, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark.

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Catholic Bishop Slams Hillary Clinton’s “Anti-Catholic” Campaign, It Has a “Toxic Prejudice”

Mount Carmel

NATIONAL   STEVEN ERTELT   OCT 21, 2016   |   12:28PM    WASHINGTON, DC

A Catholic bishop is slamming the campaign of pro-abortion candidate Hillary Clinton over recent emails from her top campaign staff trashing Catholic voters.

Bishop Thomas Tobin says Hillary Clinton’s radical proportion position is one of the several issues he has problems with the Democratic candidate on but he’s also very concerned about the recently leaked emails from WikiLeaks that show top Clinton staffers calling Catholic voters “severely backwards.”

Tobin said the emails “reveal the existence of a toxic, anti-Catholic prejudice within the Clinton campaign.”

“The messages marginalize faithful Catholics, ridicule Catholic beliefs, and promote ideological division in the Church,” Bishop Tobin wrote. “They call for the ‘end of a middle-ages dictatorship and the beginning of a little democracy and respect for gender equality in the Catholic Church.’ In light of the widespread anti-Christian, anti-Catholic prejudice rampant in our culture today, should we be at all surprised by this vitriol?”

https://www.lifenews.com/2016/10/21/catholic-bishop-slams-hillary-clintons-anti-catholic-campaign-it-has-a-toxic-prejudice/

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Ahead of Al Smith Dinner, Cardinal Dolan says Hillary owes Catholics an apology

Mt_Carmel_Church_theridgewoodblog

Lisa Bourne

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, October 19, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – New YorkCardinal Timothy Dolan called for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to disassociate herself from anti-Catholic statements made by her campaign chairman and said the remarks were “extraordinarily patronizing and insulting to Catholics.”

Asked about the anti-Catholic comments after speaking at The Bishop’s Respect Life Dinner on Monday night for the Diocese of Colorado Springs, Cardinal Dolan suggested that had other faith traditions been the target of the prejudiced remarks, there would have been a swift apology and absolute disavowal of them.

But as far as an apology from Clinton for the remarks demeaning Catholics, “Hasn’t happened yet,” Cardinal Dolan said.

Emails released last week by WikiLeaks showed Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta and Director of Communications Jennifer Palmieri, both Catholics, in conversations with activists from two left-wing organizations. In the emails, Catholics were debased, with their beliefs being called “severely backwards.” Conservative Catholics also were accused of “an amazing bastardization of the faith,” and Rupert Murdoch was mocked for baptizing his children as Catholics in the River Jordan.

The U.S. Church’s bishops were slammed in the emails as well, referred to as “a middle ages dictatorship.”

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cardinal-dolan-clinton-owes-catholics-an-apology

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Hillary Clinton’s war on faith

MT

By Marc Thiessen

October 15, 2016

In a speech not long before she launched her 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton made a stunning declaration of war on religious Americans. Speaking to the 2015 Women in the World Summit, Clinton declared that “deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed.”

Religious beliefs have to be changed? This is perhaps the most radical statement against religious liberty ever uttered by someone seeking the presidency. It is also deeply revealing.

Clinton believes that, as president, it is her job not to respect the views of religious conservatives but to force them to change their beliefs and bend to her radical agenda favoring taxpayer-funded abortion on demand.

This is the context in which we must read a recently released trove of e-mails — which, according to WikiLeaks, come from the accounts of Clinton staff — showing the rampant anti-Catholic bigotry that permeates Clinton World.

In a 2012 e-mail WikiLeaks says was sent to John Podesta, now chairman of the Clinton campaign, Voices for Progress president Sandy Newman writes that “there needs to be a Catholic Spring, in which Catholics themselves demand the end of a middle ages dictatorship and the beginning of a little democracy and respect for gender equality in the Catholic church” and proposed the Clinton team “plant the seeds of the revolution” to change Catholic teaching.

Podesta replies, “We created Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good to organize for a moment like this . . . Likewise Catholics United.”

https://nypost.com/2016/10/15/hillary-clintons-war-on-faith/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPFacebook&utm_medium=SocialFlow&sr_share=facebook

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Catholic bishop blasts Clinton over emails, ‘scheming, robotic liar’

Mt_Carmel_Church_theridgewoodblog

By PAUL BEDARD (@SECRETSBEDARD) • 10/13/16 4:04 PM

Outraged by the anti-Catholic bigotry displayed in leaked Team Clinton emails this week, the powerful Philadelphia bishop blasted bothPresident Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton for their efforts to undermine church teachings.

In his weekly column for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Archbishop Charles Chaput Thursday demanded that Clinton repudiate the emails — then added that he doesn’t expect her to.

Mocking the theme in the emails that Catholics are backward thinking for views on abortion, marriage and other core issues, Chaput wrote, “Of course it would be wonderful for the Clinton campaign to repudiate the content of these ugly WikiLeaks emails. All of us backward-thinking Catholics who actually believe what Scripture and the Church teach would be so very grateful.”

He described Clinton as “a scheming, robotic liar with a lifelong appetite for power and an entourage riddled with anti-Catholic bigots.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/catholic-bishop-blasts-clinton-over-emails-scheming-robotic-liar/article/2604480#.WAEHYVnhBq4.twitter

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500 attend Ridgewood evening 9/11 mass

Mt_Carmel_Church_theridgewoodblog

BY KIBRET MARKOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

It is a memorial of the damage that “hardened hearts can do on thousands upon thousands,” but more importantly, it is a memorial of the dreams and hopes of the victims and their loved ones.

That is how the Rev. Msgr. Ronald J. Rozniak put it as more than 500 parishioners attended evening mass on Sunday at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Ridgewood.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/500-attend-ridgewood-evening-9-11-mass-1.1658514

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Reader says Sour grapes much? Bu-Bye Mr Mayor

Paul_Aronsoh_dunking_theridgewoodblog

First, there is not a parking problem anywhere near the magnitude described by the Mayor and the garage’s half dozen other supporters. There is a periodic parking inconvenience on weekends and a slight deficit of commuter parking for some Ridgewood residents that need to get to New York City after 7:00 am. The need has never been believably shown for a garage the size of the one proposed by the outgoing Council majority and their developer partners. Unless of course you want to build huge apartment buildings right? Hmmm, maybe this wasn’t about parking after all.

Second, ignoring the Mt. Carmel community in their rush to get the garage built was either a massive oversight or gross miscalculation by the Mayor and his outgoing running mates. You think after the beating their platform took on May 10 that there may have been an olive branch or two extended afterward but no. Anyone, including the Church, that didn’t see things their way was branded as ignorant, obstructionist and all of the other condescending epithets that have been hurled at us for the past 4 years.

Sour grapes much? Bu-Bye

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Father Ron of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Issues a VERY STRONG statement on Hudson Garage

Mt_Carmel_Church_theridgewoodblog

Dear Friends,

I liked last year’s Father’s Day reflection, so I decided to put it in again. I may fail to be as clever as my neighbor down the street, I may fail to be as wealthy as some other men I meet, I may never win the glory which a lot of men have had, But I’ve got to be successful as a little fellow’s dad. There are certain dreams I cherish which I’d like to see come true, There are things I would accomplish when my time of life is through, But the task my heart is on is to guide a little lad And to make myself successful as that little fellow’s dad. I may never come to glory, I may never gather gold, Men may list me with the failures when my business life is told, But if he who follows after me shall be manly, I’ll be glad, For I’ll know I’ve been successful as that little fellow’s dad. It’s the one job that I dream of, it’s the task I think of most, If I fail that growing youngster, I’d have nothing else to boast; For though wealth and fame I’d gathered, all my failure would be sad, If I failed to be successful as that little fellow’s dad. God bless all our dads on their special day and thank you for who you are. As a gift from the parish, please take a pen with you and know how much your faith contributes not only to your family but to the parish family as well.

Here we go again. I had resolved not to write on the deck again but I find myself on the subject one last time (since the referendum is Tuesday). Someone said to me that there was a video on the Village website and I should be sure to view it. I did. Several times. And that’s why I find myself writing. Notwithstanding the article in The Ridgewood News, dated June 10th, in which Council members indicate the referendum is about the bonding for a deck, the statement is made in the video, “There will be one question on the ballot that day, ‘Do you support this parking deck.?’” And the video clearly points to the 325 car deck. I find the ambiguity between these two positions worrisome. I have said all along I will not comment on the aesthetics of that deck, “its size, its proportionality to surrounding buildings and the streetscape it creates.” My two issues remain the traffic pattern changes and the on-street parking on the south side of Hudson Street. You will find in the video this statement, “There are two churches on South Broad and in looking at that we decided that directing traffic from the parking deck to Prospect provided better dispersion and less of a loading on South Board St. Our Office worked with ….” And then the video lists a number of entities that were consulted.

You will not hear the name of Our Lady of Mount Carmel mentioned in that consultation. Incredibly, the single largest reality, neighbor, directly across the street from the deck, not four or six blocks away was ignored. This is despite the fact that Mount Carmel hired its own traffic consultant from an equally reputable traffic consulting firm. In their review of the Village’s traffic report, they had this evaluation. “The traffic analysis in the STIS shows that with Hudson Street remaining one-way in the westbound direction, the parking garage will not (their emphasis) cause failure operations at the Hudson Street intersections with South Broad and Prospect Street. As such, we believe there is no need to reverse the traffic flow on Hudson Street or Passaic Street.” Of prime importance to the operations of Mount Carmel Church is the on-street parking on the church side of Hudson Street. In the early months of the year, it was claimed that even with the deck encroaching five feet into the sidewalk (and thus into the street), it would still allow for three lanes on Hudson Street, a parking lane (on the church side), a drive-thru lane and a turning lane into the deck. At a meeting of the Preservation Committee in March, this was unqualifiedly debunked. With the width of Hudson Street narrowed, even by only five feet, there will only be enough space for two lanes. Does this mean that in the future it may be found necessary to eliminate the on-street parking on the church side of Hudson? That will unquestionably have a negative impact on the operations of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

I just thought you needed some further information before you go to the polls on Tuesday. God Bless,

Father Ron

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Reader says , The way the Council Majority have disrespected the church and ALL Ridgewood residents is shameful

Ridgewood 3 amigos

file photo by Boyd Loving

I don’t understand how supporters of the majority council don’t have a problem that these 3, plus Roberta lied to residents to get that November vote. That is telling and shameful- all residents whether you want a garage or not should have no tolerance for such trickery.

Telling residents nothing has been decided with respect to design when indeed, the design has been decided, and we are not disclosing that our chosen design is 12 feet in the street was wrong and horrible leadership. Contracts to begin specs for design A were signed on October 28th – before the vote!!! It was deceitful and despicable, with no accountability and cost taxpayers $120,000 in change orders.

I can understand and be sympathetic to mistakes but not deliberate and deceitful plotting and scheming to get what you want. The current design is still too big. It is 5 feet in the street and 60’10” tall…not 46′ that they keep saying -which is frickin ridiculous they don’t count the towers when discussing height. Mt. Carmel (FYI is 50′ tall) will be here a lot longer than any restaurant or business. The way these people have disrespected the church and ALL residents is shameful, and to defend that behavior or turn a blind eye because you want a garage….what? Why?

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Ridgewood’s Hudson Street Garage by the Numbers

godzilla

May 9,2016

Gail and Jim McCarthy

In the name of promoting PROGRESS for Ridgewood, a huge amount of very slanted public relations has been spread about the Hudson Street garage project.Much of it has been in the form of “facts” that are not relevant.They are used only to obscure the real issues.

Here are 10 simple, TRUTHFUL facts that you should consider in forming your opinion.

1. 3236 voters who voted “yes” on the non-binding referendum never saw a drawing that placed the original design in context prior to the vote. We were told to “vote now for funding, and we can work together for a design later”. But plans had already been drawn up in October AND were withheld from the public until December.

2. BEFORE A FINAL DESIGN WAS PICKED, Our Village Manager said $295,000.00 was spent for “full site civil, landscape, utility, structural, plumbing, mechanical, electrical & fire” documents. They then had to issue a change order for $120,000.00 for the redesign because of this.

3. When the original design was finally illustrated in context, and released to the public, throngs of people came to a Village Council meeting and spoke out against the design, which jutted out into Hudson St. by 12 feet.

4. Per our Village Manager, “That garage could have ZERO CARS IN IT and it (the parking utility) can cover it.” She also recently confirmed we have plenty of empty parking spaces in the Cottage Place and Walnut St parking lots. According to her, we don’t even need to consider leasing the Zabriskie lot behind the movie theatre, and that would add 80 spaces immediately.

5. The Archdiocese of Newark, on behalf of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, has been consistent in asking that the garage be reduced one level. They were told the redesign would fit on the footprint and be taken down a level. It has only been lowered 30 inches, and does not fit on the footprint.

6. None of the buildings cited as references by “Progress Ridgewood” are 271 feet long. The three tallest buildings nearby all have front or side set backs of over 50 feet. Unlike all of the other “comparable buildings” in town, none of them jut out into the street by 5 feet.

7. The claim that the Village will spend $10 million to acquire 21 incremental spots if Design D is lowered one level, isn’t just bad math-it is an outright lie. The Village doesn’t own the Brogan or the Ken Smith sites, and the suggested garage will net the Village 187 parking spots.The truth about the garage size is that it needs to be a monstrosity in order to accommodate the parking needed for the high-density housing projects.

8. Resolution No. 16-110 is the resolution that was passed by the Village Council on April 27th after the petition was certified. It clearly states at bottom of page 2 that “the Village desires to submit the Ordinance(#3521) to the electorate at a special election to be held on June 21,2016 pursuant to the provisions of the Faulkner Act or, in the alternative, pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:49-27.” THAT IS THE HOME RULE ACT STATUTE. That language was included, according to Bond Counsel, “to protect the village from any litigation” – which means they know petitioners are correct.

9. $40-45,000.00 of municipal funds will be spent for a special election.The Village Council has every right call for one, under both Faulkner and Home Rule. That is a choice that the Council alone made, and for which the Council alone will be held accountable. Their inclusion of the Home Rule Act statute in Resolution 16-110 makes this abundantly clear.THEY ARE CHOOSING TO SPEND THE MONEY. NO ONE IS MAKING THEM.

10. JEFF VOIGT, BERNADETTE COGHLAN-WALSH AND RAMON HACHE refused to sign the pledge the other three candidates signed,which was created and put forth to the candidates by overzealous developers, landlords, business owners & investors.Bernadette Coghlan-Walsh, Jeffrey Voigt, Ramon Hache

HONESTY – INTEGRITY – TRUST A PLEDGE TO WORK FOR THE RESIDENTS OF RIDGEWOOD

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Special Election Scheduled for June 21st to Decide Fate of Hudson Garage in Ridgewood

hudson Garage in feet ridgewood

photo also courtesy of Saurabh Dani

April 30,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ , A special election will be held in June on the size of a proposed multi-level parking garage in Ridgewood on Hudson street. The June 21 was chosen because it falls within a date range officials were required to hold a special election.

Saurabh Dani is a Village resident who worked on the “its2Big ” petition and he used the Facebook group “it takes a Villlage to answer some questions about the garage referendum .
Saurabh Dani ,”The issue of 4 story vs 5 story will be decided by the residents. I have no idea why some candidates are claiming that they will be able to over turn that vote. Whatever is the outcome of that vote, the candidates should pledge to support that outcome, instead of signing the pledge for a specific plan.”

Dani goes on ,”My guess – some of them want to distract the residents from real issues – i.e. Valley, conflict of interest, High density housing, and lack of comprehensive master plan.”

Saurabh Dani , “the council had 20 days to act from yesterday (April 27th), as per their bond attorney. They could have easily waited until May 11th to make a decision. Depending on the outcome of the election on May 10th, they could have decided if a special election is really needed. They just wanted to cause a distraction and make a big deal out of special election, so they went ahead on the day of certification to call for a special election on June 21. The mayor had press release ready to circulate when he came for the meeting, while the village clerk had not even announced the results of the certification.”

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Do Recent Ridgewood Police Reports indicate A Sinister Plot Against Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church

MT

April 22,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, a recent spat of criminal activity at or near Mount Carmel Church in Ridgewood has left many wondering in the Church has become a target of unsavory politics do to its objections to the proposed Hudson Street Garage?

On Thursday, April 14 at 10pm, a person reported that her purse was stolen while inside Mount Carmel Church. She reported she had left it unattended while inside the church and someone removed it. Patrol searched the surrounding area of the church and located the purse in a garbage can next to the bus stop a short time later. The matter is being investigated by the Detective Bureau.

On Monday, April 18, a resident reported she had parked her vehicle outside Mount Carmel Church between 3am and 4am. When she returned to her vehicle she discovered the front window was smashed. The matter is under investigation by the Detective Bureau.

The Ridgewood blog also reported in March that the Ridgewood Police had responded to physical altercation outside of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church
https://theridgewoodblog.net/ridgewood-police-respond-to-physical-altercation-outside-of-the-our-lady-of-mount-carmel-church/

Long time residents smell some dirty politics or is it just a coincidence ?