The NYtimes picks up the Bishop Gumbleton story – the fact that the 77-year old retired bishop is being transferred out of pastoral ministry.

The Archdiocese has its own account and the Archdiocesan Communications Director responds to NCR(eporter) stories on the retirement.

McGrath said he had viewed the video clip of Gumbleton at his last Mass as administrator of the parish, which is on NCRcafe.org. “I’m at a loss to explain the bishop’s statement to the St. Leo community on Sunday, the 21st, that he was ‘surprised’ by the letter or the transition in leadership at St. Leo’s.”

McGrath offered this sequence of events:

“In a meeting earlier this month, the bishop and Cardinal Maida agreed that the 21st would be his last Mass as administrator. Last Wednesday, the 17th, one of our other auxiliary bishops met with Bishop Gumbleton to discuss the transition. Last Friday, the 19th, a personal letter confirming the timetable — and thanking Bishop Gumbleton for his years of service to the archdiocese and the parish — was hand-delivered and received by the bishop at St. Leo’s.

“Several weeks ago, Bishop Gumbleton requested that there be some form of direct communication to the parish from the archdiocese. Honoring that request, 300 copies of the cardinal’s letter were shared with the parish council and the parish staff and other interested parishioners on Saturday, the 20th, at 1 p.m. It was read to them as well. One of our auxiliary bishops and a facilitator from our Parish Life & Services Department spent two hours meeting with about 40 people at St. Leo’s. Although invited to participate, Bishop Gumbleton chose to recuse himself from that meeting. He did not attend.”