Letter to the Priests, Deacons, Consecrated Religious, and the Baptized Faithful of the Diocese of Fort Worth

January 28, 2020

Dear Friends in Christ,

Recent news articles have compelled me to write this letter to you, the priests and people of our Diocese, regarding Father Richard Kirkham's resignation and his subsequent attempts to tarnish my ministry in the Fort Worth Diocese.

In June 2018, I asked Father Richard Kirkham to resign his office as pastor of St. Martin de Porres Church. This was not a request that I took lightly in any way. After a very difficult meeting with me and other diocesan officials, Father Kirkham did resign. Also, at my request, Father Kirkham went to a facility for a complete evaluation of his health so that together we could discern what ministry he might one day exercise in the Diocese. I took these steps because I had come to believe that Father Kirkham needed to take a step back from ministry. I had previously issued him a formal rebuke for dishonesty, and he had also acknowledged to me that there were issues that he needed to address. This was especially apparent in light of the deeply disturbing letter he sent to a priest from the Dallas Diocese...

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