When Bishop Peter Baldacchino was appointed to lead the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, in May 2019, EWTN News noted a singular distinction: he was the first diocesan bishop associated with the Neocatechumenal Way to serve in a mainland U.S. diocese. That fact does not appear anywhere on the diocesan website. Nor does the website mention the movement that formed him, how it now shapes the structure of his diocesan leadership, and how it operates a seminary on diocesan grounds. A search of the active diocesan website returns zero results for “Neocatechumenal Way.” The concealment is not incidental. It is the story.
Over the past six years, Bishop Baldacchino has methodically installed the infrastructure of the Neocatechumenal Way (NCW) in one of the smallest and most priest-poor dioceses in the United States, while keeping that identity functionally invisible to the faithful he governs. When a group of lay Catholics organized to raise concerns, the diocese took down their website, removed their YouTube channel, and issued a formal Penal Precept threatening removal from parish ministries, all before engaging in any meaningful dialogue. A parish priest with a canon law degree has since been placed on sudden, unexplained leave. And the bishop’s public response to all of it has been to tell his flock from the pulpit that they need to get on board or the diocese will sink.
What Is the Neocatechumenal Way, and Why Does It Matter?
The Neocatechumenal Way presents itself as a post-baptismal catechetical itinerary, a program of renewal for Catholics who have drifted from the faith. Founded in the slums of Madrid in the 1960s by layman Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández, it now operates in dioceses worldwide, supported by a global network of over 120 Redemptoris Mater seminaries that form priests exclusively within its spirituality.
The problem is not its missionary ambition, per se. The problem is what it does inside a diocese once it arrives.
Liturgy: The NCW has operated for decades with practices that deviate from the Roman Rite and have required repeated correction from Rome. Members receive Communion seated, in a manner reminiscent of a Protestant communal meal rather than the sacrifice of the Mass. They have used leavened bread and their own distinct Missal. Cardinal Francis Arinze, then Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, wrote directly to Argüello in 2005, ordering specific liturgical corrections, stating that NCW practices must conform to what is “presented in the liturgical books” and are not to be treated as optional. Compliance has been, at best, selective.
Doctrine: Kiko Argüello’s catechetical materials (long kept secret from non-members) contain formulations on justification, original sin, and faith that theologians have identified as departing from Catholic teaching and more closely resembling Lutheran theology than the Council of Trent.
Structure: The NCW operates as a parallel church inside the parishes it enters. It maintains its own catechists, its own itinerant leaders answerable to a central NCW authority rather than to the local pastor, and its own internal progression that members are discouraged from discussing with outsiders. Parishes that host NCW communities frequently report division, with NCW members forming a closed subgroup that does not integrate with the broader parish life.
Institution: The movement has a documented pattern of seeking to place NCW-formed clergy in key diocesan positions (bishop, vicar general, chancellor), effectively converting a diocese’s administrative structure into an instrument of NCW expansion. When that happens, the faithful who resist find that the normal channels of recourse within a diocese are controlled by the very movement they are resisting. Las Cruces is not an isolated case. Similar conflicts have been documented in Guam, Hong Kong, Australia, Denmark, and New Jersey.
It is against this backdrop that the arrival of a Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Las Cruces must be understood. A seminary of this kind does not simply train priests; it reproduces the movement.
For readers seeking a comprehensive, documented account of the NCW’s theological deviations and global pattern of conflict, Chuck White’s research at The Thoughtful Catholic is the most thorough resource available.
Bishop Baldacchino and the Neocatechumenal Way
Bishop Peter Baldacchino was born in Sliema, Malta, in 1960. His family joined the NCW when he was a child. He entered the Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary in Newark, New Jersey, in 1990, one of over 120 such seminaries worldwide, all operating under the direct inspiration of NCW founders Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández and forming seminarians through active participation in NCW community life. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Newark on May 25, 1996, by then-Archbishop Theodore McCarrick. Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop of Miami in 2014 and installed him as the third bishop of Las Cruces on July 23, 2019.
The legacy diocesan biography for Bishop Baldacchino makes no mention of the NCW, nor does the condensed biography on the active diocesan website. The sole reference to the movement on either site appears in the coat of arms description on the legacy site, which notes that the baptismal font in Baldacchino’s heraldry references “the bishop’s own rediscovery of baptism through the Neocatechumenal Way.” That is the extent of public disclosure to the faithful of Las Cruces about the identity of the man governing their diocese.
A Leadership Structure Built on the NCW
The concealment extends beyond the bishop’s biography. The diocesan contact page lists the two most senior figures in the diocese below Baldacchino: Vicar General, Very Rev. Kevin Waymel, and Chancellor, Alesia Ogo. Neither is identified as having NCW ties on the diocesan website. Fr. Waymel’s NCW formation is a matter of record; the extent of Ogo’s ties to the movement has not been disclosed by the diocese.
Fr. Kevin Waymel, a Neocatechumenal priest formed at Redemptoris Mater Seminary in New Jersey, like Bishop Baldacchino, serves as Vicar General of the diocese. The Chancellor is Alesia Ogo, an occupational therapist and member of the Neocatechumenal Way from the U.S. Territory of Guam. The concentration is not incidental. The three most powerful administrative positions in the Diocese of Las Cruces (bishop, vicar general, and chancellor) are all held by figures with direct ties to the NCW. Parishioners have taken notice. A spokesperson for Voice of the Laity, a lay group organizing resistance to the NCW’s advance in the diocese, reported that Chancellor Ogo has been ‘ridiculing, bullying, and harshly criticizing’ Catholics who have called for transparency. No public disclosure has been made by the diocese regarding any of these figures’ affiliations with the Neocatechumenal Way.
Fr. Waymel’s role extends further still. According to testimony presented at a public meeting of Las Cruces lay Catholics in March 2026, Waymel was appointed director of St. Joseph Seminary, the diocese’s own formation program for local vocations. This means that the NCW-formed vicar general now oversees not only diocesan administration but the earliest stage of priestly formation for men who have no NCW background and no reason to expect it.
Redemptoris Mater Seminary and the Demographics of a Takeover
In July 2025, Bishop Baldacchino established two seminaries in the Diocese of Las Cruces: St. Joseph Diocesan Seminary and the Redemptoris Mater Diocesan Missionary Seminary. The diocesan vocations page lists both without description, offering no indication that one of them is an NCW institution. A visitor to that page would not know the difference between the two.
The Redemptoris Mater Seminary is not a generic institution. It is part of a global network of over 120 such seminaries founded on the explicit inspiration of NCW founders Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández, in which every seminarian participates in NCW community life as part of his formation. The Archdiocese of Washington’s own vocations page states plainly that seminarians at its Redemptoris Mater seminary “are members of the Neocatechumenal Way.”
The demographic implications are stark. The Diocese of Las Cruces currently has only 17 diocesan priests, with nine expected to retire within eight years. The Redemptoris Mater Seminary is training 11 seminarians, none of whom, to the knowledge of local lay Catholics who have investigated the matter, are from New Mexico. As the Voice of the Laity petition states, the plan to introduce 11 NCW-formed priests into a diocese that is losing nine priests to retirement would, in effect, redefine the diocesan presbyterate overnight. Furthermore, in the six years since Baldacchino’s arrival, the diocese has produced no seminarians from the local community, compared with one or two annually under previous bishops.
Six Years of Covert Operation
The Redemptoris Mater Seminary did not arrive without warning signs. Beginning in August 2025, concerned lay Catholics in Las Cruces organized two successive public meetings at non-diocesan locations to address the NCW’s growing presence in the diocese. The first was held in August 2025 and the second on February 11, 2026, both privately organized and funded by the faithful without diocesan involvement. At these meetings, parishioners testified that the NCW had been operating covertly in the diocese since Baldacchino’s installation in 2019, conducting Masses in garages, private homes, and the Newman Center foyer without disclosing its activities to surrounding parishes. Both meetings were attended unannounced by Bishop Baldacchino and Fr. Waymel. On each occasion, they went directly to the podium without the organizers’ permission.
One parishioner testified that her daughter, hired as a babysitter for what she understood to be a private family gathering, arrived to find an NCW Mass underway in a garage, with a table at the center, LED tiki torches, and palm trees. When the mother raised the incident with Fr. Waymel, he summoned her to a meeting, described the garage as “an enclosed space,” confirmed the bishop was aware of it, and told her it was not a garage Mass. He did not dispute that it had taken place.
Another parishioner, a recent convert and former Jehovah’s Witness, testified that Fr. Waymel required him and his wife to attend NCW catechesis as a condition of marriage preparation, presenting it simply as “catechesis” with no disclosure of its NCW character. At a subsequent retreat, participants were subjected to high-pressure financial solicitation, peer pressure to join the movement, and immediate installation as community “responsibles” without informed consent. The convert noted that the NCW’s theological framework, which presents the Church as having lost its way and requiring restoration to an original form, struck him as structurally identical to the Reformation theology he had left behind as a Jehovah’s Witness.
A third witness, reading a letter on behalf of a former NCW member who feared retaliation, described being told that God would be displeased if she left the movement, that prominent donors were treated with greater respect than ordinary members, and that she was shamed for insufficient financial contributions. The money bag, she testified, was passed three times at a single gathering.
Fr. Waymel also told college students at St. Albert the Great parish that they could not pray the St. Michael prayer or the Hail Mary after Mass because he did not want to “confuse parishioners.” The same priest permitted 25 minutes of lay testimonies during an NCW Mass at the same parish.
The Suppression of Dissent
When the Voice of the Laity began organizing publicly in August 2025, the diocesan response was swift, sequential, and documented. The group originally operated under a name incorporating the words “Catholic” and “Diocese of Las Cruces.” The diocese formally denied them the use of both terms, compelling a name change. The diocesan authorities then contacted the group’s website provider, alleging misuse of the term “Catholic,” and the website was taken down. The group’s YouTube channel was subsequently removed after a petition from the diocese. Both actions occurred before any meaningful dialogue with the group had taken place.
The diocese then issued a formal Penal Precept against members of the Voice of the Laity, threatening to remove them from parish ministries for two years or until certain demands were met. The group was compelled to retain a canon lawyer to defend its members’ rights. As the group stated in a public announcement: “These actions occurred before the issuance of the Penal Precept and prior to any meaningful dialogue, further restricting our ability to communicate with the faithful.”
The suppression extended to individual clergy as well. Very Rev. Christopher Williams, J.C.L., Adjutant Judicial Vicar of the Marriage Tribunal and Pastor of San Albino Parish in Mesilla, was placed on a sudden, unexplained leave of absence. Parishioners of San Albino, one of the oldest parishes in New Mexico, received no communication from the diocese about the reasons for his removal. A petition submitted to Bishop Baldacchino by parishioners described the leave as unexpected and without communication, and called for both his reinstatement and transparency about the circumstances. Fr. Williams holds a licentiate in canon law, making him one of the few figures in the diocese with the formation to recognize and challenge canonical irregularities.
Rome Has Spoken
The NCW’s troubled relationship with Rome is not new. From Pope John Paul II’s early insistence that the movement integrate into parish life, to Pope Benedict XVI’s explicit warning in 2012 that the NCW must not act as a “parallel church” and that its liturgy “is not their private property,” successive popes have affirmed the movement’s missionary charism while repeatedly demanding conformity to Roman liturgical norms. Those demands have consistently gone unmet.
The movement’s founder’s posture toward that correction is on the record. At an NCW gathering in Puerto Rico on March 14, 2017, Kiko Argüello stated on video, in reference to Pope Benedict XVI’s liturgical corrections: “The only thing that can save us is if the Pope dies.” He then expressed relief that Benedict had instead resigned, crediting Cardinal Bergoglio, later Pope Francis, with having “saved” the movement. The Spanish transcript of the statement has been documented by CruxSancta and reported by Infovaticana.
That posture toward papal authority has found an echo in Las Cruces. On January 19, 2026, Pope Leo XIV met with NCW leaders in Rome and delivered an address that has direct bearing on what is happening in this diocese. While affirming the movement’s missionary work, the Pope warned explicitly that “your mission is particular, but not exclusive,” urged members to “live your spirituality without ever separating yourselves from the rest of the ecclesial body,” and cautioned that pastoral activity “must always be free from constraint, rigidity, and moralism, lest they arouse feelings of guilt and fear.” The full text of the address is available on the Vatican website.
Bishop Baldacchino’s apparent response to that papal guidance, delivered in a subsequent homily at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Las Cruces, was to tell his congregation: “I need you to come on board. Otherwise, we’re going to sink.” He also stated that “experience comes before documents,” a formulation that places personal NCW formation above the very Vatican documents that govern the movement’s conduct and that the movement has been repeatedly instructed to observe.
A Pattern, and a Question for Rome
Las Cruces is not an isolated case. The NCW has left a trail of diocesan conflict across the world, from Germany to Japan, from the Philippines to Peru. The Peru case carries particular weight. In the Diocese of El Callao, an NCW-formed bishop presided over years of reported intimidation, liturgical abuse, financial opacity, and the systematic replacement of diocesan clergy with NCW-loyal priests. Parishioners organized, petitioned Rome, and were eventually heard. Pope Francis accepted the bishop’s resignation in April 2020 and appointed an apostolic administrator to restore order. That administrator was Bishop Robert Prevost. He is now Pope Leo XIV.
The situation in Las Cruces follows the same pattern with precision: an NCW-formed bishop, a leadership structure stacked with NCW figures, a Redemptoris Mater seminary established without transparent disclosure, covert NCW operations in private spaces, suppression of lay Catholics who raised concerns, and a demographic plan that would replace a retiring diocesan presbyterate with NCW-formed missionaries from outside the region. The only departure from the El Callao pattern is that in Las Cruces, no one from Rome has yet intervened.
The numbers make the stakes plain. The diocese has 17 priests, nine of whom will retire within eight years, while 11 NCW-formed seminarians from outside New Mexico stand ready to fill that vacuum. The bishop has told his flock they need to get on board or the diocese will sink. The new pope has told the NCW that their mission is particular but not exclusive, that they must not separate themselves from the ecclesial body, and that pastoral activity must never arouse guilt and fear. One of those statements is consistent with Catholic teaching. The other is not.
The Lepanto Institute calls on the Diocese of Las Cruces to disclose fully the NCW affiliation of its bishop, vicar general, and chancellor on the diocesan website; to submit the Redemptoris Mater Seminary to independent accreditation review; to rescind the Penal Precept issued against members of the Voice of the Laity; to provide a transparent accounting of the circumstances surrounding the leave of absence of Fr. Christopher Williams; and to ensure that all liturgical celebrations within the diocese conform strictly to the norms of the Roman Rite as required by the Church’s own documents and repeatedly affirmed by every pope since John Paul II.
The Lepanto Institute contacted the Diocese of Las Cruces and Bishop Baldacchino and provided an opportunity to correct any factual errors or offer comment prior to publication. No response was received.
I am of great concern regarding this matter. I do not favor this movement and I don’t appreciate why the Bishop has instigated and instructed and I feel it is deceiving of him. I am not a fan of our current Pope either. Reverence of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Eucharist is of most importance to my Catholic faith. I do not see the need of this Neocstechumenal way
Thank you so much for making this public outside our little diocese.
Thus scare me , why has the Archdiocese of Santa Fe allowed this or are they so nievevthat they can not see the forest through the trees!
This is scary and not “Catholic”
It is very Catholic. Neither the Bishop or Father Kevin are trying to take away the Roman Rite Mass. I am following the Holy Father’s direction and go to both. You do not ever have to attend the Neocatechumenal Mass. It might be a good idea to see that we are very aligned with the Church and not a threat.
If that is so – why all the secrecy behind the scenes- why have all those working for the church in this diocese who do not support NCW been removed from employment – why are many of the church employees who do support NCW living in diocese housing free of charge – why has this not been disclosed to all Catholic parishes –
Why do they operate separate from the church as they build their cult-
I assume you mean the NCW missionaries living in Church housing around St. Alberts. They do not live there free of charge, but in exchange for the work they are doing for the Diocese. We have a retired Architect who is woking on what I believe to be plans for a St. Joseph’s Seminary. My daughter is an architect, buildings need proper design for permitting, codes and to be structurally sound. That does not come cheap. That is how the Neocatechumenal Way works. Another and his wife, while here, worked as a carpenter on the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, and she in the Parish office at St. Albert’s. That is an example: there many more. Pope Leo gave great praise to our Missionaries at January’s meeting in Rome with Leaders and Bishops of the Neocatechumenal Way. As he himself was a Missionary, he understands the hardships of that life, and it is done in love for the Lord. I myself, a former journalist feel like I am throwing water on the many fires of misinformation put forth by the VOL.
No it is not alligned especially when you have to be invited. You shouldn’t be allowed both, Its either the way we’ve always done or neo-way. Go open and find your own church
That’s funny. Pope Leo has asked us to do just the opposite this last January when he invited Leaders and Bishops of the Neocatechcumenal Way to Rome. He gave great praise to our Missionaries, but ask us not to stray away from Parish life. Here is the link to the Vatican News article on the meeting. Bishop Peter and Father Kevin were in attendance by accepting the Holy Father’s invitation. Pope Leo did not call for an end to the NCW. He did not say. “one way or the other.” Some on your side have interpreted his words as an end to the NCW Liturgy. That’s not what he meant. Christ heads the church, Pope Leo is the Vicar of Christ as Bishop of Rome. I will answer to his wishes. You can attend any NCW Mass. Arrive early. Let people know you are there. You will be introduced as a guest, After that you can observe or partake in Holy Communion.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-neocatechumenal-way-mission-unity-gospel-evangelization.html
“Let people know you are there. You will be introduced as a guest”.
Sounds exactly like a cult. You’ve been brainwashed.
Should read-NOT trying to take away the Roman Rite Mass. I apologize.
Thank you for this article. Many of us are scandalized by the masses changing right before our very eyes! We never thought this would happen here but it did. We pray for the Lord to send us relief soon!
Very scary, and that it has been going on for years!
Bishop Peter and Father Kevin were invited to Rome by Pope Leo XIV in January along with other leaders, both clergy and lay leaders of the NCW. Pope Leo gave high praise to NCW missionaries and the “good works” done by them for the Church. He also cautioned us not to become an ecclesiastical movement of our own.
The NCW was founded in 1964 by
Casimiro Morcillo González, the Archbishop of Madrid.
The archbishop worked with Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández, the lay founders of the program. In almost all anti-Neocatechumenal articles as it is here, Archbishop González does not appear in an effort to deceive you that the Church had no role in the founding and continuation of the Neocatechumenal Way. The NCW’s founding coincided with Vatican II which concluded in 1965, and is considered a wellspring of the Ecclesiastical Council. There are others such as The Charismatic Catholics, etc.
The Redemptorius Mater Seminary, to my knowledge, started with handful housed with Father Kevin, but became an expansion with the overflow of seminarians from Denver and elsewhere. A St. Joseph’s Seminary Campus is now in the works near St. Albert’s. I actually know seminarians from both, and I find them promising and bright young men. The Neocatechumenal Way is in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Bishop Peter was Auxiliary Bishop of Miami before being appointed as Bishop of the Diocese of Las Cruces. The tell on this anti-Neocatechumenal Way group is to get you to believe we are not Catholics, and Saint John Paul II never did celebrate Mass with us. What is scary is the Satan’s tool of deceit being used here.
Aaron, thank you for engaging with the article. A few responses.
On Archbishop González: you’re right that his name does not appear, and I’ll explain why. The article is not about the NCW’s founding history. It is about institutional behavior in the Diocese of Las Cruces from 2019 through 2026. Archbishop González permitted Argüello and Hernández to develop their program in his archdiocese. That is episcopal support, and it is worth acknowledging. It is not co-founding. The NCW’s own materials and every authoritative account of the movement’s origins identify Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández as its founders. Elevating González to co-founder status in order to suggest the article concealed the Church’s institutional role is not a correction; it’s a talking point.
On the strawmen: the article never claims NCW members are not Catholic. It never denies that Pope John Paul II had a relationship with the movement. Responding to arguments the article did not make is not a rebuttal.
On what your comment actually confirms: you note that Pope Leo XIV praised NCW missionaries while cautioning the movement not to become an ecclesiastical body unto itself. That is precisely what the article reported. Your summary confirms the reporting rather than refuting it.
You also describe the Redemptoris Mater Seminary as having begun with a handful of seminarians housed with Fr. Waymel before expanding due to overflow from Denver. If accurate, that reinforces the article’s concern: a seminary operation grew inside the diocese without meaningful public transparency. The issue is not the existence of seminarians. It is the process and disclosure surrounding the expansion.
What your comment does not address are the article’s central evidentiary claims. It does not address the undisclosed NCW affiliations of the bishop, vicar general, and chancellor on the diocesan website. It does not address the Penal Precept issued against lay Catholics before meaningful dialogue occurred. It does not address the removal of a canon lawyer from his pastorate without explanation. It does not address the garage Mass, the coercive marriage preparation catechesis, the financial pressure tactics described under oath by multiple witnesses, or Kiko Argüello’s recorded statement that the solution to Pope Benedict XVI’s liturgical corrections was for the Pope to die.
These are documented claims. If any are factually wrong, I welcome specific corrections.
Perspective matters. I am a Catholic in good standing with no institutional stake in Las Cruces or the NCW. I examined the public record and reported what it showed. You are commenting from an address with a direct connection to the Diocese of Las Cruces. That does not make you wrong, but it is relevant context for readers weighing the competing accounts.
Finally, calling documented reporting a tool of Satan while leaving its central claims unanswered is not an argument, but a substitute for rebuttal. I remain open to factual engagement.
Sad that LCD has such a deceptive and dishonest bishop. I will be joining the voice of the laity.
Archbishop González was working with Kiko Argüello before he ever met Carmen Hernández according to one online Carmen Hernández biography. Archbishop González, if not a co-founder, did work closely with Kiko and Carmen. To find his name and office missing from the conversation and articles, I find disturbing because it plays into the false narrative that the Church had nothing to do with the founding of the NCW, while it very much played a roll.
No one is claiming the NCW is “not Catholic.” The concern is whether certain practices, structures, and leadership culture within the movement have caused harm or fostered unhealthy control. Approval by bishops or praise for missionary work does not automatically invalidate legitimate criticism or personal testimony. Every movement in the Church can and should be examined honestly. Dismissing concerns as “Satan’s deceit” avoids engaging the substance of what people are actually reporting.
The “deceit” reference was aimed at the former article that this one has replaced on your site. I apologize for the error.
None of us is without sin, therefore you are going to find wrong can occur across all the spectrum of the Church. While I have been walking in the NCW for over several years now, I have not seen anything remotely close to what we have been put in the cross-hires by the VOL. You can only be a whistle blower if you have knowledge of wrong doing . If you download financial records of parishioners and of the dioceses to try to find wrong doing, you’re in trouble. Even law enforcement needs a warrant from Judge to do something like that. Whistleblowers cannot go Phishing for information that belong to the diocese and others.
I noticed that the name “Aaron Wilson” is a hyperlink that goes directly to the homepage of St. Albert the Great Newman Center, which which primarily serves New Mexico State University. That website, which can be accessed via the name “Aaron Wilson” at the top of this comment, or via the URL https://www.stalbertnewmancenter.org/).
And your point is??
You see I am not one who goes skulking around in hiding, name calling Priests and Bishops who are for us, unless proven otherwise, in the Person of Christ. Calling a Priest “a dolt and a thug” carries consequences. No wonder you hide your name(s)
I beg your pardon!
I am not name calling anyone, be they priest, bishop, or laity. And I most certainly did not call any priest “a dolt and a thug”. (P.S. I use an alias very similar to my given name because I live alone, and because my given name became an internet meme several years ago.)
I beg your pardon? I did not call any priest “a dolt and a thug”.
Also, I notice that you stopped including a hyperlink as your name.
Apologies for the duplicate post. The first one was rejected as a duplicate.
Well I apologize. My name here is not a hyperlink nor did I make it one to the St. Albert the Great Newman Parish Website. It is disturbing that my parish is known by you so….St. Albert the Great Newman Parish serves NMSU and many, many others of all ages. Mostly, I think those who do not have Parish in the Sedona Ranch area and beyond.
I am grateful that you have taken up this cause in your article. As a parishioner living through this takeover in Las Cruces, I cannot begin to express the confusion, fear, and distrust that is running rampant throughout the diocese.
I have much to rebut, but will only offer up a few things that come to mind. Bishop Peter is of the order of Bishops in the Roman Catholic Church. Period. If you want bad mouth a Bishop without a just cause, than is up to you. Yes, he was among first to graduate from the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Newark, New Jersey in 1994, and he has surrounded himself with NCW of late to make sure things get done as he directs. The group formally known as the The Voice of the Catholic Faithful of the Diocese of Las Cruces, (as if they are the only truly faithful here). That names strikes me as arrogant and not at all humble. I am glad the Diocese took proper legal steps to force a name change.
When they came out into the open with their petition and misinformation, both Bishop Peter and Father Kevin were on pilgrimage to Malta and to Rome for the Jubilee with Pope Leo. This took some cunning, because the two top ordained leaders of the Diocese of Las Cruces were out of the country and could not immediately respond to document and petition.
Personally, I believe there was underground opposition to the Bishop, and later to Father Kevin for a very long time.
Furthermore, Father Kevin is a Roman Catholic priest and not a Neocatechumenal Priest. There is no such thing. He performs nine Roman Rite Masses to one Neocatechumenal one weekly. I attend Daily Mass and often see Chancellor Alesia Ogo there as well. I also participate in the Roman Rite Masses weekdays. Nothing is bothering my conscience about attending both. Actually, I do more Roman Rite Masses by the clock, than Neocatechumenal. Also, I am honoring Pope Leo XIV‘s call to not stray from too far life in the parish.
It is too bad that Kiko Argüello said those things. I find him a fascinating person, but I do not follow him. I follow Jesus Christ.
Your article replace the Voice of Laity’s own article which only reported his call not to become are own movement. It said nothing about his praise for our missionaries. I apologize, that is where the deceitful reporting occurred.
O estás con la iglesia universal que es la católica o estás con el camino…pero decidamos porque yo como católico de 60 años 45 sirviendo en el altar y en algunos ministerios no apoyo nada del NCW….no asistiré a ninguna misa lo hice en Newman center para ver por mis propios ojos las cosas que hacen en lugar de preguntar en el credo Creen en la santa iglesia catolica apostólica y Romana la gente pregunto el sr que estaba dirigiendo el ritmo si creían en la iglesia del camino y la gente tontamente respondió si creemos que tontería por Dios abramos los ojos y el corazón para ver y sentir y obrar como Jesús nos ha mandado….
(MODERATOR’s TRANSLATION) Either you stand with the universal Church—which is the Catholic Church—or you stand with “the Way”… but let us make a choice. For I, as a 60-year-old Catholic—45 of those years spent serving at the altar and in various ministries—do not support anything whatsoever regarding the NCW. I will not attend any of their Masses; I did so once, at the Newman Center, solely to witness with my own eyes the things they do. Instead of asking the congregation, “Do you believe in the Holy Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Church?”—as is done during the Creed—the gentleman leading the proceedings asked if they believed in “the Church of the Way.” And the people foolishly answered, “Yes, we believe.” What utter nonsense! For God’s sake, let us open our eyes and our hearts to see, to feel, and to act just as Jesus has commanded us.
What you might of heard was the Apostles Creed and not the Nicene Creed. The Apostles Creed is valid for a Catholic Mass, however the Nicene Creed is more common. Otherwise what you describe, at least in my two years walking, has never been said there as you describe. You cannot have a Mass without a Priest. No “Gentleman” presides.There is no such thing as a “Church of the Way.” I feel like a hysteria is being generated for what ever reason people are uniform, and are believing conspiracy theories. I hope people can just calm done. The numbers and size of the communities are not even close to a threat to the Roman Rite Mass. Our program is not meant to overtake or destroy the Roman Rite Mass. The NCW Mass is closest to the way the early Church celebrated in homes for the first three centuries.
How many days of the year is he absent? Reply name and source? It was an invitation. You would like it not to be. As you often point out Bishop Peter is a Bishop from a NCW background and formation. So he would be there for sure as guest.
Is it true that you are really Episcopalian? We need transparency.
Leavened bread is in direct opposition to the bread Jesus used to transform into His Body. This point alone cancels any “good” NCW purports to do.
Leavened bread is in direct opposition to the bread Jesus used to transform into His Body. This point alone cancels any “good” NCW purports to do.
Toby, the NCW bakes UNLEAVENED bread the day of the Mass, which is always a Saturday Vigil Mass. The Liturgy of the Word readings are the same. We follow the Liturgy of the Church for a Mass celebration. By the way, the Roman Missal calls for fresh unleavened bread, but does not outline a period of time. So on that note, we are very much in compliance.
“NCW bakes UNLEAVENED bread the day of the Mass” “Baking” is in no way semantically equal to “using,” nor is “baking” very reassuring. So–as much as I am inclined to accept a statement from a website disguised as an actual person, how about supporting the statement with a simple declarative sentence from you, thus: NCW priests solely use unleavened bread in the act of transubstantiating that unleavened bread into the flesh of Jesus Christ. (You may replace “priests” with “Masses” if you think it will help).
Unleavened bread bake is baked flour and water. Nothing else, no rising agents like yeast, baking soda etc. Just water and flour. The same Eucharist prayers, including ones for concentration, are used are they are for a Sunday Mass. The only deference is the are most often sung. Some Priests, who fill in, do not sing them. It does not matter because they are the same prayers from the Roman Missal for the Roman Rite Mass. There are a lot of out- right falsehoods being told.
And I do not know how my name on one post ended up a hyper-link to the St. Albert’s website. I have posted enough. There is a lot of creepy stuff going on. I am a real person. I have debated many non Catholics who misrepresent the Roman Catholic Church, attacking it in many ways online. But when your own attack you in a like manner, that is pretty sad.
Yes, Roman Catholic Priests like Father Kevin Waymel, who have a NCW Redemptoris Mater seminary background, use unleavened for the Neocatechumenal Way Mass.
Redemptoris Mater (Latin: Mother of the Redeemer) is an encyclical by Pope John Paul II delivered on March 25, 1987 in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Subtitled On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church, the text addresses a number of topics in Mariology.
I have defended the Marian Doctrines against the attacks of many non-Catholics online who go out of their way to malign Roman Catholic beliefs.
I do not know how my name on one post became a hyperlink to St. Albert’s website
Father Kevin uses unleavened BREAD for the NCW Mass, as do all Roman Catholic Priests. Sorry, I would leave out BREAD from the original post.
The Neo Cats are a problem in any parish they are in. They are a insufferably pretensious, and mediocre, empathically disabled, probably because they have nasty hearts, at least wherever I have found them to be. I live in Las Cruces and know there were several good priests who were dismissed from ministry immediately after Balachino and Waymel got there. Bishop Peter started off his ecclesial ministry to the people of God in Las Cruces with a very nasty treatment to his priests, both him and Waymel took advantage of the fear generated by the McCarrick scandal, the very same cardinal who also ordained Baldaccino to the episcopacy and was his professor in seminary. Not one of the priests they publicly villified in our diocesan newsletter, or the media, or online throughout the world wide web, none of the priests had even the smallest civil charge against them and all of them were publicly vilified and thrown out of the diocese and terminated their priestly faculties, all at the cunning behest of Waymel and ultimately Baldachino. They were stripped of all priestly renumerations and sent out of the diocese penniless. Waymel is known by others as a kind of ecclesial thug lackey and dolt. The neo cats have all the externals of sound men of the church, but in reality are a group of very malicious dullards.
That’s quite a tale.
Was yours the gay one or the pedophile he removed?
I heard about it and I didn’t know the difference between both. Scary, and I have to stop going this way or Jesus will condemned me. Lord have mercy on us, we have seen again you. ROME NEEDS TO STOP THIS
Christina, there is much that is false afoot. The Neocatechumenal Way was embraced first by Pope Paul VI, and also by Saint John Paul II. The program’s Mass was even celebrated with St. John Paul
II. The NCW was considered one of the wellsprings of the Second Vatican Council that took place in first half of the 1960s. People who have problems with the NCW often have problems with the Second Vatican Council which allows for programs like the NCW to exist. Under Pope Benedict, those who perhaps did not like the program gained some influence with him, and changes were made to the NCW liturgy.
Actually, I am glad that Bishop Peter did not advertise his NCW formation except in his coat of arms. First of all, he is your Bishop and is not all things NCW, as is Father Kevin. As I have, already said elsewhere, Father Kevin usually celebrates as many as nine regular Roman Rite Masses to a single NCW Mass weekly, Saint Albert the Great Newman Parish serves students at NMSU, their weekday Wednesday Mass and 6:30 pm Sunday Mass are Roman Rite masses. NCW catechesis are announce when they happen. This spring one was announce on Ash Wednesday, an announcement ran in the bulletin, and cards were handed out.This is all in-line with other programs offered in the Parish such as pilgrimages, and other regular non-NCW events. Father Kevin never takes Homily time to go on about the NCW. In every way, what we do is on the level of other Parish groups.
Fuera de nuestra diócesis no los necesitamos aquí sr OBISPO retires con su movimiento neoclásico.estabamos muy bien están tratando de instruir falsedad es fuera los neocatecumenal es queremos a nuestros sacerdotes para atrás en nuestras parroquias…
(MODERATOR’s TRANSLATION): We don’t need them here—they are outside our diocese, Bishop. Take your Neocatechumenal movement and leave. We were doing just fine; they are attempting to propagate falsehoods. Out with the Neocatechumenals! We want our priests back in our parishes.
That earned you a screen capture for inciting violence.
I am asking that of Karen Caroe.
It is a shame a Bishop can be assigned to the Las Cruces Diocese and disrupt our mass with his own pet Peeve program. We don’t need the Bishops NCW program we want to be left alone.
We very, very seldom see the Bishop. I served is the same position that the Bishop has in the Catholic Church. When i was a Mormon the position was called Stake President. I know what leadership is and how it works.
The Bishop is taking away our FREE Agency. I was one of the persons that sent a Letter to the Pope stating ( WE DO NOT WANT THE NCW IN LAS CRUCES )
I would be more then happy to meet with the Bishop. Richard Lohmeyer
There are around 1,000,000 Catholics who practice in the NCW program worldwide.
Communities have been in El Paso/Juarez for generations. Many of our Missionaries have large families. Remember children our present during Mass. Put away your mob and hateful desires. I will defend my community as I would those at daily Mass. Please write respectfully and peacefully you concerns to Archbishop Westor or the Holy See.
The NCW wormed its way into my parish several years ago, with the unsuspecting cooperation of our then-pastor.
They insisted on private Masses (which imposed on our pastor’s already overwhelming schedule of caring for 2 parishes, a grade school, and far more). Yes, it seems they received Holy Communion seated in spite of being physically able to stand or kneel, and attended Mass seated around a table.
They made repeated efforts to attract new recruits, with no success.
Our pastor finally asked them to move on when he became fed up with catering to their ridiculous and disrespectful demands and reception of Communion.
These people are BAD news, and I was very uncomfortable with their presence at our parish for the couple of months they were present.
Cheers to Mahoney. This is a well written article.
This is my non-denominational take on this:
I can’t really say much on the second hand knowledge of attitudes and practices locally in Las Cruces. They sound disturbing.
In my opinion, the following needs to be addressed by Catholics:
First, this quote comes from New-cat language. There are certain things being referenced here, but they are not defined. – “The proclamations of the Gospels, catechesis and the various forms of pastoral action must always be free from forms of constraint, rigidity, and moralism so that they do not arouse feelings of guilt and fear instead of interior liberation.”
These constraints, rigidity and moralisms need to be made very clear. I can’t find them. But my worst interpretation is that sins do not get condemned and the consequences for them do not get emphasised to new Believers. This is cultic, feel-good, watered-down ear-tickling defined in Revelation for the Last Days.
Pope Leo’s speech to the leaders of New-Cat on in January 2026 does not address this language. And that’s even more concerning.
If I’m reading correctly, Fr. Zoffoli and Chuck White at thoughtfulcatholic.com roughly identified them as catechetical material departure from Catholic interpretations on justification, original sin, and faith. I don’t think this is the exact subject for the above quote. Either way, what they outline for New-Cat is disturbing.
Justification –
Catholic – made Righteous by God (infused). Good works must follow to retain Righteousness. Some Catholics see works as what actually saves them, which is not in accord with the Council of Trent.
New-Cat – declared forgiven (imputed). Good works do not save, but “the Holy Spirit does not lead us to perfection or good works… God forgives freely those who believe.” Zaffoli and White have it wrong that this last quote resembles Lutheranism. They are confusing it with Calvinist sola fide.
Me – While I agree with New-Cat on imputation and with both that it comes from God, this understanding does not make or break Salvation. However a Believer receives it, Justification is a legal status based on Righteousness. A get-out-of-jail-free card.
We all agree on the need to maintain our legal status with good works. “Faith without works is dead”.
New-Cat’s idea that the Holy Spirit does not lead us, is dead wrong. Jesus authors our Faith, and the Holy Spirit “helps” us in what Catholics call “being perfected”. We are “made Holy” and conform to Christ.
Original Sin & Human Nature
Catholic – Original sin wounds human nature. Believers still lust but are not destroyed by it. Baptism removes the guilt of original sin, infuses grace, and restores supernatural life. We can become holy and be healed.
New-Cat – Man is “zero plus sin”, fundamentally worthless or irreparably corrupted even after baptism. Grace covers or veils sin rather than healing/transforming us ontologically. Relying on mercy without change.
Me – we do not go to Hell for our “sin nature”. We go to Hell for our sins. Ephesians 2, in discussing the human status as lusting sinners, defines us; “we were by our nature, children of wrath”. This is a Calvinist-abused text to represent our inability to even respond to God, so New-Cat conforms with them on this part of a blasphemous doctrine. But truly, “our nature” is simply the other legal status we carry from the moment we first knowingly sin. The legal status of being “children of wrath”. Nothing more. So the “by our nature” quote simply means that our legal status is naturally damned. John 3:18 says “he who does not believe has been judged already”.
The idea that “original sin”, our “sin nature” damns us because we are all under Adam’s sin is both Lutheran and Calvinist, which I strongly disagree with. Romans 5:18 tells us Adam’s sin resulted in our sin. Not that we bear his sin. Both are wrong because we are damned for our own sins, and told specifically in Ezekiel 18 that a son does not pay for his father’s sins. Yes, several verses make it clear that sin itself goes from father to son, but that is the nature, not the guilt of actual sin.
So, on continual sin, I agree with Catholics. We are saved, but still sin. But, as Paul tells us, it’s not us sinning. Several verses tell us a Believer sins “no more”. This is the “being perfected” process. I believe this goes back to God telling Cain he must master sin. As a Believer, we are trained to master the sin that is still in us.
Catholics are correct that Baptism removes guilt. But more than this, it is two-part; water, our appeal, and fire, His response. Which is literally the born-again, being perfected process. Ephesians 4:5 tells us there is “one Baptism”.
New-Cat is dead wrong that we are irreparable after Baptism. We are transformed. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Faith
Catholic: Faith requires growth (“formed by charity”). Consisting of trust in God, growth in truth, hope, and love that produces works. Ongoing transformation.
New-Cat: trusting God forgives our irreparable corruption, as sins “cannot separate us from God.” Faith is passive reliance on legal status and duties, less on transformation.
Me – I agree with Catholics. As for New-Cat’s sin “cannot separate us from God”, I can provide dozens of verses that explain that continuing to sin, “a dog returning to its own vomit”, absolutely separates us from God. This quote they are bastardizing is from Romans 8, which tells us that no outside force “can separate us from the Love of God”. Another Calvinist abused verse.
In summary:
New-Cat’s preaching to the unsaved with no condemnation of sins, no emphasis on Hell so as to “not arouse feelings of guilt and fear” is a false aversion Gospel.
Saved Believers having an irreparable sin-nature is false reinterpreted Gospel.
That “no sin can separate us from God” is false reinterpreted Gospel.
That we can simply trust God for forgiveness and just keep sinning, is false reinterpreted Gospel.
That there’s nothing we can or should do about sin is false reinterpreted Gospel.
Even worse is the changing of the nature of the Holy Spirit by removing His helping status to transform. This is the most dangerous, as Jesus told us that to blaspheme the Holy Spirit is the Unforgivable Sin. That we are not transformed is blasphemy to the Holy Spirit.
This set of teachings will result in gay preachers using the bible to recruit victims to go to Hell with them, and everyone having orgies at the foot of the cross.
The epistles have numerous instructions on how to deal with false teachers in the Church.
I pray God blesses all who are in danger.
Sorry, I could not finish this collection of false conclusions and guesswork. The Neocatechumenal Way I am associated with in the Roman Catholic Church upholds all of the Sacraments. We recite the Apostles Creed which is considered valid if not the Nicene Creed. NCW is the way you should refer to us on the second reference. “New-Cat” is an insult.
Why are we advised to seek out the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Or have are own Reconciliation Services at times similar to the times to all of the Catholic Church’s liturgy.
Do you also intend you report that the leadership of the VoL has admitted to criminal theft of diocesan financial records?
Have you considered looking into all the priests have been removed from ministry and where they are now? Instead of publishing a hit piece you could consider doing some independent research and see where they are. What is the Voice of the Laity hiding?
Amen.
Catholic Archbishops and Bishops have almost absolute control over their Diocesan finances. I was a bit shocked by that, but that’s where my research lead me. Typically only in matters of borrowing or paying of debts of $500,000 or more are they required to be advised by a Finacial Council. However, as Deacon Jim’s letter on the Voice of the Laity site explains that three priests have given testimony about possible neglect of funds needed at their Parishes to two Bishops investigating the matter.
On another matter, someone has anonymously posted on here some very defamatory remarks about Bishop Peter and Father Kevin Waymel. It falsely claim that both arrived here at the same time, and that the removal of some priests was unfounded. The National Catholic Register reported on November 17, 2020 the former Bishop of Las Cruces
Oscar Cantu had come under investigation ‘Vos estis lux mundi,’ Pope Francis’ 2019 law for holding bishops accountable in the handling of sexual abuse cases. This was related to Bishop’s Oscar’s time in Las Cruces. When Bishop Peter arrived here, he inherited the problem. Actions taken by Bishop Peter and Father Kevin in relieving priests in the diocese of their status were reported by the Las Cruses Sun-News.
I would like to ask the site administrator to remove the post by ‘Parishioner Las Cruces’ for its defamatory nature. I have screen captured it because of possible need for legal action. I have also screen captured this post, to record that I made an effort to confront the libelous material.
What does the Bible say? The ultimate word of God!
Mark 3:25: “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”
• Matthew 12:25: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.”
• Luke 11:17: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.”
Bishops may have good reason for travel. You might have just missed him on the days you decided to go. I do not think it a bad thing for the Bishop to attend meetings of the NCW within reason. I am greatly disturb that someone who is Episcopalian, a Church that has drifted far away from the beliefs and the teachings of the Catholic Church of which they were once shared with us, would be involved in last year’s actions of the VOL. That involvement may have different motives that were just to stoke division among us, The Neocatechumenal Way Mass has all the components of the Roman Rite Mass. The way we take the Eucharist together leads to some variation in the order of elements, but they are all there. The NCW is not here to go after you traditions nor the Roman Rite Mass.
Redemptoris Mater
(Latin: Mother of the Redeemer) is an encyclical by Pope John Paul II delivered on March 25, 1987 in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Subtitled On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church, the text addresses a number of topics in Mariology.
The inspiration for the name of NCW Seminaries \.
I am not a Catholic. I do not truly understand the controversy that is tearing the church apart, but I am compelled to be a character witness for Chris Williams. I knew him as a staff pharmacist at Memorial Medical Center in the late 90’s and/or possibly the early 2000’s. I may not remember the time period exactly, but I will always remember the man. Chris lived his faith every day, and anyone casually acquainted with him knew of his profound love for the Catholic Church. He always respected patients’ privacy and was conscientous and competent in the knowledgeable care he provided. I was not surprised in the least to later learn that he had become a priest. If I were to guess which of all my fellow colleagues would give up a lucrative career to serve God, of course, I would choose Chris. I am, therefore, deeply shocked to see him accused of having anything to do with stolen financial records. I would stake my life that he is innocent of any wrongdoing. He was always consistently kind but not one to be afraid of voicing an opinion. As a complete outsider, I am inclined to think his opinions, not any wrongdoing acts, have placed him in this position. As a Christian, I pray for the healing of this church and for the truth to exonerate Chris Williams from any wrongdoing.
Certainly everybody is innocent until proven guilty. I do not know Father Chris, but I do know that he had an association with Voice of the Laity which he was forced to disassociate from. Bishop Peter was appointed here by Pope Francis. It would have been known by Pope Francis of his NCW, Rendemptoris Mater formation. When Francis died the VOL (Then called, The Voice of the Catholic Faithful) came out of nowhere while the Bishop and his Vicar General, Father Kevin Waymel were out of the country on a Pilgrimage with diocesan youth to Malta and on to Rome for a celebration of the Jubilee year with Pope Leo XIV. A petition was that was/and is being circulated by VOL ( It has been altered over time), demanded that the Bishop Defrocked himself and through the NCW out of Dioceses. This while there was no one in the Diocese to respond. The Bishop actually became fairly ill during the pilgrimage and subsequently underwent several surgeries. Father Kevin, as Vicar General endured about three hour and a half hour disrespectful confrontation with VOL following his presentation on the NCW and what the Popes have said about it. Vastly favorable. Father Kevin then endured the most disrespect I have ever seen directed at a person, let alone a Roman Catholic Priest. It is recorded. Since that time, I have no respect for the VOL, or their tactics. It is important to point out that Father Chris was not present at this debacle.
I cant help but believe Aaron Wilson is Waymel. The vapid/pretensious way he talks, all the legalistic threatening, and incessant prooftexting to website pages and neocat defense talking points. You cant hear him talking, but the people of Las Cruces will agree Waymel usually speaks with a feigned, kinda weird, eurosnob accent that he uses to ape/emulate the maltese bishop and talk down to people. Waymel also already very well knows the previous bishops in our diocese, Cantu, Ramirez, were very deeply respected and genuinely loved men by their priests and people. This notion that Cantu was investigated because of unfinished sex scandal business among his priests, is entirely disingenuous and comes only from the devious neocats virtue signalling roster. No sooner did Baldaccino throw out the good diocesan priests here in Las Cruces, very darkly where none of whom had a civil charge against them, no sooner than that Baldaccino sells the Bishop residence in the diocese. No respect for the toil of his predecessors, nor any respect for the widows mite that put in for the future bishops residence for the people of Las Cruces. Deacon Winder should know this fairy tale about the good bishop coming here and saving the day financially and spiritually from the gays or pedos is really dark and subversive and cheats the people of the freedom of truth. A textbook example of neo cat clericalist virtue signalling. The neocats need to face it, they are odious and repulsive because they are mediocre, and lack any kind of real human empathy. They are nasty, with rotten fruit, everywhere they go, and really dont like people at heart. When their long awaited ecclesial damage assessment comes in, I dont know what people like Waymel will do without his clericalist honors and power. I fear his little soul will shrivel up like a raisin on the day of judgement for what he has done against his brother priests and people in our diocese.
Thanks for the comment, but alas, your fantasies are not true. Perhaps you can get your hands on some information that will tell you that. When you speak of a Priest as you do, you are also speaking to the person of Christ in the same manner. You have to have real and credible fact of misconduct of a Priest, and not dislike of personality traits. Your accusation is based in opinion.
I fully agree with you. Those comments from Aaron Wilson seem to originate from Father Kevin.
Father Waymel, the people in Las Cruces are thoughtful; we are not naive. No matter what you say, you won’t sway our community into believing that your “Way” is the way. Threatening to sue people doesn’t reflect Christ’s teachings, who embodies goodness and mercy.
Julia, you are delusional if you think I am Father Kevin. By attributing my posts here to him, you are baring false witness against him and also me. You are not thoughtful in your guesswork here and are simply blowing your own horn. I have never discussed my writings here with Father Kevin. I would ask that you apologize to both of us for this wrong.
In regard to Bishop Cantù’s time as Bishop of Las Cruces. As you will see the article is dated 2020. I am posting only to establish that an investigation did or does exist of Bishop Cantù while Bishop of Las Cruces. More current information is not available, but given the length of time it would lead me to believe that no action has been taken against him. The only reason I am posting this is to point out the “Parishioners” willingness to mislead. If you read his post he denies that this ever has taken place.
https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/california-bishop-cantu-under-vatican-vos-estis-investigation?redirectedfrom=cna
I completely agree with you. Those writings of Aaron Wilson are Father Waymel’s style and tone.
Fathe Waymel/Wilson,
People in Las Cruces are strong Catholics. It is unlikely that you will convince them that your “Way” is “the way.” Did you remove your statements threatening to sue a “parishioner”?
Regarding your line:
“When you speak of a Priest as you do, you are also speaking to the person of Christ in the same manner.”
A priest has a great responsibility and will be held greatly accountable in God’s judgment. However, Christ will never condemn our souls. Christ is loving, merciful, and compassionate . He is all GOOD and ALMIGHTY.
Again, I am not Father Kevin. Be sure of this in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is how you are speaking to the person of Christ when you say that I, Aaron Wilson, am Father Kevin which is false. By doing so, you speak falsely of Christ.
…by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, acts in persona Christi Capitis. Catechism of the Catholic Church 1548. I suggest reading 1548 through 1550.
You have to be a 100% sure of any accusation against a Priest because you are attacking the person of Christ when you do so and have done here by saying Father Kevin is Aaron Wilson. Add to that anything else you have said or written against any Priest or Bishop.
I would say that the VOL are not as much strong Catholics, but rather, they are head-strong Catholics. As am I.
Bishop Baldaccino is now a Bishop in name only, now that he has knowingly, and falsely accused Fr. Christopher Williams of crimes he did not commit, Baldaccino has slandered Fr. Christopher and used his brother, Fr. Mike Williams to replace him as the new priest of the Basilica of San Albino. Baldaccino did this to intentionally demonstrate that he, as Bishop, has the power and authority to do this at will. This is what is known as an abuse of power. Baldaccino intentionally wrote a letter accusing Fr. Christopher of crimes he did not commit, or instruct others to commit.
Baldaccino personally went to the Basilica of San Albino before the Sunday Vigil Mass was about to begin and gave this letter to Fr. Mike Williams, ordering Fr. Mike to read the letter to the parishioners at the beginning of each of the Sunday Masses. By knowingly, willfully, and intentionally ordering Fr. Mike to read this letter to the parishioners, Baldaccino intentionally pitted one brother to speak untruths about his own brother.
Baldaccino’s unsavory behavior, secret misuse of financial funds for personal gain in the form of providing financial support for housing, and other needs to members of the Neocatechcumenal Way (NCW) which he himself has been forming within the Diocese of Las Cruces. Baldaccino has committed this and probably other wrong doings to build up the NCW in the Diocese of Las Cruces, and continues to do this in total disregard as to what we the parishioners of the Las Cruces Diocese think, or believe. This is a clear example of Baldaccino’s abuse of power and position as Bishop. Since his arrival in Las Cruces, and as the representative of the Las Cruces Diocese. Baldaccino has now demonstrated that he is no different from a street criminal who uses threats, lies, coercion, and intimidation etc, to control others.
Baldaccino is not worthy of being a Bishop in the Roman Catholic Church.
Pope Leo needs to immediately remove Baldaccino from his position as Bishop of the Diocese of Las Cruces, and reinstate Fr. Christopher as the priest of the Basilica of San Albino in Mesilla, New Mexico. Furthermore, the Vatican should order Baldaccino to make both a Written, and Verbal apology specifically to Fr. Christopher for the lies, the false accusations and slander he has publically spewed against Fr. Christopher. The Vatican should further order Baldaccino to make another Written and Verbal apology specifically to Fr. Mike Williams, and the entire Williams family, for the unwarranted shame he has bestowed upon that family. Baldaccino’s shameless, underhanded, and ruthless behavior while holding the position as Bishop of the Diocese of Las Cruces is not only an embarrassment to the Diocese of Las Cruces, it is an embarrassment to the entire Roman Catholic Church. For this despicable behavior by Baldaccino, The Vatican should move to have him stripped of all his duties and responsibilities as a Bishop, Priest, and official representative of the Roman Catholic Church.
Baldaccino shameless, unsavory acts have caused him to forfeit his position as Bishop of Las Cruces and I, a Roman Catholic and parishioner of the Diocese of Las Cruces can not, and will not acknowledge or in any way support him as Bishop, nor will I show any respect towards him.
To me, Baldaccino is nothing more than a street thug impersonating a clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church.
Neocats within the Diocese of Las Cruces are not welcome nor are they wanted here. Go have your “secret” and members only so called Mass somewhere else. Better yet, get the hell out of the Roman Catholic Church altogether.
Ryan,
Thank you for sharing your clear illustration of the behavior of the the bishop in Las Cruces. Especially regarding the malevolent treatment of the priests, its right on. The depth of cunning and deceit of the neocat cult is too much. Fr Williams, one of the finest priests I have ever known, can now join the club of the laity and priests in Las Cruces, Waymel and Baldaccino has put their stupid penal prescript stamp on. To your point Ryan, this is an underhanded style of willful defamation, dressed up in ecclesial language. They had 7 of our diocesan priests thrown out or had them laicized already, using this very same tactic. Remember these priests were all ordained for service in Las Cruces, before the altar, by the will of God in the open cathedral with the unified approval of Gods people in Las Cruces. Imagine being a priest thrown out of the diocese you gave your life to serve, peniless and have your name forever blackened as a thief, criminal or sex predator, and you cant defend yourself. Go get a job now kid. What soldier would want to follow a leader who would do that to their own troops in battle, especially the battle for souls. These are vain and vapid and ultimately cowardly men, I have no respect for them, I really tried, really. Every thing in my catholic heart wanted to respect our Bishop from Malta. On the lighter side, Waymel and Baldaccinos entirely cringeworthy crashing of the Voice of the Laity meeting, is his own presentation of evidence, to the vatican and for all the world to see, it is sure to be seen by smarter people than Waymel in Rome and the USCCB, and sure to make many other bishops cringe in embarrassment. I think Pope Leo should perhaps commend the people of God in Las Cruces for their remarkable gifts of patience and self restraint when dealing with these creeps.
Ryan, I hope you share a hopeful sentiment that I have, may somewhere
construction may soon begin on karmen and Kiko pinatas to use in celebrations for the neocats coming removal from the diocese of las cruces.
GOD< YES, GOD LOVE and BLESS US ALL Can POPE LEO address all our current problems? I would love to say yes and IN Fact . . . technically . . . he can, and will say, yes I will, with God's help, it is possible. BUT there is the big predicted 2026 A-I World Mega Religion Wall, that still wants to keep us all apart. Leo can talk; the failing Christian churches can offer HOPE: the rest of the religions of the world will still blame us for not seeing things their way! But this morning , God showed me, we are litterally racing into a concrete wall, where the planet will revert into it previous animalistic self, unless we break away from these worries and REMEMBER THAT CHRISTIANITY IS ABOUT MAKING A SOLEMN PROMISE TO BABY JESUS, THAT WE WILL BE ON GOD'S TEAM EVERY DAY,
I would recommend solutions rather than accusations and name calling.
I understand there is concern related to implementation of the Neocatechumenal Way (NCW) in the Diocese of Las Cruces.
I am putting this here because [email protected] will not reply to my email with the following recommendations:
For Bishop Baldacchino and Father Waymel
The Bishop does have the right to implement the NCW within the Diocese, however, he must demonstrate that he is following Vatican policies and have instituted strict oversight of the following areas:
• Liturgical Conformity
• Parish Integration
• Respect for Individual Conscience
• Financial and Administrative Transparency
This is required by Vatican policies; if you are doing these, please share this information with the parishes and parishioners
Properly address all parishes in person with your vision and strategy regarding the NCW so all concerned can understand how this better serves our Lord Jesus Christ and his parishioners here in the Las Cruces area. This has NOT been done and is creating concern and division within the Diocese.
Reinstate Father Christopher Williams as the Basilica unless you have proven evidence of a crime and/or sin that can not be absolved by the Catholic Church. Father Chris is one of the finest priests and has always served the Lord Jesus Christ as his top priority.
I know this is hard because as his Leader and Supervisor, he is likely NOT in agreement with your approach. You need advocates that challenge approaches to ensure we (as humans) don’t just fall off the cliff together but instead refine Diocese strategy, vision and objectives to be better and I am sure that is what Father Chris has attempted to do.
Leverage Father Chris skills and traditional background to assume oversight duties of the NCW implementation as he has the foundation, skills and expertise that can serve your vision of the NCW implementation to ensure it is following the Vatican guidelines.
I know this is also hard, but this would demonstrate a humble approach to the current division within the Diocese parishes and serve us all well.
Unfortunately, it feels like the parishes and parishioners are being deceived by the Diocese leadership NOT sharing their implementation with oversight as required by the Vatican.
Your Excellency, please consider looking at my recommended solution. I think you will find it will have the results you are truly looking for as you continue to lead the Diocese of Las Cruces.
I will continue to pray to our Lord Jesus Christ for resolution of this issue and for peace and the success of the Basilica of San Albino, the Diocese of Las Cruces and all the parishioners across this special Roman Catholic Community.