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One priest and two directors at the Diocese of Tyler tendered their resignations Monday, in a move the bishop says will position the diocese to best fulfill its mission. 

Bishop Joseph Strickland said he accepted the resignations of the Very Rev. Anthony Stoeppel as vicar general and president of Bishop Gorman School, Peter Kane as finance officer of the diocese and Ben Fisher as director of operations. 

“To be absolutely clear, the changes involving these good men are in no way related to recent headlines about the sinful and horrible actions of some in the Church,” Strickland said Monday in an emailed statement alluding to the sexual abuse scandals. “These headlines have reminded us that evil is real, and part of our teaching mission in the diocese is to guide us in our fight against this reality.”

Strickland said the diocese is “in the midst of an ambitious plan to change how we teach the Catholic faith.”

“In addition to achieving this teaching mission, the diocese also needs to fulfill the broader mission of attending to the other needs of Catholics in East Texas,” he said. “The diocese, like other organizations, will periodically need to fine tune its operational plan so that as good stewards we can best fulfill the important mission entrusted to us.” 

Strickland appointed Stoeppel, who was pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish in Paris, to the dual post of vicar general and Bishop Gorman president in June of 2017. Stoeppel replaced the Rev. Anthony McLaughlin, who was appointed vicar general in 2015 and Bishop Gorman president in early 2017.

At the time of the transition to Stoeppel, Strickland said the change was based on his judgment that the move was in the best interest of his vision for the diocese, particularly as they prepared to launch the St. Philip Institute for Catechesis and Evangelization.

Strickland said Monday Stoeppel will focus on pastoral care and prepare for educational responsibilities including teaching a course in Rome. 

“Father Anthony has been a tremendous help to me and the teaching mission of the diocese over the last year,” he said. 

Regarding Kane and Fisher’s resignations, he said, “Peter’s and Ben’s talents across many areas of finance, development and operations, will be missed. I am grateful to both of them for their dedicated service.” 

The Very Rev. John Gomez remains in his position as vicar general, a post he has held since 2015. The vicar general helps the bishop govern the diocese, according to the Diocese of Tyler website. Typically one priest serves as vicar general, but Catholic Church law allows a bishop to appoint more than one person to the role.

Strickland will take some time to look at the needs of the diocese and determine if he will fill the other vicar general position and the director of operations position, according to the diocese. The finance officer position will be filled.

As many are aware, the Diocese of Tyler is in the midst of an ambitious plan to change how we teach the Catholic faith. In addition to achieving this teaching mission, the diocese also needs to fulfill the broader mission of attending to the other needs of Catholics in East Texas. The diocese, like other organizations, will periodically need to fine tune its operational plan so that as good stewards we can best fulfill the important mission entrusted to us.

Today, I accepted the resignation of Father Anthony Stoeppel as vicar general and president of Bishop Gorman School, so that he can focus on pastoral care and prepare for educational responsibilities in the near future, including teaching a course in Rome. Father Anthony has been a tremendous help to me and the teaching mission of the diocese over the last year.

I also accepted the resignation of Peter Kane as finance officer of the diocese and Ben Fisher as director of operations. Peter’s and Ben’s talents across many areas of finance, development, and operations, will be missed. I am grateful to both of them for their dedicated service.

To be absolutely clear, the changes involving these good men are in no way related to recent headlines about the sinful and horrible actions of some in the Church. These headlines have reminded us that evil is real, and part of our teaching mission in the diocese is to guide us in our fight against this reality.