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July 20, 2013

My Dear Parishioners of Santa Barbara Catholic Church:


I write this letter with a heavy heart, but a letter I must write to explain to you what had transpired
over this past week which has led to Fr. Dan Bien being appointed as a temporary Parochial
Administrator of our Parish.
I have been asked by our Archbishop to resign as your Pastor because the Archbishop believes that I
am still employing an individual who the Vicar General directed me in 2011 to terminate. I was
required to terminate this person because of a crime he committed over 32 years ago. I knew this
individual had paid his debt to society, and had fully repented, and he and his wife and their two
daughters were eager to return to the Church and embrace their Catholic faith. Although I disagreed
with this decision, out of obedience to the Archbishop, I had to comply.
Unfortunately, the Archbishop and his advisors are under the mistaken belief that I have not carried
out his requirement. Consequently, in a letter addressed to me on July 16, I was asked to resign or
experience a more arduous and painful closure to your assignment at Santa Barbara Church.
While this entire issue could have been cleared up if they had simply spoken with me, and done a
basic investigation, I now find myself in a difficult situation. I can simply accept their demand to
resign, or I can follow the more difficult path which will ultimately lead to the truth. After much
prayer and quiet reflection on what our Lord Jesus Christ would do, I have decided not to take the
easy path and resign. Rather, I have decided to take the difficult path and ask for a hearing so I may
be allowed to defend myself and to save my vocation as a priest. I cannot in good conscience accede
to their demands without defending my vocation as a priest and allowing the truth to be heard.
As your pastor I ask you to please join me in supporting Fr. Dan Bien in all of his decisions and
actions. I will still be at the parish, and you can still contact me for any matter you need to discuss. I
look forward to continue celebrating all the Sacraments with you.
Finally, I ask for your prayers, not only for myself, but for the Archbishop, praying that this matter
will resolve itself for the benefit of all involved, and most especially for the Church as a whole.
Prayerfully yours,
Fr. Paul Gofigan
SANTA BARBARA CATHOLIC CHURCH
330 Iglesias Circle Dededo, Guam 96929-5327
Tel: (671) 632-5659-9534 Fax: (671) 632-1713

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