ADAM COLLINGS' (CENTER) LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO THE PRESERVATION AND INTERPRETATION OF CALIFORNIA'S HISTORIC FRANCISCAN MISSIONS (ON-SITE FOR RETROFITTING OF MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO'S GREAT STONE CHURCH).
March 16.2011
His Excellency, the Right Reverend Monsignor Mike Heher
Vicar General/Roman Catholic Diocese of
Orange
Marywood Pastoral Center2811 East Villa Real Drive
Orange,
CA 92613-1595
Dear Monsignor,
Forgive my approaching you directly, but after more than a decade of attempting to resolve this matter on my own I feel compelled to press for your intervention.
In the midst of researching my life’s work, CALIFORNIA/WEST OF THE WEST, I opted to give my tithing to aid with renovating the Diocesan Archives. I should note that I am not Catholic, but rather LDS (Mormon) and that as a Mormon have always given a minimum of ten percent of my income and ten percent of my time to God AND community.
It was suggested thereafter, by Monsignor Paul Martin, what with my extensive work scripting both a narrative of
California’s shared cultural heritage and biography of MY California hero, J Serra and my familiarity with the facilities that no one stood better suited to serve as curator for Mission San Juan Capistrano. Having just submitted a proposal on topic to Disney’s
California Adventure Theme Park I found the prospect at
San Juan exciting and enthusiastically proceeded with “Imagineering” the mission.
Reverend Monsignor Mike Heher
March 16, 2011
Page 2
That which followed can only be described as unconscionable. Punished for said contributions, I found myself being hounded into assisting with endless hours of genealogical work and “worked,” as if retired or unemployed, as a docent.
Gratefully I stayed with it, and collaborated. Had I done otherwise I would not have been present to witness Jerry Miller, as Executive Director of the Mission, claim credit (and accept monies) for work that I had "contributed," while simultaneously burying me under a flood of slander; the mission rumor mill accusing Adam Collings of everything from plagiarism to pedophilia.
I continue to endure this charade of watching now Executive Director Mechelle Lawrence launch programs extracted from my laboriously garnered research and the innovative designs that brought me into contact with this sordid state of affairs in the first place.
I never asked the Diocese or
Mission parish for anything in return for my tithe (totaling in excess of $50,000). Having said that I have since been informed that at that time an honorable and like minded Mission Board Member responded by earmarking funds to aid ME with MY OWN work on, CALIFORNIA/WEST OF THE WEST. Said funds, I understand, were rather diverted to a Mr. Doug Westfall and used to publish a book for Father Bill Krekelberg?
So it is that today I ask you directly for an intervention.
Might I offer up, merely as suggestions, several courses of action.
Reverend Monsignor Mike Heher
March 16, 2011
Page 3
FIRST COURSE OF ACTION: Proceed with installation of myself as a paid curator at the
Mission. Perhaps by so doing I might find it possible to follow through on my previously CONTRIBUTED work while at the same time sustain publication of MY OWN work, from which I earned the livelihood previously tithed.
Additionally, I do not need to inform the Diocese that this historic and sacred site is being held hostage, as it were, by both Anthony Rivera, a dangerously bigoted Mormon Native American Elder and Born Again Evangelical "Catholic" Mechelle Lawrence. No one sits better positioned to deal with said set of circumstances than someone such as myself.
SECOND COURSE OF ACTION: Sponsor one hundred copies of CALIFORNIA WEST OF THE WEST to be distributed free of charge at Mission San Juan Capistrano during the upcoming Swallows Day festivities.
At $50 a copy this will set the
Mission back $5,000 (if the
Mission suggests that they have already done this they so say in error. Several years ago I came in to lecture and sign this book as I have at many other venues, during the course of which the
Mission not only recouped their investment but garnered an additional percentage from the sell of every book).
THIRD COURSE OF ACTION: Give me my tithing back!
Reverend Monsignor Mike Heher
March 16, 2011
Page 4
Forgive this imposition and at such a busy time of the year. Thank you, in advance, for your consideration.
Your brother in Christ,
Adam
cc Right Reverend Bishop Todd Brown
TAGS: ADAM COLLINGS MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO GREAT STONE CHURCH CONSERVATION TEAM, ADAM COLLNGS VOLUNTEER ARCHIVIST/HISTORIAN/CURATOR ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE, VOLUNTEER DOCENT MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, BISHOP NORMAN MCFARLAND, MONSIGNOR PAUL MARTIN, BISHOP TODD BROWN, MONSIGNOR MIKE HEHER, BEST SELLING AUTHOR ADAM COLLINGS CALIFORNIA WEST OF THE WEST
CALIFORNIA MISSIONS
