History of Sword of the Spirit

Communities: BREAD OF LIFE

ABANDONS CATHOLIC

CHURCH FOR SOS MEMBERSHIP

1985

OFFICE OF THE BISHOP - SOUTHEIW HEClON40 East C<:!ller Street

Akron. ()hio ·j.J:108

(216) 434-4114

MEMORANOUM

TO:FROM:IN RE:DATE:

Priests, Deacons, Pastoral Ministers of Southern RegionBishop SheldonBread of Life Community of Akron~anuary 11, 1990

The recent publicity concerning the Bread of Life Community of Akron suggests areview of the background of its relationship to the Diocese of Cleveland,particularly for those who huve come to the area since 1985.

The Bread of Life Community (hereafter referred to as 8OLC) apparently becamerelated to the Diocese in 1968 through its connection with the Akron CampusMinistry (Newman Club) in the late 60's. It was seen by some as a Cetholicanswer to the influence of fundamentalist sects on the AU Campus. The Diocesanproperty on Fir Hill Avenue was leased to BOLC for $1/year ..

In 1983-84, BOLC drew the attention of the news media when it was accused ofbeing a "cult" organization. BOLC lecdcrship under Mr. Richard Herman deniedthe charge. Continued charges by individuals end the news media necessitated astudy of BOLC by the Diocese. At my request, Mr. Herman furnished copies of thetaped "teachings" (lectures) of the Community for my review and that of thOSE Iassociated with in the study. They included the faculty of St. Mary Seminary,Sister ~oyce Soukup, then Youth Director for the Diocese, and Or. Anthony Iezzi.

Our study revealed that much of BOLC teaching and practice could not be reconciledwith that of the Church. In a series of meetings with the BOLC leadership thatwent on for 6 year, these difficulties were discussed. Finally, BOLC was put onnotice that, if it were to continue to be recognized as a Catholic organizationin the Diocese, it would have to meet certain requirements, including: (1) sub-mission of a constitution, charter, or set of by-laws that could be reconciledwith canonical requirements for a lay organization; (2) undertaking by BOLCleadership of formal courses in Catholic theology at an acceptable school orseminary. In the meantime, BOLC membership was to be reintegrated into its ownrespective parishes for Mass and sacramental services, and no longer to have itsown personal chaplain and Sunday litur9Y_ In addition, BOLC recruiting effortswere to be suspended until these stipulations we~e met.

After agreelng initially to meet these requirements, Mr. Herman later~indicatedthat BOLC could not do so. At that point, he was advised that BOLC would no longerbe considered a Catholic organization in the Diocese, nor included in the DiocesanDirectory. Mr. Herman replied that BOLC was already incorporated separately as a301-C-2 organization. (This would seem to imply that BOLC is legally an autonomouschurch or religious organization.)

During the above period of 'discussion, BOLC, expressed the plan to be affiliatedwith the Sword of the Spirit organization in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with ties to theDiocese: of Lansing, rather than to theOiocese of Cleveland.' Bishop Pilla repliednegatively, as had Bishop Hickey previously. Nevertheless, BOLe ~roceeded toaffiliate with the Ann Arbor umbrella organization.

"

(over)

BOLC - 2

Notification was made to BOLC through Mr. Herman that the door would always beopen if BOLC wished to reconsider and conForm to dioc~san directives.

Objections to BOLC can best be summarized under the headings of Code, Creed, andCult, which characterize religions and churches:

CREED:

BOLC appears to follow an Evangelical-Reformed approach to theology, based onthe Bible alone as the sole rule of faith, and interpreted privately (meaning, inpractice, by the leadership). Its ecclesiology makes no provision for a hierar-chical structure, ordination, Apostolic Succession, or Magisterial input into therule of faith or Biblical interpretation. It appears to' follow a presbyterianchurch structure, i.e., governc:;nceby non-ordained lay leaders or,"elders."

CULT:

According to my information, BOLC meets for a Sacbath religious service (on Satur-day) consisting in prayers, hymns, and "teachings" by the elders (or "heads").The meeting includes "charismatic" features such c:s speaking-in-tongues,prophecies, etc. (The latter are cleared with the leadership before beinguttered.) There are no sacramental or Eucharistic dimensions to this servicewhich is conducted by the leadership. Catholic members (who appear to be in themajority) usually attend Mass on Sunday as a separate worship service.

CODE:

BOLC prescribes a detailed lifestyle for its membership with "roles" of men,women, and children explicitly delineated. The prescriptions are referenced toBiblical sources, although a sociological basis is also claimed for them. Thestatus of women in BoLC is explicitly subservient. The prescriptions coverprivate, social, and family life.

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Ex-Bread of Life members seekhealing through support group8y Jerry Pockar, '. The group has maintained a Iow profile .stnceDIocesan Feature Editor . . 1984. Herman and other Bread ofUfe members are

F . now evangelizing in Matamoros, f..,fex1co.across theonner members of the Bread of Lifelay religious border from Brownsville. Texas. ' -.~

community are meeting weekly at St. Bernard's At their Oct. 26 support group meeting. formerChurch In Akron to seek healing from the effects of Bread of Life members told a tale of being lndoc-their experience in the controversi~ "covenant trinated in the bellef that.everythtng they knew and,community." did before entering the community was Wrong, and

The former. members claim that Bread of Life that being faithful to God's will required surrender-leaders exercised "mind control" that left them Ing their wills to the stem authority of the com-feeling Violated, dlsortented and "in pain." munity's leaders. "

Bread of Life was founded by Richard Herman Doug Spence. a leader of the support group, tolda former Maryknoll seminarian, in 1968. For i~ the former members "Everything we did was wrong.first 16years, t,hecommUnitywaswidelyrespected. Our friends were wrong. What we did for a careerBread of Life had a diocesan chaplain, Father was wrong. Everything about us was wrong. Every-Thomas Dunphy, a membership of about 300 and thing we thought and felt was wrong. Ifwe tried toownership of more than 20 communal homes in ask questions, we were put down and told weAkron's Russell Avenue and Firestone Park should not trust so much in our own Intellect."neighborhoods. Jan Zupancic told how she was unsettled when

the group prayed over a three-month old baby tocure its "impatience." The Akron area librarianrelated that in time the baby ceased to cxy at all. :

Another member spoke of "open rebuke or leysilence for unapproved behavior:' which includedwomen wearing slacks or talking to people .whothey had been told were "hot a good relationship foryou."- ..

Nobody In the support group charged Bread' ofLife wtth Violence or the extreme forms of abuseassociated with certain cults. Allwere free to leavethe community at any time. ~

Yet they described a pervasive system of psycho-logical coercion in which members were led to feelguilt or extreme peer pressure if they strayed fromthe path of holiness charted by Herman and theother Bread of Life leaders.

Key features of that path were belief In malesupremacy and a rigid definition of sex roles.

Wives, said Eileen Schmidt, were encouraged"not to be afraid to let their .husbands make amistake with their (the wives') lives." .

While the group's Akron membership hasdwindled, there still are a sizeable number ofparticipants. Some attend services at SL Mary inAkron, where Father Jack Hilkert remains sympa-thetic to Bread of Life.

November 6, 1992 Cleveland, Ohio

In 1984, Akron's Cult Watch reported they hadreceived some 20 complalnts about the community.At the same time, the Aleron Beacon Journal report-ed 40 to 50 complaints about Bread of Life hadbeen made to Bishop Anthony Pilla.

. A diocesan investigation led by Bishop GilbertSheldon followed. When Bread of Life's leadershiprefused to comply with four diocesan directives, thediocese's recognition of the group was withdrawn. Please sse SREAD, pg. 2

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Bread from pg. 1"I wouldn't be a member of Bread of Life. but the

product Is good:' he told the UB.Unda KIlltan told support group members how

she mistakenly felt pride In observing her rtgtdlydiscIplined, "robotic" children standing at attentionduring Mass at st. Mary.

"I belJeved the people In the regular CatholicChurch had their faith watered down. We judgedthose people harshly:' she said.

Dennis Flowers Is a maIntenance man at AkronGeneral Hospital. He was In Bread of LIfe for 12years and Is now able to "see how crazy It was."

Yet, In a conversation with the UB after thegroup sessIon, Flowers noted that communItymembers were gracious to him when he left In 1990and, In fact, "honored me."

are In their 305 and 409 now. They were qurte.:" professional capacity In the eight-week supportyoung when they entered Bread ofUfe and particu-..' group series. ' - ~ '" _larly susceptible to the authorttartan figures who:::- , She told the UB, "In a dysfunctional syst~.,nodominated the communIty, Spence noted, . " one can name reality, You can't say dad drfrikii'too

The people In the meeting room at St. Bernard's much. Much of the attention and 'power revolvesdidn't appear notably vulnerable. around one person. There Is an 1mbalance; the

, Fred Schmidt, for example, Is a calm and conft-, system seems to exist for the good of Itself IC!th!!rdent house painter. husband and father. He told than for the good of the members.v.z.. ,;:the group that after his family quitBread of Ufe, but remained In thecommunity's neighborhood, he wasafraid to leave his home from 4 to 6p.m, Saturdays, the time that he hadattended community meetings forseven years.

Schmidt sald Bread of Ufe wasregarded as a radical covenant com-munity by other similar groups. Hequoted vtsttlng covenant ChrIstians assaying, "Gosh, you guys are the mar-Ine boot camp." .

John Galletta related how he hadenjoyed the guilty pleasure of watch-tng a rnovte using the VCR of JohnZmurc, the present Bread of Ufe lea-der. CommunIty members lived withsevere restrictions on the use of televt- Zupancic end John Gel/sIts st ths St. Bernsrd's support group,slons or VCRs, he said.

Support group participants laughed when Eileen"Schmidt said, 'Two particular scr1ptures come tomind -- and I don't have them memorized anymore." The laughter erupted In the context of adiscussion of how Bread of Ufe members wereconstantly enjoined to memorize scripture.

'This one (rule) turned out to be a hammer forus to beat people up with, " sard Spence. 'The Biblethumpers -- that whole Idea."

Other members spoke of being disoriented froma combination of excessive tasks Imposed by theBread of Ufe leadership, continually changingrules, lack of sleep and fasting.

One woman spoke of an Infant who wasn'tgaintng weight because her mother was too ex-hausted from the Bread of Ufe regimen to nurseher.

Spence told how one harned member would callIn sick at work. rent a motel room and find a day'speace away from the group. Another memberreportedly stole away evenings and weekends tosleep In the showroom where she worked duringthe week -- 'Just so she could get away fromthem."

Several in the support group made the pointthat Herman and the other Bread ofUfe coordinat-ors convinced them leaving the group would Isolatethem from the will of God.

"I was In such paln." said Eileen Schmidt, "andyet I felt that leaving the community would put meout of the will of God."

Linda Gannon Is a ther.aplst and a parishionerat st. Sebastian In Akron. She Is participating In a

She said she had no d~ubt BreadoC"j]{ Is adysfunctional system. She also saidthe function ofthe support group Is to help the former members"make sense of their expertence, , ,--Wehave work-ed very hard to provide an open atmosphere be-cause that Is not what they had before." .

"People are especially vulnerable to the religious, community because many people want to be betterpeople; they are looking for a place to grow In thespirit," she said. 'When this comes under the guiseof such authortty, we are very vulnerable."

Several sources said Bread of LIfe has recently. approached Bishop Anthony Pilla regarding formal

diocesan recognition. .A Bread of Ufe. spokesman confirmed that,

saying. 'We are hoping to meet with Bishop Pilla Inthe near future to get his advice on how we shouldbe doing things." ,. . -:$', ....

The spokesman, who asked ar-remaln anony-mous, declJned to respond to the charges of theformer members, . '

"Bread of Life Is In the pr~ess of changing rightnow. When I think In terms of people coming Intothe high level of commitment that Bread of Ufeinvolves, I'm sure that some people were hurt by Itsome ways," Father Dunphy said.

"But I certainly don't agree It was an organiza-tion that was mind controlling or that sort of thing.I think the people of Bread of Ufe are good peoplewho were called to live the Gospel and ltve It In acertain way. Everyone Is not called to live that way."

•

Llke others, he said there were IJOsltive aspectsto the community and that the' motivation for themany hundreds of people who JOined Bread of Ufeover a generation was a desire to live a life ofholiness and faith.

Still, Flowers sald Bread of Ufe Is a fundamen-tally unhealthy community. He noted he Is particu-larly concerned about the children, many of whomare made to fast on bread and water two days aweek, and who are "spanked excessIvely" when theyfall to satisfy the communIty's high standards ofbehavior for children.

Spence recalled to the group a "tiny gIrl carryinga huge box up a flight of stairs. When we offered tohelp, she said, 'No, I'm carrying this up for the poorsouls In purgatory:'

She was, argued Spence, "too young to have aconcept of self denial. What she was doing wastrying to gain approval."

Former members acknowledged the need forapproval from Herman and others In the hierarchywas the force controlling the member's actions.

"Nonconformists were Isolated from the groupand the ones who conformed were made to feel theyhad a special call." said Spence., He also noted members lower In the hierarchy

were encouraged to imitate the "behavior, hair-styles, jargon, clothing" of more "spiritually ad-vanced" members.

"If you weren't looking like the person you weresupposed to be lmltatlng. you were moved to a less

.exclusive group within the community ," he said.Most of the people at the st. Bernard's session

-1\1:urder-of .five American nuns mournedBishop Cosgrove recalls their ministry in Illinois diocese

they believed." Sister Gross spoke at an Oct. 31news conference announcing the deaths.

The tearful provmctal continued. "I neverthought It would end like this."

After praying the Angelus Nov. 1. Pope JohnPaul 11 told a crowd In st. Peter's Square at theVatican that the sisters were 'brutally murdered"outside Monrovia, "where they dedicated their livesto announcing the Gospel and servtng their broth-ers and sisters.

"Despite the great danger until the end thesisters remained alongside the population threat-ened by the Violent battles under way In that city."

At the memorial Mass, Archbishop Francis paidtribute to each of the slain women. He noted thatSister Muttra Insisted on returning (0 Uberla aftercancer surgery In the U.S.

"Can you believe that? What love," he said.Liberia, which was colonized by freed American

slaves In 1820, has been In the throes of civil warsince 19R9. TIle war quickly became a tribal con-

By staff and wtr« reports

As the archbishop of Monrovia, Liberia appealedfor the return of their bodies. the world continuedto express Its grief and outrage at the killings of fiveU:S. missionary nuns In the small country onAfrica's West Coast. -

Archbishop Michael Francis of Monrovia, Liber-ia's capital. reported on Oct. 31 that the nuns hadbeen found dead. On Nov. 2, he appealed to rebelforces of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia,whose soldiers are believed responsible for theslaytngs.

'We ask the NPFL and Its leader to allow us toretrieve the bodies (of the nuns). no matter theirstate of decomposition:' the archbishop said.

Archbishop Francis told those in attendance ata memorial Mass at Monrovia's Sacred HeartCathedral that he holds Charles Taylor, the rebel'sleader personally "responsible. directly or indirectly,consciously or unconsciously. for (he deaths of. t " ,. .,

McGuire, 54. were discovered just outside the gatesof their convent In Cardnersvtlle on the outskirts ofLiberia.

The five women, all Illinois natives, were mem-bers of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ communi-ty In Red Bud, Ill. in the diocese of Belleville.

In Cleveland, Bishop William Cosgrove recalledSister Shirley Kolmer and Sister Kathleen Quinn,whom he had known when he was the bishop ofthe Belleville diocese.

'When I first met Sister Shirley," the bishop toldthe Universe Bulletin, "she was teaching math atthe University of Monrovia. Then she became ,theprovlnc!al of the group. She was a good feminist.but she was able to deal effectively with all people.

"Kathleen Quinn became active with Guatema-lan refugees, with establishing them In the U.S.and Canada. They were great women."

Father Denis St. Marie, the diocesan director ofthe Society for the 'Propagation of the Faith and aveteran mlsstonary; said. "Our missionaries go (0f .. _•.../.,_ 1 ~ I • ~ t •. 1~ • _11:._1, .t. l_ \ .

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AkrorrBread .otLitemembers in HondurasBy',JerrY Pockar,Feature' Editor '

Last month,", 20 "members of a controversial'. fundamentalist group With former ties to the Clevelanddiocese left Akron under the "direction of their mentor,Richard Herman,to work in Honduras.

The Bread of Life Community's latest move attractedthe attention of not only the Akron Beacon Journal butalso prompted a memo from Auxiliary Bishop GilbertSheldon clarifying the diocese's separation from BOLC.

Though the detmls of the Honduras mission remainshrouded behind Bread of Life's veil of secrecy,approximately 20 members, including children, left Jan. 11for seven months of missionary activity in the Diocese ofSanta Rosa de Copan. '

In a telephone interview with the Universe Bulletin,Bishop Jaime Brusau of the neighboring Diocese of SanPedro Sula said the Bread of Life missionaries wereprobably invited to Honduras by Father Enrique Silvestre,a Precious Blood priest who operates a "covenantcommunity" in Santa Rosa de Copan. Bishop Brusau saidthere are a number of such communities in 'Honduras and

··,Under s~rutiny

,that' theycharacteristicaIly function outside of diocesancontrol.: '.'

.One aspect of the controversy surrounding Bread ofLife's activities is' their stubborn Silence with the mediawhich has intensified the scrutiny they've received and hascreated the impression that they do infact have somethingto hide.

The UB spoke repeatedly with' acting coordinator JohnPatton, Herman's brother-in law, but although Pattonpromised to provide detailed answers to questions takendown in writing, he reneged on that promise, offering only

.a statement which related nothing more, albeit atconsiderable length, than that Bread of Life is going toHonduras to "proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ,support one another's Catholic faith, love the poor andexpress Christian family ,life."

Father Thomas Dunphy, the former spiritual director ofBread of Life who currently is pastor of St. Martin ofTours Parish in Valley City, defended the group's silenceon the grounds that "they have been burned so much by

: the media," a reference to the Beacon Journal stories.Please see BREAD OF LIFE, pg. 10

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Though no one has suggested that Bread of Life's Honduran venture involves on there that Dick doesn't have control of. If Dick says it, they believe it. If someoneillegalities, the propriety of the trip has been questioned by former group members else, including the bishop, says it, they don't believe it. If you don't agree with him,and several Akron area priests. you're simply wrong." •

One local pastor, who asked not to be quoted by name and who continues to Peggy Norris Oliver, a former "covenanted member" who was Herman's one.admire the community, characterized the trip as "lunacy." A Bread of Life dropout, time secretary and a dedicated BOLe participant from 1976 to 1984, told the UB:who..also requested anonymity bE!.caus~her job r~q1&rescontact witb.J\OLC leaders,_.~"I think.Dick Herman is cold hearted and-mean-spirited. He'll say-crueHhings-inexpressed deep COncernover the group's children being taken to a dangerous region order to keep control." . _in Central America. Irrespective of what 'Herman and his coordinators say, there is evidence that the· Bishop -Sheldon noted in an interview with the Akron Beacon Journal that discipline they impose on group members is ext;reme.. -; . '.,~ . _~"Catholic missionaries who "have the care of 'souls" have to meet requirements. Universe Bulletin interviews disclosed thatelementary .:schooI-age.children: ~.unsatisfied by Bread of Life leadership. . -,' . '. . ", community-fast on bread and water a(-least one day a week, women are .oroe· ::pte '~bntroversy and 'ambiguity are,characteristic;:\lf,the spiritually ambitious pluck theireyebrows so as to.be in accord with the BOLCleadership's s~9m~umty' founded by Richard Herman in .-1968.• -: ..,;•..,,': . ,.... .feminity, .meri areeubiected to .harsh'.;criticlsffi Ir they vi~late the :g,.ouP's

. Herman, a one time Miu-yJsn"IJ,se,nrin!'rian, beganBread of Life in Akron in 1968: masculinity by infractions' such as wearing" 'sandals,)l1ld",everyone is .after tuberculosis forced his return.from.a. Peace 'Corps stint in the Philippines: perform "acts of submission' and confess' their sins to the. group's leaders;

For its first' 1'6 yearS;' Bread of.tif~.~wiw·a growing and respected force in the' ," . ': .. : .. ' .~" '. ,\,,-". :" L '':';'-;''.2.':'' ~ .,",,~:: ,;' ,'" ,',"~Oce~/'It: hlla;its-ow!i,_~ch'llpl~n,.Fath~i' QUPp.l!Y,,""': communal membership' 'of' .-'~-"';t'",;:"-.:'~~:!•. ., ,.;-::...:.'{;:t'&c,-,. 1, _ :approximately 300 and oWnership:of,inorethilli 20;homes liftl,1e Russell Avenue and' .. . .•••. ,.. 'c. - ., ,- , .

·Firestone 'Park-areas of Akron.,,:·, r·'''', ~~'~,.:~.•:'. . ". . .

Th~ rigor' of its discipline and 'the strangeness, in a Catholic context,~f 'its'emphasis on speaking in tonguesand uttering prophecies mayhave alarmed Catholicobservers ot":a traditional inclination. Nonetheless; in' its first decade 'and a half,'Bread' of Life' achieved xa respect: it· still retains in the eyes of some diocesan:

obts~~:·~~j;h:;~~~~~J·:~:~~e~J .Br:~d·o~:~~;~~mbers, at ~~ ~~ters.of Chanty 'of.St.lAugustinll, ,motherhot1J'ei1fl,Wchfield, said: }l'liey bring a spmt oflove, .dedication fiild charitj;'.and they 'go'ooyonHvhat is asked of them," ,. '1· . 'F:ather Thomiis:Dupphy,~wh&,sel>'eiriiS the;gr6~pfsdidce~'appointed spiritualdirector from i979,84 said, "IStlpport 'the gfoupand'IJhmk;they are misjmderstood.·¥any. pepple thought ~!iriY'of th,e'saints' we~.striitigi:"';:\';; ': .' <". ,;,

·.,SimilarlY, onNov.~23i'1984; Bishop Sheldori,';.viC¥ ~r:theSouthern Region, wits'quoted:aS saYJ,ng, "Gener;uly;-;I-have,a'great .d~·6f:admiration for the membership"and tne'.jeiidership.",': ;:;C , •.•. ~:'. "-:>";-YF~2~S.. ' .',' __ .' .. "It{:Was·atthat.'time, how~ve;ith;"CBishop,Artiho~y'~lia, ~r an examination

of .the Bread -'of -Life' Community .conducted 'l:>y':~BishopSheldon and diocesanassociates, issued four directives which had·tp,oo;,fulfilled if the group was tocontinue to receive recognition as a Catholic ·,otga,nfztltiiin... . .: .. :".·.;The directives -stipulated,thR{BOLC memb&~ .. , . 'Mass'at their own 'parishes,~tna~·they~·rec:er~~~di~~~:!lp~tci'Ve~'ithi!olt"' "'rili/that' the/'puWsh' a'

, di>2umimtrevealin{(their.ideIitity)Uid:th~·;r· Ii .eitjs:of their community order and'that they discontinue ~tin~ntllI\d qutreach proir8n:is i!urlng the period in which

- thedirectiveswerein the process of beingm-et.,·!:t.~·,. '. " ~"'·.TheBread of Lifeleadership,.:Subaequently,adviSed Bishop Pilla's :offiee.that the

~t~~~~:~~~~~~:;;fc~~~ua;~ri~~~t~!f.!;;~~~~;i~;I~~d,'t?:t',~~ey" c,~t~dn~"";.;In'·~he~,,lVords'of[BOLC's'{p!~eIit,,,actfugj~rdiitBct:i?!},at,tOn,."YIe ~e·.·nR~ an

:~organizatioir-~f-:catbo1i~,.not~a: ca£holic~amzatil)ti~ ~~~<.~:....~:;~·.,:~~·~~~_"\~Zl:.f.~;(~{~- ~':i ':5ishop Piiia's1984-'acli6I{:roliowed~a°Yepoit<by"Cult",WatClr 8lifuon?'giOup,

. which 'said·:they 'received 'more 'than 20'rompll!irits7 siiggesting .Bread of Life,-was a.cult, The report was publisJiecginca,¥ay,l3;:.1984';",Ai<ron Beacon V~Urn:aI:'story'which alsil reveiUedthat Bi';hop )'ilIa's officij,Ilad,.\received similar, .compllrints .concerning.the gTOUpSm~th~~,~~f~~C~q~~~~:rr6m~4f:t<t'~~;eX-~~.~~~:':;*~<1·,f~/~,,'BOLC's methodS and'.teci)lliiililiitah W~ilali'JOhe~ole.o(Dick He;ma-n Cibntii).ti~tO'.•: one close to,l\'-C 'be'.at·the heart of thedeb>(te~jc(wh~*e~'the gr';iipjs~a;jUurablE; or~gero'us.:-fC"7' .~~; ; • ;': ,:,the groUp haSi'~ .The evidence for either judgment'remainsincoIicluSiYe. Nevertheless, a prelimirilirY~.<~ '~~:::...:: 0~suggel>1edt~f,,~; ,Unive~se Bulletin investigatlon,hasdisclooed-;.peniuj;give-i;estimoriy and other-' ~ j:;;.::'~.'1i:" . the'vlolence.-:,·

· indications that Bread of Life,is"oocorillng mo~)soll1ted, .secretive and extreme;: ':.',-<:.~ - ~ '", ~.' -.:. 'hlch has <'While some observers haveceJ!:pressedconcern o)'erthe.'welfare~of a group whose'. '.;.c-. i-;. ,~.,~~.f;I~~j,a,rloiis:"'.:

leader's pursuit of his ideaor'hoHhess is'apparentl:Vunchecked.by externalauthority , " , . "or internal democracy, no one,cJos~ito·',the· i;roup'chaa "suggested 'that the-violence ,:;{,<,.cultsIs likely to"which has afflicted various cUlts is' likely to occur' within Bread o(Life: ',' .~. ..' occur within.

Moreover, even the community's fierceSt critics acknowledge that, collectively and Bread of Life;'individually: Bread of Life has accomplished good works, and that .though thecommunity may have strayed from a productive path,' its members were initially.drawn to it by a desire to know and follow 'Christ. ,

Today, though, as community membership :fonnerly over 390 has dwindled toapproximately 100, a significant number of former BOLC people are makingassertions such as that the "group has gone from bad to worse,'"and that life withinit is "becoming'heavier and heavier." :

The consensus of the ex-BOLC people spoken to by the UB is that Herman hasbecome an authoritarian and manipulative .1ead~r who practices and trains thecommunity's coordinators in a subtle and effective form of mind control.

Graphic artist Doug Spence, who was in the group from 1978 to the end of 1985,said, "There is, in my estimation, mental and emotional abuse. Really nothing goes

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Peggy Oliver said, "They talk about the 'group as being spiritual bootcamp."An Akron area school teacher, who requested anonymity, said that her pastoral

leader demanded she pluck her eyebrows, told her to pray onwhether or not tobutton the top button' of her blouse and wrote her frequent notes on whom sheshould date and how she should act when she did so. Any hand-holding or touchingwas, for example, strictly taboo prior to engagement.

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- CATHOLIC UNNERSE BULLETIN,FEBRUARY 2: 1990 11

Peggy Oliver remembers that Herman would reprimanded her if she wore slacks,chastised her for driving a car when there waS a man available to do 80 andpressured her for several years to make a commitment to the single life.

According to Mrs. Oliver, who is now married and living In Boise, Idaho, otherwomen and men were pushed toward marriage with a spouse of the leaders'choosing. . .

Mrs. Oliver and Doug Spence related en incident in which a woman was told sheshould marry a farmer. When a fanner appeared on the scene shortly thereafter,Mrs. Oliver said, Herman told the woman, "There's a farmer."

.fhe UB sources emphasized that persuasion and suggestion were as common J

tactics. as direct orders in the group's discipline."You were told to pray on an issue; said Mrs.,Oliver, "and if you were told to

pray on it, you could be sute that's what they wanted you to do." .She also related, in respect to the acts of submission requested by the community. c

leadership, that "If you really wanted to do something, the surest, way to get

approval was to act as if you didn't want to do it." _Former member Marilyn Miller concurred that, "Even though it was difficult to

know this initially, the group did turn out to be very authoritarian-in the way theyoperated:'

Obedience is clearly a major issue in Bread of Life's operations. It is also a virtuerequired in any religious community. What has attracted ne.f1tive attention ~8 that

St. Ann to exhibit skills-in annualsclencefain

"

St. Ann School in Cleveland HeightS will be celebrating 25 years of scienceachievement during its annual science fair Feb. 20 in Walsh Hall, below the .church at Cedar Road and Stillman. . J'

According to Charlotte Huszcza, spokeswoman for St. Ann's, junior highstudents have been "designing and conducting experiments to find out firsthand the answers to a VB8t array of pertinent, scientific questions."

The students, guided by eighth grade science teacher Joseph Zenisek, areinvestigating an array of topics, from ecology Bod plant growth to humanbehavioral responses and household germs.

Finh and sixth graders also are involved in the science fair through aspecial event called Invention Convention which allows student~ to demonstratetheir science skills as they invent a new product or process, Bald Ms. HU8ZCZa.

Last year, St. Ann students took their exhibits to the science fair at St.Ignatius High School and to the Fourth Annual Science Day held at CuyahogaCommunity College where they were recogruzed for eheie excellent projects.

"The Science Fair is an important' element of the school's science program,"said Ursuline Sister Lois Petersen, school principal; "It allows students toparticipate directly and creatively in the scientific proceee." .

Science fair hours are ? e.m. - 2 p.m '. and 7:S~ p_m.-9:00 p.m, Awards WIllbe announced in the everong. For more mformation, call 932-4.~77.

~obedience : ~thin Bread of Life is apparently obedience to one man, who is;_l functioning without magisterial sanction or appropriate checks and balances:

''What this life of obedience amounts to," said Spence, '19 obedience to Dick asGod's agent."

Mrs. Oliver noted that people in the group tend to regard Herman as a saint.She also recalled that when she len the group, Hennan told her, "You have wronged

~ me, and the community (by leaving). You can either repent. and make it right. with....me immediately or wait until you're before the throne of Jesus on Judgment Day."

All of theex-BOl.C people the Universe Bulletin spoke with agreed that whileobedience and actS of submission to the community's hierarchy were central in the

'. ~ life 'of the, group, formal obedience was but one aspect of a system of authority.Aspiring members 'were Integrated into the group in stages and acceptance could

be a tantalizingly slow process. Conduct was closely monitored by pastoral leaders,who answered to coordinators, who answered to Herman. Throughout the process,full membership was made to seem a blessed goal.

The control of the leadership' was, our sources said, intensified by a highlyscheduled program of communal living and a life of isolation strengthened by theelimination of radio, television and newspapers.

In regard to the attractiveness of membership, the teacher, a member for eightyears, said. "People equated their holiness with being able to make the grade in theBOLC and if they couldn't make the grade, they doubted their holiness."

. Oliver said that ilynamic was accentuated by the fact that "the group attractspeople who think they can't make it anywhere else.v.e judgment seconded by otherformer members .

.Even though the BOLe path is described as being difficult for aspiring members,the difficulty has generally been counterbalanced by the offering of love andacceptance. /

Marilyn Miller said, "Th~re was a lot of loving 'acceptance in this group:'

Fonner BOLe me~ber Ma~garet Poloma was quotsd in a 1984 Akron BeaconJournal story as alleging that the group uses 'love-bombing" tactics similar to those

. employed by the followers of the Rev. Sun Mynng Moon.

In addition t6 loving acceptance, the attraction of a rigorous spiritual path andtight discipline, secrecy was and is an important component of the Bread of Lifeexperience.

Marilyn Miller noted that ;"hen she posed questions to Maureen -O'Boyle, untilrecently an important group member along with he. husband Daniel, Miller'squestions were repeatedly met with, ''You'd better talk to Danny:'

The response is characteristic of a community in which all the lenders are male,virtually all of them are related to Herman by marriage, and clear answers .are notforthcoming.

'- ,It can be argued, however, that the media bums referred to by Father Dunphyhave at least been made worse by what Bishop Sheldon described in 1984 as an "usagainst them" theology.

The bishop noted at that time that, "The idea of conflict between the believers•.. .and '(the 'rest 00 the world seems. to be rather common in their teachings':'. 'SI.mj~rlY, in :rUB' irit.itview.last<wee!o.Bi8hopAlheJd<w said,. "I think they""" ,

, themselves as a group who have the inner light, the authentic Christianity. I tlllnk"'''·,k, they see. the church as having strayed from the path of the authentic Gospel:'

C~unterbal~cing that judgment and the more harsh verdict of people like Spenceand Mrs. Olive;', Fath~r Dunphy sjiid recently that he has Been no evidence Ofauthoritarianism or mind control in his long association with Bread of Life.

The priest's assessment is supported by an Akron pastor close to the group whodeclined to be quoted because, "I might lose my license,"

The ambiguity of Bread of Life's true nature also is evident in the recollectionof Universe Bulletin associate publisher Father Michael Dimengo that, "Dick Hermanhas always seemed to me to be a gentle and humble man."

When told of Father Dimengo's recollection, Doug Spence quoted Thomas Mertonas having said, ''The sickness (spiritual pride) is most dangerous-when it succeedsin looking like humility:' .

Spence also said, ..!'There is a spiritual blindness because God's light is assumed(in the group) to be filtered through Dick. What this amounts to iR idolatry:'

Whatever a fair judgment of Dick Herman and Bread of Life may be, thecommunity continues to function in both Akron and Honduras.

While Mrs. Oliver~and Spence and the anonymous Akron teacher have expressedconcern over the community's long-time emphasis on martyrdom ("Saints,missionaries and martyrs" is their slogan), the community will probably continue toattract adherents and opponents as they follow their, or Dick Herman's, vision ofspiritual illumination.

St. Ann science teacher Joseph Zenisek Illustrates ,,'perlment to students(left to right) Anthony· HUS{CZ8, Naklll Sml'.h end Care Paddon_ . . .