Binghamton priest blends faith with social activism

GEORGE BASLER, Correspondent

The Rev. Timothy Taugher leads St. Francis of Assisi

(Photo: GEORGE BASLER / Contributed photo)

During his 37 years as a Catholic priest, the Rev. Timothy Taugher has held up numerous protest signs, annoyed his bishop and had people occasionally walk out of his sermons.
But he’s also ministered to the sick, led his parish though a successful merger and watched the congregation grow.

During his ministry, the 62-year-old Binghamton native has balanced his duties as a parish priest with an intense social activism focused on workers’ rights, poverty issues and nonviolence.

For him, the two roles are inseparable. “I certainly take my duties as a pastor seriously: liturgy, Sunday worship, visiting the sick, faith formation,” he said. At the same time, “I integrate Catholic social teaching into everything I do.”

That means Taugher has engaged in protests and civil disobedience, notably at the federal courthouse in Binghamton and at the U.S. Army School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Ga. Critics contend the Fort Benning facility, which has been renamed, trains Latin American officers who committed human rights abuses.

More recently, he has been an outspoken critic of what he terms, the “immorality” of the Iraq War and American use of drones in bombing raids. He’s a member of the Binghamton Labor-Religion Coalition and the upstate group Friends of Franz Jagerstatter (named for an Austrian farmer who was executed for refusing to serve in Hitler’s army) that is lobbying bishops to be more outspoken against “militarism.”

In November 2013, Taugher made news when he informed Bishop Robert Cunningham of the Syracuse Diocese that his parish, St. Francis of Assisi in Fenton, would not participate in the bishops’ conference approved collection for the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services.

Cunningham was “not too happy,” and he received a letter about the issue, Taugher acknowledged. “He’s a very nice guy, but I know he doesn’t agree with everything I do.“
Other critics have been more blunt. “He should be rewarded with a parish in Benghazi,” one commentator wrote after the right-leaning Breitbart News Network ran a story on Taugher’s action.

But Taugher also wins praise for his leadership at St. Francis of Assisi in Binghamton and his commitment to his beliefs. “He challenges us in our faith, and you don‘t get challenged too many places,“ said Beverly Krinik, a member since 1978 who now sits on the parish council.

Before coming to St. Francis, Taugher was full-time chaplain at United Health Services facilities and the Diocesan Director of Social Action.

His activism dates from the 1960s when he saw a film on poverty during a Holy Week retreat at Catholic Central High School in Binghamton (now Seton Catholic Central High School) where he was a student. He protested against the Vietnam War.

That engagement has never lapsed. He’ll preach on income inequality and nonviolence. “Oh, sure, people disagree,” he said. “But I believe these issues have to be raised, and it’s my duty to do that.”

Most importantly, Taugher stressed, his positions are based on Catholic social doctrine, which he calls “one of the most exciting things about the church.” Its seven principles include the dignity of the human person, the rights of workers, action for the poor and a call to community.

Still the perception that he’s anti-government alienated some in the congregation when he first began as pastor in 2004, Krinik said. Some comments were downright nasty, and some people left for other parishes, she added.

But others joined, and Krinik credits Taugher with successfully leading the church, then called St. Catherine of Sienna, through a difficult merger with two other parishes, St. Rita’s and St. Christopher’s. Today, the parish has a membership of some 880 families, about 100 more than at the time of the merger in 2009.

Taugher emphasized he is not against the military. What his is against is a “blind allegiance to war” and a creeping militarism that is draining money from need investment in other areas, he said. He wishes other priests and bishops would be more outspoken on these issues.

Not everyone at St. Francis agrees with Taugher’s outspokenness, but even people who disagree generally have respect for him, said Scott Igler, a parish member since the early 1980s.  “He worries about the parish. You’ll see him out there shoveling snow. How many pastors do that?” Krinik noted.

Taugher said he hopes he plants seeds in people’s minds, even those who disagree with him.

“What’s so exciting about Pope Francis is that he’s making Catholic social doctrine central to his ministry,” he said. “He kind of validates I’m on the right course.”

‘Hero’ in 1913 Binghamton factory fire honored

By Amanda Hari

 

Leaders:  League of Women Voters chiefs Sara and Karl Wokan of Vestal work to keep others informed

This article appeared in the (Binghamton, NY) Press & Sun-Bulletin Jul 15, 2014

Sara Wokan and Karl Wokan, pictured on the front porch of their Vestal home, are co-presidents of the League Of Women Voters of Broome & Tioga Counties.

/ Frank Roessner/Contributed photo      Written by Frank Roessner, Correspondent

Sara Wokan and Karl Wokan
Title: Co-presidents, League Of Women Voters of Broome & Tioga Counties.  They are in the middle of a two-year term.
Ages: She is 67; he is 66.
Home: Vestal (30 years)
Hometowns : Sara is from Endicott;  Karl was born in Salzburg, Austria, but grew up in Binghamton.
Children:  daughter Eva, son Kristofor
Education: Sara has a degree in sociology from Ottawa (Kansas) University and graduate courses in counseling;  Karl has undergraduate and master’s degrees (vocational counseling) from SUNY-Oneonta.
Previous careers:  Sara held various position with he state labor department; Karl was a vocation rehabilitation counselor for the state commission for the blind and visually handicapped for 24 years.
Organization website: lwv-broometioga.org

 

Thomas Jefferson would have liked Sara and Karl Wokan of Vestal.

The Founding Father who constructed the Declaration of Independence once observed, “I know no safe depositary of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education . This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power.”

The Wokans are well-informed citizens who lead an organization that’s all about keeping people informed, The spouses are co-presidents of the League of Women Voters of Broome & Tioga Counties.

“I had been interested in the league and knew people in the league, and I knew what valuable service they do,” Sara Wokan said. “I had some dear friends who have been officers. After I retired (from the state Department of Labor), that was one of my priorities — to get more involved. And the league still attracts me because it’s not your side and my side. There’s a nonpartisanship to it; let’s learn about this issue.”

Karl Wokan added: “They try to just deal with the facts. You have to welcome other people opinions and listen to them.”

That measure of civility is largely absent in the political discourse of the day. It’s easy for people to dwell in echo-chambers (left and right) and belittle opposing views, they said.
“I just wish the (public) dialogue would be one of respect,” said Sara Wokan, adding that the League of Women Voters strives to present balanced and thoughtful discussions of the issues.

Her husband points out that solutions often lie in the middle ground, and said, “I don’t think you can get to that middle ground without doing some homework, looking into things, considering options.”

His involvement with the league began with those discussions, which he found enlightening and sometimes challenging. “She would drag me along sometimes,” he joked, “but the topics are always interesting.”

He became one of the handful of men to join the league and assisted Sara in her duties when she became active in voter services and voter registration . When her name came up in nominations for president, she said, the nominating committee asked if Karl would be interested in helping her. He readily agreed.

“It’s a lot of work, especially phone work, and I’m grateful for Karl’s efforts,” said Sara Wokan, who also helps jail inmates prepare for GED exams.”He had to give some of his other activities to help out.”

“She’s just trying to keep me out of trouble,” he joked, then added, “It’s been very worthwhile.”

The League members gave him a special card. It reads: “Token male.”

A recent morning interview with the Wokans turned into a wide-ranging conversation over homemade bread and iced tea. The topics ranged from hydrofracking to the core curriculum — two recent topics of League meetings — to term limits, social media and the Hobby Lobby decision by the Supreme Court.

The Wokans are informed and engaged, but not strident. They sometimes finish each other’s sentences but say they do not see eye-to-eye on everything.

Karl Wokan said he served as moderator for a special program on the core curriculum and found the discussion fascinating because he once was president of the Windsor School Board.

“That was a very interesting meeting because people came forward — parents, teachers, administrators and students — to be heard,” said Sara Wokan. “Most of them felt that government wasn’t listening to them.

“When our politicians can take things behind closed doors and make decisions, that’s not a good thing,” she added. “The League tries to help with that.”

All of the the League’s own meetings — program meetings on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:45 p.m. and board meetings the second Tuesday at 6:30 — are usually held at The Vestal Public Library and are open to the public.

Among upcoming programs is one on the flood insurance program, which, given the recent history of flooding in the Southern Tier, should be well-attended. The League has scheduled a Fall Women’s History Tour bus trip to Auburn and the Women’s History Museum in Seneca Falls on Oct. 4. There also will be candidate debates and information-gathering for study guides and for the League’s Vote411 web site project, which provides information on candidate positions.

And, of course, voter registration efforts. “Our primary goals are to register voters and to help them be informed,” Sara Wokan said.

The League always welcomes new members, she added. The current membership is around 110, and Sara Wokan said the Broome-Tioga group has been better than some at expanding membership.

“We’re always looking for people who are interested in politics and government,” Sara Wokan said.

“And shouldn’t that be just about every American?” added her husband.