DIOCESE OF PENSACOLA-TALLAHASSEE OFFICE OF THE BISHOP May 25, 2016 eat Parents, Recently concems have been raised witha seies of books written by Fr. Roy Marien who has been appointed President of St.John Paul If Catholic High School. ‘The books are fiction and intended for adults only. This was a personal initiative of Fr. Marien and the books have never ben promoted by the diocese, parish or the school. Draven from his experience in pastoral eae for the mentally ill, refugees and victims of wars, as ‘well as, vietims of human trafficking, Fr. Marin's frank portrayal of the human condition conveys the despair and resilience of the human spirit in the face of most tragic experiences in life, While the books have some strong content, these polemical stores, using mythology from. various world cultures, metaphorically and allegorically convey a cautionary tale about authestie human suffering and the battle and eventual triumph of good over evil, and that the authentic ‘healing is possible with faith inthe Divine Providence of God as one comes to terms with the past. ‘While we understand and respect your ight to have concern over the books, we must also Jet you ‘nov that Fr. Matien’s ministry has never been called into question in his 31 years as a priest, and he has never had allegations of inappropriate behavior with children or young people. He has been an excellent school pastor and administrator wit a record of tuming around schools, ‘helping them thrive both in their mission of educating inthe Catholic faith, and with respect to their finances and enrollment. This appointment was made after much prayer and discernment, and [have full confidence tht Fr. Roy will do an outstanding job serving as President of St, John. Paul Il Catholic High School duc to his tack record and his tireless work etic. Please know that your children’s education and safety at St. John Paul Il Catholie High School is ‘of the utmost importance to me, the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, and Fr. Marien. 1 ‘respectfully ask for your prayers for our schoo, faculty, and administration as we strive to fulfill ‘our mission of providing a quality Catholic education to our students Sincerely yous + TS ‘Most Reverend Gregory Parkes Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee LLNORTH“B" STREET - PENSACOLA, FLORIDA 32502 (ast) 135300 + Fae 0) 53565." Webs epic ony,