Priest's dismissal called puzzling

As the Rev. Joseph Diem celebrated his final Mass as parochial vicar of St. Ambrose Church in Dorchester yesterday, parishioners put their hands to their faces and wept. When he walked down the aisle at the end of the service, the congregation stood and applauded.

''Pray for me," he said in an interview following the Mass. ''I have no family. I have no relatives. The community is my family."

Without explanation, officials of the Archdiocese of Boston have ordered Diem, 53, to leave the parish and have asked its pastor, the Rev. Vincent Von Euw, another popular priest, to consider resigning, priests and parishioners said.

The unexpected move shook parishioners, who said they have no idea why Diem, a beloved priest who preached in Vietnamese and had been at the church a year and a half, would be dismissed from the church.

''The loss of Father Diem is really heartbreaking for us," said Diep Nguyen, 30, after the Mass. ''We really don't know what's happening."

''It's a disaster what they're doing to us," said Ruth Miller, 81. ''I can't believe it."

During his homily yesterday morning, Von Euw, 69, expressed frustration at archdiocesan officials, whom he accused of abusing their power.

''We, as your priests and bishops, are called to serve you, not to rule you," said Von Euw, who has been at St. Ambrose for 15 years.

Terrence Donilon, spokesman for Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley, said O'Malley has full authority to assign priests in the archdiocese and emphasized Von Euw has not been forced to resign.

''With regards to . . . Fr. Joseph Diem, it would be inappropriate for us to discuss confidential personnel matters," he said. ''In regards to Fr. Vincent Von Euw, from time to time, in providing for the pastoral care of the archdiocese, pastors and parochial vicars are asked to accept a new assignment. However, at this time, Fr. Von Euw has not been given a new assignment."

Just before Christmas, Von Euw said, Bishop Richard Lennon asked to meet with him. During a Dec. 27 meeting, Lennon asked him to consider resigning as a way to address a problem with the Vietnamese community at the church. Von Euw said Lennon told him he could not elaborate.

A day later, Diem was called to a meeting with Lennon and told to leave the church but was not given a reason why, Von Euw said. Donilon said he could not comment on the discussion that took place between Von Euw and Lennon because it is confidential and he is unaware of what was said.

St. Ambrose, a racially diverse church of about 2,000 Vietnamese, Hispanic, and white families, was the receiving church last year for Vietnamese parishioners from St. William Church in Dorchester, which closed as part of the archdiocese's effort to reduce the number of parishes in the face of a dwindling number of priests, worshipers, and funds.

Vietnamese parishioners from St. Peter in Dorchester also joined St. Ambrose around the same time, Von Euw said. He said he never perceived any tension during the merger. ''I never knew of an ongoing problem with the Vietnamese community," he said, ''and I was never informed."

Von Euw and two parishioners said there had been talk of differences over unspecified issues among the Vietnamese parishioners. ''I think it's a group of a very few Vietnamese who want to be in charge and take over," said Fran Miller of Dorchester, a parishioner who is not Vietnamese and who supports Von Euw and Diem.

Von Euw said he blamed the disruption on a high-ranking church official, Sister Nancy Charlesworth, director of the Office of Ethnic Apostolates. She should have told him of any problems within the Vietnamese community at his parish, he said.

Donilon said the job of the Office of Ethnic Apostolates is to help new immigrants acclimate to their church, but he declined to comment on Von Euw's theory.

''It sounds to me like there is a lot of varying opinions floating around," he said.

Diem's unexpected ouster recalled Father Walter Cuenin's removal last year as pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians parish in Newton, which set off shock waves in the community and accusations by parishioners that the archdiocese was punishing Cuenin for his views, including his embrace of gays and lesbians.

The archdiocese said Cuenin was asked to resign for accepting a $500 monthly stipend for performing baptisms, weddings, and funerals and for driving a leased Honda Accord he had shared with visiting priests. The car was unauthorized, the archdiocese said.

Parishioners at St. Ambrose said they had no idea why the archdiocese would remove Diem.

''He's so beautiful," said parishioner Eileen Joyce, 68, of Dorchester. ''He's so humble. He's a saint."

Several of Diem's supporters said they would write letters, pray, and stop going to St. Ambrose until he is reinstated.

While Von Euw and several parishioners were defiant, Diem expressed only sadness and diffidence to archdiocesan leadership. ''I am the servant of God," he said as he prepared to leave church. ''I am very happy to do what the archbishop, who is my superior, wants me to do."

Maria Cramer can be reached at mcramer@globe.com.