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PHONE CONVERSATION OF DON MEEHAN WITH THE V. CHANCELLOR OF THE

NASHVILLE DIOCESE, PRENTICE DEAN, DECEMBER 4, 2008

It is apparent now that Pope Benedict XVI called Bishop Choby to Rome to personally order him

not to ordain Philip Hower, a whistle-blower of corrupt priests and bishops. Choby suddenly left

for Rome at the time of his Philip Hower’s scheduled arrival at the Choby assigned GoodShepherd Parish in Decherd, Tennessee. It is obvious now that Prentice Dean’s reference below

of final approval from “other interested parties” means Pope Benedict XVI.

Don Meehan - D

Prentice Dean – PD

Dean has answered the phone for Chancellor Hans Toecker and made identification.

D- … and I’ve lost contact with Phil (Hower) I haven’t been able to find him. I understood that

he was going to Decherd (Tennessee) to the Good Shepherd Church there, that he was going to

live there until his ordination. And I’ve lost contact with him. I don’t have any address for him or  phone numbers or anything. I can’t find anybody in Tucson that knows anything about him. I’ve

lost con-, I don’t know where he is. I just called the parish of Good Shepherd in Decherd andtalked to a lady by the name of Carolyn, I believe, and she said to call the diocese. That he’s not

there. So, I’m concerned about where he might be. Uh, what is your name again?

PD - Dean, D-E-A-N.D - Ok.

PD – Uh, he, uh, was anticipating, uh to be a, uh, seminarian at the diocese, but it required uh,

(pause) final approval from uh, the bishop and other interested parties, and uh, that has nothappened.

D – Well, he had approval from the bishop. It was the bishop that told him to come out there,and, uh, -

Pd – Well, that wasn’t necessarily final approval. Uh, uh, there may have been somemiscommunication there. But, uh, uh,-

D – That wasn’t the final approval? I thought the bishop has the final approval. Does someone

else have approval? I’m not understanding this. He, he, uh, packed his home, all his belongings, put them in a truck, on the bishop’s say so, “Come on out and I will put you into a parish where

you can bring your dogs, and you can live there.” And when he got there they had no knowledge

whatsoever, probably, that he was coming, and I don’t know where he is now.

PD- Well, to be honest, I’m not quite sure where he is right now either. I don’t know if he’s still

in Decherd or – 

D – Well, they said he’s not in Decherd, ‘cause they said he’s not there. They said, “Call the

diocese. They know.” So, I’m calling the diocese, and you’re saying he had to get final approval.

Final approval from who? Who beside the bishop would give final approval?

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PD – Uh, it would be the bishop.

D – Ok, the bishop gave his approval and he came out there and now he’s not going to be

ordained?

PD – I really think you ought to talk to Hans Toecker, the chancellor of the diocese. And if I

have your number, he will give you a call back.

(Don gives him the number and relates his work in promotion of the Virgin Mary and production

etc.)

D - …And we felt that a documentary about Phil would be a great, wonderful thing to show that,uh, that whistle-blowing does pay within the Church with the corruption that’s been going on.

And then, finally, a bishop had the courage and the guts, or whatever it is, to say, “Come on my

son. You’ve been eight years in seminary, now come on and be a priest. Eight years he’s been to

seminary, you know. And now, they’re turning him away? That’s what I am hearing here.Because he did have the approval of the bishop.

PD – Well, we’re getting into a semantic argument over what’s approval and what’s not

approval, and, and, I’m really not at the level with which to, to, uh, argue about what is approval

and not approval. It’s just not going to get us anywhere here, and I honestly don’t know, uh, uh,

the final status. I know there was some discussion. Now, the final results of that discussion, I’mnot really sure.

There some final words about Phil blowing the whistle on a corrupt pastor, about the shortage of  priests, his lawsuit and about the possible ending of the proposed documentary. Word was left to

get the bishop to call Meehan and he never did. His last words were, “Somebody will call you

 back.” They never did. It was later learned that Philip Hower was homeless and was forced tolive in his car until taken in by a thoughtful parishioner. Choby threw him away like garbage.