Catholic Students Seek Support In Protesting `Arbitrary' Firings

Petitions protesting the "arbitrary firing" of three staff members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Catholic Student Center and the appointment without consultation of a new Catholic chaplain to the University have been circulated in the Houses and the Freshman Union this week by students affiliated with the Student Center.

Catholic students on Sunday considered presenting the petitions to Cardinal Humberto Madeiros when he speaks at Dudley House at 7:30 p.m. tonight.

Madeiros agreed yesterday to meet on Friday with the Board of Directors of the Catholic Student Center. After yesterday's agreement, the students said they may delay presentation of the petition until the private meeting.

New Appointment

Last Tuesday, Madeiros appointed Rev. John P. Boles chaplain of the Center and pastor of St. Paul's Church, to replace Rev. Msgr. Edward S. Murray, whom Madeiros promoted to another position.

Madeiros instructed Boles to recruit new personnel for the Center, thus effectively terminating the appointments of Rev. Robert Griffin, Anne Kelley and Carole Bohn, the Center's current staffers.

The Catholic students group has claimed Medeiros did not consult with the students prior to the appointment of Boles, and that he did not explain his reason behind the move.

The pastor of St. Paul's Church ministered to the needs of Catholic students at Harvard until 1966, when concerned alumni and Faculty members formed the Catholic Student Center to create an independent ministry to the University. Members of the Center selected a chaplain whose appointment was approved by the Archbishop.

Due to tension between the pastor and the chaplains of the Catholic Student Center, the functions of chaplain and pastor were combined in 1971.

The current protests of the Catholic Student Center are intended to clarify the laity's role in directing the Catholic chaplaincy at Harvard.