Jun 22, 2008 3:48 pm US/Central
Father Pfleger Preaches At St. Sabina
Parishioners Want To Put Controversy Behind Them and Focus on Improving The Community
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Father Michael Pfleger returned to the pulpit this morning at St. Sabina's church after he was temporarily removed for two weeks because of controversial comments he made about Hillary Clinton.
Pfleger thanked his congregation for their support and Francis Cardinal George for reinstating him at St. Sabina.
"I am ever aware of my faults and my failures, my sins and my imperfections," Pfleger said.
Fr. Pfleger's first Sunday back in the pulpit, came after the YouTube video of him – mocking Hillary Clinton – was seen around the world.
"We all have YouTube moments, but we have to understand, there is more than the YouTube moment," Pfleger said. "No matter what the devil shows you for the moment, there is more to this story."
Members of Pfleger's congregation say, the title of his sermon Sunday, "Ain't Nothing Like a Comeback" was appropriate.
"After you've had a chance to actually re-evaluate the situation, you can come back into the game with a whole different mindset, and that's exactly what he's doing," said parishioner Dawn Spencer.
Members at the church said they wanted him to return sooner and fought for that.
"I'm just glad for him to be back and I hope he'll never leave us again," said Parishioner Jeff Reese.
"He's a very bright person," said Parishioner Audrey Balentine. "And he just steals your heart."
"He did a lot for our community – it used to be crime-ridden, drug-infested," said parishioner Kevin Jones. "He's cleaned up the whole community as a whole. It's great to have him back."
"I will not let my faults or my imperfections cause me to run, nor will I allow them to cause me to hide, nor will I allow them to cause me to play it safe, nor will I allow them to cause me to be silent," Pfleger said.
Fr. Pfleger ended his sermon by saying, even though he may fall – and some of his members of his congregation may fall at times – they can always, get right back up.
Parishoners have been waiting for the day their beloved pastor would return to celebrate Sunday morning mass.
On Monday, Pfleger returned to his duties.
He said although he's prohibited from endorsing candidates or campaigning for them, he doesn't plan to change his sense of activism.
Father Pfleger participates in anti-violence rallies, hosted by Ceasefire.
Parishioners say they want to put the controversy behind them and focus on improving their community.
CBS 2's Pamela Jones contributed to this report.
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