Sad story out of Holy Name.
The body of the Rev.` Patrick Burns, 57, was found a little after 5 p.m. Dec. 14 in the living room of the rectory at Holy Name of Jesus Roman Catholic Church in Windsor Terrace, according to sources.
He had slash marks on his left wrist, and an empty bottle of the antipsychotic drug Risperidone was discovered in the room, sources said. Police also found a 16-page suicide note.
“I’m shocked and amazed,” the church’s music director, Ivonne Rojas, told The Post on Sunday. “I would never think he did this.”
Burns’ death is a “tragedy,” a Diocese of Brooklyn spokeswoman said.
CONTAINER DIARIES 
Al said:
Read this article while on our family ski trip in northern Vermont and was stunned and saddened. So tragic and unnecessary.
Lord knows what personal dilemmas he was struggling with. No doubt his parish family, both religious order and lay, are also struggling, wondering what they missed and why they couldn’t help him.
I must say, it seems there is an institutional failure within the worldwide Catholic Church hierarchy, and it seems to have existed for decades. The fact that it has lasted so long should justifiably raise eyebrows. We’ve all read the news articles of endemic moral and ethical failures, and entrenched problems with professional accountability. Time after time, in different countries, we’ve read of scandal after scandal: apologies offered by religious order administrators, promises to improve their monitoring and handling of these stubborn issues, even denials and obfuscations and stonewalling—at high levels.
Why has it persisted so long?
The institution, and faithful parishioners, deserve better.
Sunshine is the best sanitizer and disinfectant we know.
We need transparency and outside intervention to save the Catholic Church.
God Rest Reverend Burns’ soul.
Catherine Howard said:
Al, I wish that …all everyone needed was sunshine, but it’s not just the Catholic Church, that needs help. Society itself needs to address our mental health issues, starting with the lack of mental health professionals, to people thinking all we need is sunshine. Patrick’s struggles were not from a lack of sunshine… as he tried everyday to bring light to many different people throughout his years as a priest. If anything he left this world a little darker. Catherine
Steve said:
Catherine,
Thanks for adding to the post. You are right. Good call. Mental illness is a very serious situation. I wish we can all do more to help. Everyone is going through something. Maybe we can start by being kind to each other.
Catherine Howard said:
Yes your right…kindness is a start… and also saying a persons mental health is important…and not their mental disease….No one wants to say…I have a mental disease that I am coping with. However working on my mental health ,well that’s also a great step in change.
Father Patrick , was and will always be my friend.Thank you for allowing me to share.
Steve said:
Keep sharing…communication is important.
Some things that have helped my mental health:
1-Having a dog
2-Music
3-Family
4-Friends
5-Writing
6-Exercise
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bill krumbholz said:
each of us has a cross to carry .weather it be mental or physical,lets hope that father burns ,will be there to help us carry it,my faith goes beyond earth . its a sad society and world. but only prayer will change it ,
Steve said:
Thanks Bill. Hope you are well.