Luxury hotel manager fired after making vulgar Ash Wednesday remarks
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The New York Palace Hotel / Niklaus Leuenberger

New York City, N.Y., Mar 26, 2009 / 11:56 pm (CNA).- The manager of the luxurious New York Palace Hotel was fired after obscenely ordering a Catholic employee to clean the ashes from his forehead on Ash Wednesday.

According to the New York Daily News, on Feb. 25 the hotel’s managing director Niklaus Leuenberger told bell captain Mike Murray “Wipe that f-----g s--t off your face,” referring to the ashes Murray had received at an Ash Wednesday service.

The 893-room five-star hotel is 55 stories tall and is on Madison Avenue across the street from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The hotel leases its land from the Catholic Church.

Hotel spokeswoman Teresa Delaney told the Daily News that Leuenberger’s employment was terminated as of Monday. He had worked at the hotel since May 2007.

Christopher Cowdray, head of the London-based Dorchester Collection which owns the hotel, flew to New York City to personally end Leuenberger’s employment.

“We take the well-being of our employees extremely seriously and that is why our CEO, Mr. Cowdray, went to New York in person to deal with this matter,” the company said.

Bell captain Murray said the general manager wanted the ashes off, “and he knows he was wrong.” He told the Daily News that he had never been approached on a religious issue before. Murray, who had worked at the hotel for 25 years, also said he had no plans to sue.

Nigel Badminton, who was previously the resident manager at the Dorchester in London, is now the acting general manager at the New York Palace.

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: EdR
Pittsburgh, Pa./USA 03/28/2009 09:32 AM EST
Ashes to Ashes Dust to Dust....Leuenberger has bit the dust!!
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Published by: Pauline Cribbin
Dublin Ireland 03/28/2009 07:25 AM EST
re manager that was fired from new york hotel for asking an employee to get rid of ash wednesday ashes from his forhead. the devil was in the details of that.
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Published by: Mary Ann Stypa
Springfield, NJ USA 03/28/2009 06:42 AM EST
Thank you Mr.Cowdray for firing this man who was so inappropriate in his intolerance of our faith and Ash Wednesday practice.
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Published by: Andrew
Sydney 03/28/2009 05:44 AM EST
Good
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Published by: Sylvia Castillo
San Antonio, TX, USA 03/27/2009 11:17 PM EST
The Mgr. deserved to be fired. Hurray for this man that was just practicing his religious beliefs that is one up for Our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you.
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Published by: John Forester
Baton Rouge/LA/USA 03/27/2009 10:16 PM EST
Catholic bell captain - 1
Biggoted, anti-Catholic manager - 0
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Published by: Anita
Florida,USA 03/27/2009 10:13 PM EST
Speasking of religious bigotry, this is it, in it's highest form. If a person of another religious belief wore something sacred to their religion I'm sure he would have tolerated it. Ashes on Ash Wednesday are a sacred reminder to us Catholics of the beginning of the Lenten season and what it represents to us. The manager's actions were intolerable and he got his just due.
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Published by: Brother Matthew Levis O. de M.
LeRoy, New York, USA 03/27/2009 05:27 PM EST
Like Jesus said, "the powers of Hell will not prevail."
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Published by: P Rando
spring hill fl 03/27/2009 03:33 PM EST
The manager's behavior was reprehensible. I am edified however by the action of the home office. This is the US Of A and there are altogether too many anti-christian plots afoot to condone even one more. Enough is enough. These offensive people would be too frightened to do likewise to any thing Muslim...but it seems anything Christian is fair game.
We must stand up now.
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Published by: Barbara
USA, Louisiana 03/27/2009 10:59 AM EST
Thank you Mr. Cowdray. You have restored my faith in justice for spiritual matters that are worthy and deserving of respect.
God bless you and the hotel chain you represent.
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Published by: Bob
Fairfax, VA 03/27/2009 09:23 AM EST
Finally! A senior manager with some backbone doing the right thing regardless of the political correctness issue! Good riddance to Mr. Leuenberger...
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Published by: Fr. Chris Fontanini
West Des Moines, Iowa USA 03/27/2009 08:44 AM EST
It kind of makes you wonder whether we are living in times similar to the early Christians under Emperor Nero. The ex-general manager needs our prayers!
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